Hello All:
 
Seven weeks ago I posted that we were beginning experimental adrenal
treatments using a relatively new (in ferrets anyway) drug named Anipryl.
I've been making weekly posts on what we've seen so far.
 
Quick background
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Newone is an 8 year old neutered female who has had inoperable adrenal
tumors since she was 6.  Most of her hair is gone, but the use of colloidal
silver seems to have stabilized her disease.
 
Puck is a 6 year old albino neutered male, with intact scent glands.  He was
diagnosed with adrenal in 1995 and had the "easy" adrenal removed.  This
past Christmas he suffered a nasty bite to the neck which got severely
infected, had to be operated on, and which seemed to retrigger his adrenal.
Hair regrowth in the wounded area was very slow, and his hair began thinning
out along portions of his spine and tail in classic adrenal fashion.
 
In response to these problems, our vet suggested treatment with Anipryl,
which she has been using successfully in dogs.  Dosage is .5mg per day per
weasel, with the pill hidden in a raisin.  We began treatment on 2/20/98.
 
Results So Far
--------------
Our vet believed we would not see any results until about 1 month of
treatment.
 
Puck continues to recover nicely from his bout with low blood sugar, and the
remaining scabby parts on his neck have resumed healing.  (Low blood sugar
inhibits healing of things like sores and wounds.) His weight is up, his
appetite is ravenous, and he's back to his playful self again.
 
Puck's hair is completely grown back at this point....you'd never know he
was half-bald 7 weeks ago.
 
Newone remains much the same as she was, bouncy and alert.  Her weight
remains good, and she's still very energetic compared to what she was prior
to treatment.  She hasn't grown much new hair anyplace, though what she did
put out (on her tail and flanks) is slowly becoming more pronounced.
 
Summary
-------
 
   Puck:    Hair completely regrow; weight up again; doing good
   Newone:  Doing good
 
Steven and Colleen
[Posted in FML issue 2276]