I'm back from sunny Florida and received my MANY issue of FML and will make a
few brief (I know that is difficult for me) comments from the last week's
issues.
 
Re:  Vaccine reactions
I never saw vaccine reactions to Fromm D distemper vaccine for dogs when used
in ferrets for 17 years.  However, I have had one practitioner call me last
week who had an apparent anaphylactic reaction in a ferret that responded to
medical therapy.  We routinely vaccinate in the scruff of the neck.  However,
we had a lot of stinging and a few more serious reactions with the initial
use of the Fervac-D, however, their fourth formulation of the vaccine is
doing well with no problems.  It is the ONLY approved distemper vaccine for
ferrets and we do use it, and then use FRomm D in certain cases only.  We
have never had a death from either vaccine.  We use the Pitman Moore Imrab
(the ONLY approved rabies vaccine for ferrets) and give it also
subcutaneously in the scruff and have had the rare ferret develop a pea sized
lump there in about 2 weeks which then disappears.  I have not had any
adverse reactions to the rabies vaccine.  It can, of course, also be given in
the muscle, but it is APPROVED for use subcutaneously.
 
Re:  Issue 781  Rachel R  Sweets and hair loss.
The hair loss in your pet was not caused by a pancreatic problem.  The
pancreatic cancer (insulinoma) causes low blood sugar, not hair loss.
Adrenal cancer causes hair loss. Getting a lot of sweets such as peppermint
can lead to the creation of diabetes (a different disease than insulinoma),
and in the case of an animal that also has insulinoma, can cause the blood
sugar to rise and fall more drastically and frequently.  This is why we do
not recommend sweets to be given to ferrets that have insulinoma, except in
cases to revive them from a hypoglycemic attack and then give them protein as
soon as possible.  To complicate matters even further, we now feel that some
of these ferrets have BOTH insulinoma (making the insulin level rise) and
glucagonomas (making the insulin level fall) which makes a real mess to
regulate.  It is important to have frequent fasting blood sugars checked so
the medications can be adjusted accordingly.
 
Re:  780  inflammed prepuce
 
I'm not sure from your description if the prepuce is reddened or just
swollen.  We see a blueish discoloration of the tip of the prepuce and
swelling that can be associated with either a benign or malignant condition.
If this is the case, I highly recommend surgical removal and having the
tissues examined by a pathologist (Dr. Williams does it for free) and
determine therapy after that.  We have seen some of these swellings get quite
large.
 
Re:  780  Wendy/ ferret drinking a lot
 
A 7 year old ferret is an old ferret and I would HIGHLY recommend that you
have this pet checked by a vet every 6 months.  At the minimum it would be
good to check a fasting blood glucose, a urinalysis and a complete blood cell
count.  This would give you some good baseline information to see if the
excessive drinking (which is not normal in my opinion) is being caused by a
treatable problem.  The longer you delay the less the chances to help.
 
Re:  779  Ferret clamping towel after flight
 
I did not see what the age of your pet was, but you might suspect a
hypoglycemic attack and I would suggest having a fasting blood glucose
checked (fast your pet  a minimum of 4 hours and no more than 6 hours prior
to the test) and possibly an insulin level, especially if the pet is 3 or
older.
It could also have been pain in the ears from pressure changes, but I would
think that calcium problems would not be on my list.
 
Re: 775  Adrenal disease comment
 
Just to clarify a statement made...Adrenal disease in the ferret is NOT
caused by the pituitary as may be seen in other animals.  It is a PRIMARY
adrenal problem...to date no involvement of the pituitary gland has been
found (Dr. Williams...care to comment...you would have more current info on
this than I)
 
Re:  781  Taz   bad hair
 
With a rough coat and lots of itching and no other information I would have
two main differentials.  One would be a diet that is too low in fat which can
lead to a dry abnormal skin and coat.  The second most common is adrenal
disease.  I recommend a visit to the vet.
 
That's it for now.......
Susan Brown, D.V.M.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0783]