I am following the discussion on intact ferrets having adrenal disease
adn am having a bit of a mproblem with it.
 
The SYMPTOMS for both conditions "hyper adrenal " and in intact ferrets
"over stimulation of the sex cyle" are balding.  IT LOOKS the same.  BUT
the causes are different.
 
Dr Jerry Murray posted in provate email...
>Hi Alicia,
>You are exactly right.  Intact females in heat look like adrenal
>ferrets, and intact males in rut can look like adrenal ferrets.
>The difference being that intact females have ovaries overproducing
>estrogen and intact males have testicles overproducing testosterone
>instead of the adrenal glands overproducing the sex hormones.
>
>Jerry
 
Which If I understand this correctly, means if you move an adrenal gland
from an intact ferret because it is oversexed... then you may indeed be
shortchanging the quality of life by removing an organ which is needed in
the endocrine system.
 
Also - IF you neuter an oversexed ferret be prepared to see some very
tragic health repercussions including depression, loss of weight etc.
A ferret experiencing a surge of hormonal production which is then
plummeted by castration or spay will have behavior problems lifelong.  I
see it everyday in a female here which was spayed in estrus.  And I lost
a male who was neutered in season due to enlarged prostate..  he was dead
4 mos later... never would eat after surgery no matter what we tried.
There are dangers in screwing with hormonal balance and it needs to be
understood better.
 
We would never think of spaying a human without hormone supplimentation --
there are reasons for this.  We are just beginning to understand this
with our ferrets.
 
Alicia D.
www.ferretwise.org
[Posted in FML issue 5119]