>Debbie Utter <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Hair Loss
>I'm posting for a coworker who admits she doesn't know a lot about ferrets,
>but somehow came to own one sometime within the last year.  She thinks
>her ferret is about three years old, and he has lost his hair.  It was a
>gradual loss, starting at his shoulders.  Some hair is growing back on
>his legs.  The vet, who admits to not seeing many ferrets, says it's an
>endocrine gland, says it's common in ferrets, and that you have to leave
>one.  Does this make sense?
 
Debbie
 
The vet is referring to hyperadrenocorticism, or Adrenal disease.  The
symmetrical, bilateral hairloss (even though it has started to reqrow) is
a classic symptom of adrenals, and for a vet who admits to not seeing many
ferrets to catch it, is GREAT!  The vet is referring to the removal of
the adrenal gland (when s/he says you have to leave one) and that isn't
entirely correct - bilateral removal of adrenals while uncommon, does
happen successfully.
 
I would print out the adrenal FAQ from ferret central and some of these
other links and provide it for her to give to her vet.
 
<A HREF="http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/adrenal.html">
 Ferret Adrenal Disease FAQ  </A>
 
<A HREF="http://www.miamiferret.org/FHC/">
 Adrenal disease and Insulinoma in the domestic ferret </A>
 
Best of luck to her and her ferret!
 
Lisa, Head Ferret
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
URL: http: www.kozykingdom.com/ferrethaven
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[Posted in FML issue 2712]