To Worried Ross (Repoman):
>This is the 1st time I've used this vet, so I hope that our resident net
>pet vets will be able to advise me further based on what this vet has to
>say. I will post the results of the checkup asap. Someone please tell me
>that Adrenal surgery is a relatively safe operation!
Ross, adrenal surgery is a relatively safe operation. Just make
sure that your vet has some experience with it. It is a fairly simple
operation if the affected adrenal is the left one; a bit trickier if the
right adrenal is affected.
But an experience vet should have no problem with it.
I read on - (two days later)
>So... here are my questions: (1) is this a reasonable course of action,
>in our net vet's view? (2) does such a possibility of alternate hair loss
>seem probable?
I don't think biopsying the red blotches is probably worthwhile,
unless they are raised, hairless, scurfy, or show other evidence of being a
skin disease. If you are going to do surgery, then I would check the
adrenals. You can always biopsy the skin while he's under, but since you
are going to anesthetize him - why not do the most likely things first?
>The vet also talked about the possibility of ultrasound on the adrenal if
>the biopsy is negative; this seems strange to me, seeing as I have heard a
>lot about exploratory surgery. Is it possible for me to give her your
>number for consultation, or is that a no-no?
Ultrasound probably will just run up the bill, unfortunately. If
something shows up on the ultrasound, thenyou have to go in. If it doesn't
show up, that doesn't mean it isn't there, so you would still have to go in.
If your ferret is healthy, why not just go in? Many vets are very reticent
about operating on ferrets, but if gas anesthesia is used, and the et has
good technique, an exploratory abdominal surgery carries very little risk.
Feel free to give her my number.
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
Dept. of Vet Path, AFIP
[log in to unmask] OR
Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1281]
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