I do not know of any reason to suspect an implant for this. There does
not seem to be any mechanism for the implants to reduce corticosteroid
production. They work in a way that reduces or prevents the
hyperhormonal problem which is thoroughly different.

There does not seem to be any reason to kick yourself about the
implant, but in the future never give a medication without the vet
first okaying it. If the ferret had diabetes that could have been a
fatal move. Best to avoid that error in the future.

There are multiple causes of sudden death.

A/V Node Block in thought to be induced by diabetes.

40 is an extreme number so pancreatic carcinoma or pancreatic lymphoma
is a possibility with a sudden onset that is extreme.

Are you sure the feeding tube was properly placed? That is not a
typical thing to do with a ferret, BTW.

There are other possibilities, but for the Addisons you are worried
about I can't see a mechanism.

For Addisons there are steroids like Prednisolone given for fluid
management, and meds like Percorten or Fludrocort/Florinef given for
electrolyte balance, but, again, the implant should not alter
corticosteroid production by the adrenals because it does not have an
overall suppressing or atrophying effect on the adrenals. (A past med,
Lysodren, did do that at times, BTW, and that med is typically avoided
these days. It has a pile of problems.)

The other ferret who improved with just short term Prednisolone
probably did have some temporary adrenal corticosteroid reduction but
not enough of a reduction of enough of those adrenal products to need
both types of meds. If there was a debulking of one and removal of the
other then there was enough adrenal tissue left behind to produce those
essential products. If one was removed then the other was probably
examined and might have been temporarily inflamed, leading to that
short problem.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
On change for its own sake: "You can go really fast if you just jump
off the cliff." (2010, Steve Crandall)

[Posted in FML 7038]