To Kelsey:
 
>We took Kelsey to the vet yesterday.  It would appear that she does in fact
>suffer from adrenal problems.  Am I wrong in assuming that the "wrong" food
>could have aggrivated her condition?
 
Kelsey, I wouldn't say you are wrong, but there isn't any hard data to
support a connection between food and adrenal disease.  Adrenal disease is
caused by a proliferation of estrogen-secreting tissue in one or both of the
adrenal glands.  Current evidence points most strongly to genetic factors,
but there is also a camp who belive that early neutering has something to do
with it.
 
>We have tried foods like Iams and Science Diet in the past but she wouldn't
>even consider them.  She is a *very* finicky eater.  We feed her Purina's
>ONE because it is a light colored food, the only kind she seems to like.
>Can anyone recomend a light colored food?
 
Purina also has a ProPlan Growth which is also light-colored.  However, I'm
not sure if I know a lot of ferrets who discriminated based on the color - I
think texture, shape, and taste are far more important to ferrets.
 
>The vet said that Kelsey has an infection in her vagina.  She is currantly
>taking Keflex.  She is also on Dermcap(sp?) for her hair and skin.
 
We often see low-grade vaginal discharge with adrenal disease.  We can also
see a similar sign with urinary tract infections, which are of much more
concern, as they may progress to kidney infections.
 
I am hoping that you and your vet are taking steps to treat adrenal disease
rather than just the vaginal and skin symptoms.  Without definitive
treatment, the signs of adrenal disease will just continue to multiply....
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
[Posted in FML issue 1666]