Hi all-
Well, we are at our wits end.  We have been battling this for 1 year this
month.  Our 4 year old MF female has had a swollen vulva since last year
this time.  In Novemeber of last year, she had hair loss and swollen vulva
so she underwent an adrenalectomy.  The vet removed one adrenal (the left)
that did appear "somewhat" larger than the other.  Unfortunately, although
we thought she would be testing the removed adrenal, she did not.  However,
within 2 months April had all her hair back and her vulva had shrunk (not
quite back to normal).
 
However, by Feb. the swelling had returned and by March was bigger than
ever.  We have periodically noticed discharge.  She has been treated with
antibiotics in an attempt to rule out infection.  We have taken her to the
Washington State University Vet School.  Their ferret doctor has run tests
and says that it is inconclusive.  She received an injection of "human
chorionic gonadotropin" in an attempt to bring the swelling down.  It was
unsuccesful.
 
We have been informed of basically two possibilities.
1) Her other Adrenal has a tumor
2) During her spay, MF missed some of her ovary or something.
 
Either way the surgical possibilities aren't good.  He is not a supporter
of Bilateral Adrenalectomy and say the chances of finding the missed piece
of ovary during exploratory surgery are not high.  So we are kind of at a
standstill.
 
Her behavior is normal.  She has acted healthy throughout the year.  Her
eating is normal.  She has not had anymore hair loss.  However, her vulva
is about the size of a grape (about 2cm across) with a mucusy discharge.
And, I don't know if this is relevent or not, but she has a very 'acrid'
smell to her fur.  Her smell changed about the same time as the swelling
started.
 
I hope that someone on this list, vets or non-vets, might have some ideas
for us.  We seem to be at the end of the line medically.  Is there somekind
of medicine we could try, some vitamin or supplement?  We have done duck
soup and it has had no effect on the swelling(although it made everyone
kinda chunky!).  She seems to feel fine, but something obviously isn't ok.
Any advice is appreciated.  Sorry this is so long.
 
Thanks,
Kimberly and Darin Graber
Gizmo, Bentley, Abu, & April
[Posted in FML issue 2449]