An enlarged vulva and hair loss on the tail in a spayed female can be
caused by either fragments of ovarian tissue left behind from the spay,
or by Cushings (adrenal gland) or by certain types of infection.
 
While there isn't a specific test for Cushings, there is one for ovarian
tissue and infection.  Before going to the intrusion and expense of having
the adrenal gland removed by surgery (and as my vet pointed out, even in a
largish dog, a normal adrenal gland is not much bigger than the head of a pin,
so may be hard to find), have your vet rule out ovarian tissue or infection
first.
 
Infection: the vet should do a smear from the vulva, and possibly
some blood work.  If the vulva appears to be perfectly normal for
estrous (ie: healthy looking pink vulva, no cloudy/discoloured discharge,
or blood indicators of infection), then it's not infection.  If it is, the
vet will prescribe antibiotics.  This is not an involved or expensive
procedure.
 
Testing for ovarian tissue is simple - a series of three HCG shots, one
week apart.  If it's ovarian tissue, the vulva swelling will go down.
Don't abandon the series if your ferret doesn't respond before the third
shot.  It took all three for our ferret's swollen vulva to go down this
last time.  Here, the "test" is the same as the cure.
 
Mocha is seven years old, and this has happened to her twice.  She was
spayed at about 6 months.  The first episode about a year and a half
ago (she was six), and the second about two months ago.  Our vet has
ruled out surgery because he feels that it's unlikely that he could
find or identify any ovarian tissue at this point.  Mocha's coat has
come back quite nicely.
 
Nicia, our first ferret, was possibly an example of the cause-by-infection,
though with all the problems she had, it may have been a combination of
things.  See previous issues of the FML for descriptions of what happened
to her.
 
So, yes Nancy, the condition does occur.  In older ferrets.  Til the vet
has tried HCG, people shouldn't be so quick to go for surgery.  As long
as you catch the symptoms reasonably early, you and your vet have lots of
time to check out the alternatives in increasing order of intrusiveness.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0464]