Hi everyone,
The other night I asked about the risk of surgery in ferrets over the age
of six.  Dr. Karen Purcell responded to this question via the adrenal
mailing list and stated that in ferrets there appears to be an increased
risk of surgery over age 6 due to subclinical heart disease.  This is still
an individual response and she recommends doing a full CBC/Chem and full
body radiographs before any surgery.
 
As for my babies...I saw a new vet tonight.  Good news and bad.  On Mighty
Mouse, the black things near her vulva he feels really might just be the
equivalent of black heads.  They are very near the surface and look almost
like they could be expressed.  He didn't feel there was anything to worry
about.  He actually removed Bugsy's skin 'lumps' with a local anestetic and
while Bugsy wasn't 'thrilled' it was a rather simple procedure and for the
most part, Nutrical kept him occupied.  I am going to take those samples to
school and see if someone can do a histopath on them.  The vet didn't think
they were or weren't mast cell tumors and he really was only worried about
one (but took out the other on my request), so we will have to wait for the
results to find out.
 
Now the "bad" news.  This vet also is (admittedly) very conservative with
doing adrenal surgeries (also= he is the second vet I have gone to who is
not rushing to do these surgeries).  He saw my two girls and while he
feels their hair loss is adrenal related he would much rather the disease
progress a little further before doing surgery.  His reasoning is that this
decision is a balance between the risks and damage the circulating hormones
are causing against the inherent risks of surgery and the liklihood of
having to go in a second time (since often within the next year, the
'other' gland hyperproliferates after a unilateral adrenalectomy).  One of
my girls is cycling such that her vulva has shrunken in size and some of
her hair has grown back.  He hypothesizes and questions if this isn't
indicating that the hormones are not increasing in concentrations and that
their effects may be lessening at this point, and hence, why do surgery if
things are 'getting better'.  ((this is all my paraphrasing)).
 
I am at a loss.  How do I know WHEN is the right time?  HOW much hair loss
is enough?  How many symptoms at how severe do they need to be for a vet
to decide it's worth operating?  I do not want to submit my ferrets to
needless surgeries but I do not want to risk their health by NOT doing
surgery either.  If anyone out there has any ideas as to how I can make a
decision please let me know.
 
feeling very confused,
 
Michaela Maurice
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ohio State University
Class of 2002
[Posted in FML issue 2835]