Several months ago (4? 5?) Giesela developed a bald spot above her tail.
The skin looks thin, she's a little over 5, she's a bit pear shaped but no
swollen vulva - probably adrenals.  Knowing I don't want my vet to do the
actual surgery I slowly start to look for a more experienced vet.  I'm not
in a panic.  Well I finally think I've got one narrowed down and decided
since I'm trying to get in with a different vet its best to the the U of
Tenn panel done - which I do and she's like 279 estrogen (100 over I cant
remember the exact number) and something over in estradiol (19 if 15 is
normal?) - not huge numbers but indicative of adrenal disease.  So that's
all faxed to the new vet, a surgery appt is get up with a appt that same
morning for the exam.
 
So today I'm there - and he doesn't want to do the surgery.  She's not that
bad yet.  I'm thinking - this isn't going to go away lets get it over with.
He says any surgery is a risk and you only want to do surgery if the animal
is really sick.  He wants to wait - some adrenals/tumors are really..I
don't know, cause a lot of hormone to be pumped and some may not.  I.e.
she could stay like this for a long time with only moderately elevated
levels of hormones.  I don't think he doubts she has adrenal - although
maybe because he seems puzzled by the lack of a swollen vulva.  He says
that she's probably not putting out enough hormone to affect bone marrow
etc.  and lets wait and see.
 
Ok - thoughts?  I feel a bit like I'm being punished for being johhny
responsible owner here.  As in "well most of the ferrets that come in are
totally bald and they respond really well to the surgery so we can wait".
After politely going around all this about 3 times I'm still not sure I
understand the advantages of waiting but I wasn't going to demand surgery
NOW either.  I'm supposed to report back in end of August.  He thinks at
some point we might want to do another adrenal panel (at 100.00 a pop).
 
?????
Mary
P.S.  This is a private practice vet that also does all the animals at the
zoo in his town so he's exotics.  The zoo had ferrets before they were
legal in MI and he had them in his practice before they were legal.  He
said he's done about 100 adrenalectomies on the phone (he's older).  Seems
very nice and a real animal lover.  And the U of T guy is a friend of his.
 
"For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts;
even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other;
yea they have all one breath;
so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast:
for all is vanity. "
Ecclesiastes 3:19
[Posted in FML issue 3117]