Dear Andrea:
 
>How long should one wait before taking a ferret in for possible
>adrenalectomy?  My 6-yr-old little girl is losing the hair on her tail and
>over parts of her back.  Last vet visit (for check-up and shots) was 12/6.
>It was the first visit to this vet (switched b/c closer location, 24-hr
>coverage, and reputation as good ferret vet) and she thought she appeared
>to be losing some of her hair.  She told me to watch her for increased
>hair loss, vulvar swelling, etc.  Well, I'm sure now she is losing her
>hair.  Should I get her in ASAP now that I know?
 
Let's say soon, but ASAP may lead to a rush in assessment, diagnosis, and
treatment.  While we don't want to wait more than a week, now that we are
sure of the symptoms, adrenal disease is rarely an emergent crisis.
 
Even in the case of malignant tumors, we have a bit of time in order to
establish the diagnosis before going in for surgery.  Let's call tomorrow
and find out if your new vet has time to check her out, and hopefully, if
needed, schedule surgery within the next week.  With older ferrets, you
don't want to wait too long, as they tend to become less of a surgical
candidate.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3320]