I haven't had a chance to respond to some of the FMLs in a long while, so
this is a grab bag of topics from the last week or so.
 
Lisa Leidig (FML #1863) responded to a post about intermittent hair loss in
adrenal disease, wondering:
 
>...perhaps the excretion of cortisone waxes and wanes...
 
In the studies published so far, it's estradiol levels that are usually
elevated.  Cortisone, cortisol, ACTH and thyroxin levels are usually normal
in adrenal ferrets.  Why the hair loss comes and goes is a mystery to me.
Any vets want to speculate?
 
Also on adrenal tumors, Tracy McAlpine (FML #1866) asked about her vet's
switching from lysodren to ketoconazole (Nizoral) for her ferret with
adrenal tumor and insulinoma.  Ketoconazole is mostly used as an antifungal
treatment but has also been used to treat adrenal cortex tumors in humans.
Perhaps the vets on the FML could comment if they have any experience with
this drug in ferrets.  Ketoconazole suppresses overall production of steroid
hormones, so, it might work in theory.  Pinky may need to be kept on
prednisone or even have the dosage increased since ketoconazole will
suppress her corticosteroid production.  There *are* some drugs that
suppress estradiol more specifically than ketoconazole and have been used to
treat adrenocortical tumors in humans.  These include tamoxifen (Nolvadex),
indomethacin (Indocin) and methylene blue.  I have no idea if these have
been used to treat ferrets or other non-humans but there are some untested
alternatives out there if lysodren doesn't work.
 
In FML #1864, Kathy Rich asked:
 
>...what would be the "bacterial" form on something like ECE?
 
There are many bacterial, viral and parasitic causes of gastroenteritis. Most
common bacterial causes include Helicobacter, Staphylococcus, Salmonella,
E. coli, Campylobacter and Clostridium species.
 
Also in FML #1863, Nikole Lawrence said that she bought a ferret from a
family that said their new born baby was allergic to the ferret.  This is
splitting hairs, but...the immune system in newborns (humans, ferrets or
other mammals) is not fully primed and takes weeks or months to kick in;
otherwise, the fetus might reject the mother in the womb.  It is possible
the baby was exposed to an irritant rather than an allergen.  The effect
could be similar.  When I was born, my mother thought I was allergic to
breast milk.  It turned out I had pyloric stenosis, a narrowing of the
stomach valve.
 
In FML #1861, Astrid quoted from a book her Dutch shelter had on vomiting
and suggested "Van Weil" disease as a possibility.  I had to look that one
up.  Van Weil disease is a particularly aggressive form of leptospirosis,
which isn't likely to show up in North America where ferrets are usually
kept indoors.  Leptospirosis is usually spread through exposure to infected
rodents (wild ones, not pets) or swimming in contaminated water.  Symptoms
are similar to the flu, but since it's a bacterial infection, antibiotics
can cure it.  Van Weil disease--the severe form of the infection-- causes
kidney failure, bleeding, anemia and muscle break down.  Except for ferrets
that catch wild mice, I can't imagine seeing it in pets ferrets.
 
--Jeff Johnston ([log in to unmask])
[Posted in FML issue 1867]