I just discovered this group, and as a MA resident it offers me one of
the only sources of information concerning my ferrets.  I have 3 ferrets,
2 four yr. females (Ruck and Jumper) and 1 three yr. male (Darwin).  They
were all perfectly healthy until this summer.  Ruck collapsed one day
after playing and I brought her to the vet's on an emergency call.  The
vet took a blood sample which confirmed that her blood sugar level was
almost non-existent.  The vet recommended an exploratory which confirmed
her suspicion of insulinoma.  There was only one nodule and the surgery
went very well.  After a week of nursing Ruck bad to the most hyper
little ferret in the house, everything seemed back to normal.
        About 3 weeks after the surgery, Ruck's hair began to thin.  At
first I thought it might be due to the Linotone I was giving her in large
amounts during her pre-surgery illness.  I would give her Linotone to
bring her out of sudden lethargies.  Since Jumper frequently followed her
sister about the apartment, and begged so well when I gave Ruck the
Linotone, I usually gave her some as well (though not nearly as much as
Ruck).  Jumper has been losing hair under her tail.  Ruck now has large
bald patches over her back.  Darwin's coat is thick and winterized, no
problems there.
        I brought all three ferrets to the vet last week, the
second trip since surgery.  The vet was stupified by the hair loss on
Ruck, but said it was too early to make any conclusions about Jumper's.
I suggested that the Linotone may have caused loss because of to much
vitamin A, or that they may have aquired hair mites from a friends puppy,
or that some of the treats I give them might be the culprit, but she
waved off everyone of them (she didn't even check for the mites).  She
said that Ruck may be overgrooming and gave her a cortizone shot.  I'm
very skeptical about that since where Ruck was shaved for surgery never
grew back.  I've since stopped giving Linotone, certain treats that have
some caffeine in them (ice tea is their favorite), and am in the process
of switching to a higher protein, growth formula cat food.
        I don't know what to make of Jumper's hairloss, but Ruck's seems
suspiciously linked to her adrenals.  Is it possible that the adrenals
might have been damaged during surgery?  The vet says complications
frequently arrise in this type of cancer.  In either case, Ruck has never
been more energetic and playful.  Jumper shows no other symptoms to speak of.
        One other point.  I noted the mention recently of the adrenals
swelling and symptoms in the area of hair loss.  It was also mentioned
that estrogen was overproduced.  This raised a flag in my mind because
Ruck has been becoming musky much quicker after a bath than she used to.
She was also the softest of the three and now her hair feals course and
dry.  I'm at a loss of what to do next.  Another exploratory seems too
risky without anyhting to go on.  Any suggestions would be greatly
appreciated.
        Finally, has anyone heard what the verdict is on ferrets in
MA?  Has the state government voted yet?  I understand they have to
address this year since they managed to side step it last year.  Anyways,
thanks in advance for any info or assitance you can give me.  Andy S.
[Posted in FML issue 0998]