Well Tippie has just undergone her third surgery for adrenal, and once again
as in the last operation nothing was found.
 
She had her first surgery at age one, after complete hair loss on her tail.
Her left adrenal gland was removed and the test results showed it was a
benign tumor.  The hair never did grow back.
 
Eight months later she started scratching excessively and her hair started
thinning on her body.  At first I suspected allergies or a skin problem.
I've changed her food, her litter brand, laundry soap, everthing that could
possably be causing the scratching but to no avail.  The doctor says she
doesn't have any kind of skin problem, flea bites or otherwise, so we both
concluded it must be adrenal.
 
She underwent her second surgery at age two.  The right adrenal was fine.
My vet suggested there could be a problem with her thyroid so prescribed a
sixteen week treatment on Synthroid.  Nothing helped.
 
After reading all the information I could get my hands on about adrenal, as
well as joining the Adrenal Group List I felt that possibly the left adrenal
may have grown back or that the tumor may have been too small to locate at
the time of her last surgery so I decided to put her through the operation
once again.
 
On Friday, June 6, Tippie had her third exploratory.  And once again the vet
found nothing.  He examined every organ.  Her pancreas and kidney looked
good.  He couldn't find any regrowth of the left adrenal nor anything wrong
with the right.
 
The vet has suggested that the tumor could be located in an area like the
lungs or brain.  Personely I don't think so because other than the hair loss
and scratching she is very very active.  She eats well and is curious and
lively as all get out.  I started all my ferrets on Timmy's recipe just over
a month ago.  I still have hope that the recipe will help her.
 
I don't know what to do next.  She is slowly going bald.  If its not adrenal
what else could it be?  Can a ferret have adrenal disease yet not have
tumors on the glands?  If yes what do you do for treatment.
 
My vet has suggested putting her on Lysodren, but if he can't find a tumor
would this do more harm then good?
 
It was suggested on the adrenal list that her right gland might not be
compensating for the lose of the left.  Has anyone heard of this?  What
would be the treatment if this was so?
 
My vet also mentioned another drug similar to Lysodren, which he felt might
not be as hard on her.  Its called Diprenyl, has anyone every heard of this
drug?
 
I need advice badly here.  I've decided not to put Tippie through surgery
again, but I'm not ready to give up on her.  There must be something I can
do.  I can live with a hairless ferret, in fact she looks kinda cute, but if
there is anything that I can do to help her I will.
 
I'm posting this to both the FML and Adrenal List, hoping that some
veteranarians out there might see it and be able to offer me advice.  If
anyone has any suggestions please contact me.
[Posted in FML issue 1961]