>When I took Moogie in for examination (the same visit in which my vet was
>saying she didn't want to refill his prescription), he was/is showing the
>early signs of what I would think to be an adrenal hair loss pattern: hair
>missing, worse at the base of his tail, but also spreading just a little
>up his back and down his tail.  I asked the doctor about the possiblity of
>an adrenal tumor.  She dismissed this concern and said that the hair loss
>was definitely from the Prednisone and that it is a further sign that we
>are giving him Cushing's syndrome from the medication.
 
I forget the percentage of ferrets that have both insulinoma and adrenal,
but to me it seemed high when I read it, although the article did say that
there was no proven link.  (Maybe someone here knows the number?)  I, a
non-vet dabbling in areas where I probably shouldn't be dabbling, wouldn't
dismiss the possibility of an adrenal tumor, considering those signs.  I've
had several ferrets who had been on pred for about a year who did not
present with more than thinning hair on the tail.  If your vet does the
partial pancreas removal, she should be able to examine the adrenals at the
same time.
 
>Our albino, Casper, looks like his tail is black and blue and when I give
>him a bath his tail looks like it has a bunch of tiny dots on it like
>either blood specks underneath the skin or blackheads.  His ankle also has
>a sort of ring around it that looks like little black dots or blood specks
>but they don't wash off.
 
Sure does sound like tail acne.  It seems to be more common in
red-eyed-white and light silvers, but maybe that's because it's easier to
see in those colors.  Your vet can sell you a vet-strength shampoo or
cleaning gel containing benzoyl peroxide.  Just follow the directions on
the tube/bottle.  Some people have told me that they've had excellent
results using Stridex Medicated Pads to wipe off the tail and clean out
the blackheads.
 
>this is not the first time for either of them and they never (none of our
>four have) have had a reaction to the shots....the vet even said she gave
>them the same as our other vet had given them....about 5 mins. after hers
>hots Cleo started the action of throwing up..<<
 
Fortunately this is not common.  It does happen in a few percentage of the
cases though and can be life threatening.  Typically, if there is to be a
reaction, it will occur at vaccinations 3 through 5.  That's not saying
that it won't occur at the second or after the fifth, just somewhat less
likely.
 
Although you didn't specifically say if this was a distemper AND rabies
vaccination, that was my impression, so let me add this.  The distemper
and rabies vaccinations should be separated by at least 2 weeks.  The vet
is giving the vaccines in the same amounts they'd be giving to a 100 lb
dog; this into the body of a 2 - 4 pound ferret.  That's quite a load of
material at one time.  Many vets (and the manufacturer of the IMRAB-3
rabies vaccine) recommends a 2-3 week period between the rabies and
distemper vaccinations.  Not only is the vaccine load lessened, but should
a reaction occur, you will know which one caused the reaction and can
prepare ahead of time.  After a reaction like that, there is a very great
likelihood that that ferret will react again at the next vaccination.  If
your vet knows beforehand, she can pretreat the ferret to lessen the
reaction -- that's not always successful.  She should report the reaction
to the manufacturer of the vaccine.
 
Dick B.
4 Li'l Paws Ferret Shelter
[Posted in FML issue 2708]