From: soft breeze [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
>a vet told me that none of them cured the tumor... not lupon , not
>desorlin etc etc. and that it just made them look as in grew fur
>back and the only cure was surgery.
>
>i thought many were giving the desorlin or superloin to prevent
>adrenal from happening.

At the risk of stirring up a long discussion between the pro-surgery
and the pro-Lupron/Deslorelin camps, I'll try to be balanced.

Lupron and Deslorelin work using the same mechanisms although they're
different drugs. They cut off the runaway hormones which are what cause
the adrenal glands to be over-stressed, which seems to lead to tumors
eventually. They are not a cure, in that they don't make the tumors go
away, however they are a very effective treatment, in that the hormones
are back in balance which means that all the other symptoms go away,
and in many if not most cases, tumors stop growing.

There is research going on to determine whether giving Deslorelin
before disease starts will prevent the overstressing of the glands,
and keep the ferrets from developing Adrenal disease. This looks
extremely promising.

Surgery removes the tumors/diseased glands, and is usually effective
at removing symptoms, however it is also common for the tumors to
come back in the other gland, and in some documented cases, even with
both glands removed, tumors pop up in other adrenal tissue which is
sometimes dispersed in the abdomen. So it's not always the permanent
cure that people think it is.

Both are valid treatment plans, both have advantages and disadvantages.
Surgery is a big one-time expense. Lupron or Deslorelin are lesser
expenses that go on for the life of the ferret. There are risks in any
surgery. There are cases where the tumors are cancerous and will not
respond to the medication.

I hope that helps.
Kevin Farlee

[Posted in FML 7264]