>Regarding urinary blockage due to enlarged prostate, can you tell me how
>it is easily expressed manually and after both adrenal glands were removed,
>my ferrets were put on pred only.  Is there something else I should be
>giving them that might prevent this from happening?  I have already lost
>3 ferrets due to urinary problems.
>Sue
 
Dear Sue:
 
Learning to express, or empty your ferrets bladder should be something that
your vet should show you , and not something that I can do over email.  You
need to know what the bladder feels like and where it is located before you
go a-squeezin' on your ferret.
 
I'm not sure how long ago your ferrets adrenals were removed, but it can
take a while to regress if the prostatic disease is well established.  Plus
we cannot be sure that all of the adrenals wre removed.  In many cases,
rferrets either retein a portion of the right adrenal where it curls UNDER
the vena cava and is very difficult to get at, or they have extra adrenal
tissue scattered throughout their body.
 
There are some other drugs, which although still considered fairly
experimental may help in dealing with prostatic disease in adrenal
ferrets.
 
Dr. Charles Weiss has published this information at:
http://www.ferretdoctor.com/AD-MT-article%20for%20vets.html
While our experience with Lupron has not been good in dealing with prostate
disease, another drug, bicalutamide, shows more promise.  It conceivably
could be used in male ferrets with adrenal disease from initial
presentation through surgery, through a cessation of other clinical
signs, although I don't think that it is currently used in this fashion.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3224]