Hi FML Folks,
My name is Hanan Caine and I am a veterinarian who has been treating and
operating on ferrets for ten years.  I have been following the FML through
my clients for years but have never participated.  There are veterinarians
like Drs. Williams, Brown, and Weiss (just to name a few) who I think are
more qualified to respond to many of the veterinary questions posted.
However, I have seen what a valuable resource the FML has been to my
clients, and I believe you can never get too many professional opinions.
I also hope to alleviate the burden on those vets who already participate
by helping to share the load.
 
My one caveat is the one you have heard from all the vets that participate:
 
NONE OF THE OPINIONS I OFFER ARE IN LEIU OF HAVING YOUR FERRET EXAMINED OR
REEXAMINED BY A QUALIFIED VETERINARIAN.  IF YOUR FERRET HAS, OR CONTINUES
TO HAVE, SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE, SEE YOUR VET OR SEEK A SECOND
OPINION.
 
To Thor Hansen: I would ask your veterinarian whether he/she thinks another
exploratory would be worthwhile.  If Lucky were to develop definitive signs
of hormonal activity (like the vulva enlarging again) either the Tennessee
hormone panel or another exploratory are viable options if you want to
proceed.  Right adrenal gland disease, ovarian remnants, or (rarely)
ectopic ovarian tissue (congenitally abnormally located tissue) are all
possibilities.  If the only real symptom is the recurrance of aggressive
sexual behavior, I would be hesitant to rush back to surgery...
 
To Cindy: Don't confuse "declawing" with removing one damaged nail.  I
think repeated injuries or painful problems with one digit might be dealt
with most humanely by removing the tip of it.
 
To Jane Odell: Casper's symptoms don't sound much like Diabetes Mellitus
(reported anecdotally in ferrets) unless he drinks a lot of water.  We
believe epilepsy occurs in all mammals, but is reported rarely in ferrets
and the diagnosis is one of exclusion (we try to prove nothing else could
be causing the seizures).  Casper's episodes do sound like seizures, but
I'd want to be very sure he doesn't have an insulinoma.
[Posted in FML issue 2661]