Date:    Sat, 18 May 1996 00:55:32 -0500
To Rochelle:
 
>I'm just writing in case anyone out there has any suggestions on alterative
>treatments for inoperable adrenal tumors.  Our eldest had her surgery last
>week, and the vet did find the start of an adrenal tumor - but it couldn't
>have started in a worse place.  Even though it's small, it has already
>fused to the wall of the vena cava, and can't be removed...
 
Rochelle:
 
The right adrenal gland in ferrets is commonly seen in close association
with th vena cava, but most experienced vets can remove them, or at least
debulk them.  One major problem that I see here is that I see no evidence
that your vet even tried to remove this "small tumor" or take a biopsy to
find out if it is benign or malignant.  One cardinal rule of adrenal surgery
is never to come out empty handed.  At least take a section of te adrenal to
find out what you are dealing with.
 
Medical treatment of adrenal tumors is sketchy at best, and rarely
successful.  Ovaban doesn't treat the tumor, it appears to counteract the
hair loss in many cases, but the tumor will continue to grow.
 
Other drugs we use commonly in adrenal disease in dogs and cats, such as
Lysodren, may be used at significantly higher doses in ferrets, but the
results are unpredictable and usually disappointing.
 
Here is a suggestion - give Charlie Weiss a call at Potomac Animal Hospital
at (301) 299-4142/4143.  He has done surgery on quite a few cases when the
referrring vets were unwilling to do it, with excellent results in most
cases.  I would choose surgery over medical management any day.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 1576]