I posted a couple of weeks ago about a coworker with an (undiagnosed)
adrenal ferret.  The coworker does not want the ferret, and gets no time
out of its cage.  I'm considering adopting it, but It's been pretty bald
for over a year now, and I'm researching adrenal treatments, etc.  before
doing so.  I received e-mails from half a dozen of you (I promise to get
back to you soon!), but I wanted to update everyone and seek some opinions.
I know there are vets and some pretty knowledgeable fert folks here!
 
I found out a little more about the ferret, as well as did some checking
with my local vet about adrenal costs.  First, the ferret is being fed
Friskies cat food; it sometimes gets licorice candy for a treat.  The
lady's had the ferret for about two years, and it has not been to the vet
(shots are out of date; she's not even sure if it had shots before she
got it).  I tried to pin her down for a best guess for its age, and she
honestly couldn't say, but we have to figure it's about 4 or so years old.
It gets little, if any, time out of its small cage because the woman works
two jobs, the ferret picks on her cats, and the woman's lost interest in
the ferret.
 
As for adrenal treatment locally, my vet doesn't do the surgery - he sends
cases like this to Cornell University, which I've heard raves about.  A
workup and surgery for adrenal at Cornell would cost $800-$1,000!  If we
don't do surgery, medical treatment consists of injections, every three
weeks for the remainder of the ferret's life, at $20-$40 per injection.  I
don't know if the injections can be done by my local vet or if we'd have to
make the four-hour roundtrip to Cornell every three weeks.  Maybe there's
someplace else I can get the surgery done for much less - if anyone knows
if I can get this surgery done somewhere anywhere near me, please let me
know!  (I live in New Berlin, NY).  If I could get this surgery done for
$200 or $300, I'd do it.  I just can't afford to put $1,000 right now into
a ferret I've never even met.  I'm sorry if that rubs anyone the wrong way.
Also, right now, I'm holding off on spending because I'm taking my two
teens on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation right after my son graduates (been a
single parent for over ten years and we've never done much more than day
trips--now my kids are 18 and 16, then they'll be on their own and we
probably won't get to take a vacation together again), so this vacation is
very important to us.  This vacation will leave us TEMPORARILY strapped
financially.  Emergencies would be covered by credit card.  This is a very
temporary situation, and my savings account would be quickly built up
again, but my main point is that I can't justify such a big cash outlay
right now.
 
Now, here's where I have some questions for the vets and those with
personal experience.  Is there ever a time when adrenal is so far
advanced, or the ferret is not considered a good candidate, that surgery
or injections don't help?  I'm considering taking this ferret to be a
permanent resident of our home, but surgery or medical treatment would have
to be postponed for several months.  In the meantime, though, the ferret
would be on a better diet (assuming I can get it to eat TF or Iams--it
doesn't like Linatone, either), it would be played with, and hopefully be
able to make friends with my four ferrets!  In other words, it's quality
of life would be better!  How long can a ferret live with adrenal?  What's
death like for a ferret that dies from untreated adrenal disease?  What
could I do to make the ferret more comfortable?
 
Please help me out here.  If you just want to spout off and send me flames
for any reason, you're wasting your time.  (Why do I feel like I'm going to
be crucified?  Because after two years on the FML, I've seen a lot of hate
mail on this list.)  Be kind - I really need help in knowing what to do
here and what my options are (short of leaving the ferret where it is,
where it'll live out the remainder of its days unwanted/unloved and not
played with). :(
 
Debbie, Becky, and the fab foursome: Brae, Templeton, Sally and Phoebe
Remembering Jamie - with us such a short time, but special because she
was our first
[Posted in FML issue 2971]