Hello, I was wondering if anyone could shed some light for me on the
proper treatment of adrenal disease.  I thought I knew what the deal was
but some interesting conversations recently have peaked my interest.
 
My friend's ferret recently lost some hair at the tip of her tail and,
as this is what happened recently with my ferret, I suggested he get
her tested for adrenal and get the surgery.  However he has done some
research online and is under the impression that there is some debate in
the ferret community as to whether treatment for adrenal is necessary.
He said some sites say that most people opt for the surgery for cosmetic
reasons (hair loss), and that adrenal is not really fatal.  Also, he
said he saw a statistic that 1 in 10 ferrets die during or shortly after
surgery.  I also did some research since he said that to me and I found
a website that said the same thing, for example:
 
"Prognosis: Uncomplicated cases with surgical removal of the adrenal
gland usually carry an excellent prognosis.  If the ferret is not treated
for this disease, the lasting problems may only be cosmetic, such as hair
loss and an enlarged vulva.  Serious health concerns that can arise due
to untreated adrenal gland disease include urinary blockage in male
ferrets, which is rare, and anemia, which is even less common."
 
This quote can be found at:
http://www.vetcentric.com/userportal/printerFriendly.cfm?OBJECT=60&
ArticleType=EncycIllness
 
Now I don't mean to stir up controversy and I am sorry if this question
has been asked a million times.  I am not suggesting that anyone is
wrong, I am just wondering what the sides of the story are, and hopefully
someone can give me some info to pass on to my friend.
[Posted in FML issue 4210]