We have recently joined the FML and have seen a lot of postings regarding
medical problems that we have experience with.  They are Adrenal Tumors,
Insulinomas and Lymphosarcoma.  We have compiled a list of common symptoms
that we've encountered and the treatment that we've used successfully.
 
Because of the length of this posting, we will split it into three parts.
 
Part 1
 
ADRENAL TUMORS - sometimes called Hyperadrenocortism or Cushing's Disease
 
Females:
- Rough fur especially between the shoulder blades
- Very slight thinning of the fur between the shoulder blades
- Progressive hair loss -- bilateral and symmetrical -- starting at the
  base of the tail and continuing to the base of the head (only one case)
 (alopecia)
- Slightly swollen vulva with or without discharge/odor
- Concave shaped hips
- Change in temperament -- aggressive with the other ferrets
- Severe itching
- Enlarged spleen
- Lethargy
- Increased thirst (polydipsia)
- Increased urination (polyuria)
 
Males:
- Rough fur especially between the shoulder blades
- Very slight thinning of the fur between the shoulder blades
- Progressive hair loss -- bilateral and symmetrical -- starting at the base
   of the tail and continuing to the base of the head (two cases) (alopecia)
- Concave shaped hips
- Severe itching
- Enlarged spleen
- Lethargy
- Increased thirst (polydipsia)
- Increased urination (polyuria)
- Aggressive behavior including trying to mount the females
- Inability to urinate or a decrease in the amount of urine
 
These symptoms can appear singularly or in any combination.  The three cases
that had the "classic" hair loss began as a seasonal loss of fur on the tail
and progressed after the second or third season to full hair loss.  After
carefully weighing the pros and cons, we elected surgery for the removal of
the affected adrenal gland.  The most critical symptom to watch out for is
the inability to urinate.  This is caused by the prostate gland swelling and
can develop into renal failure.  This is fatal!
 
All of our kids made it through surgery with flying colors and are doing
great.  The youngest one was 2 and the oldest was 7 when surgery was
performed.  All of the symptoms disappeared shortly after the operation --
one of our boys, who was almost totally bald, had his fur start growing back
the day after surgery!
 
 
We hope this helps other FMLers recognize the symptoms of Adrenal Tumors and
assist them in making a treatment choice.
[Posted in FML issue 1593]