To Chris Haas:
 
    Regarding the advice that you have received.  Unfortunately - this
advice is not in keeping with the practice of ferret medicine by most of
the acknowledged experts in ferret medicine.
 
>When a ferret has adrenal cancer, their adrenal gland secretes MORE
>adrenaline than normal, hence they are more energetic and feel "better than
>normal."
 
    I would very much like to see some evidence of this.  Almost all of the
cases of adrenal neoplasia in ferret secrete estrogen, not cortisone (the
actual substance that supposedly makes them feel "better than normal".)
Adrenaline is a substance which initiates the fight-or-flight response -
hypersecretion of adrenaline causes heart and vascular damage and ultimately
death in the species in which it happens, and is secreted by the adrenal
medulla, not the adrenal cortex.  Hypersecretion of adrenaline, or tumors of
the adrenal medulla have NEVER been reported in ferrets.  This type of basic
misunderstanding of the disease process suggests that your friend's advice
might be in error....
 
>In all of her experience, she has not seen a ferret "loose muscle mass" or
>"become lethargic" due to adrenal cancer.  (Personally, Scooter is more
>active and acts like she's two years younger).
 
    That's good.  Unfortunately, most of the rest of us have.  In fact, when
I was talking to Dr. Weiss the other day, he mentioned how many of his
clients rremarked how adrenal urgery cause a marked improvement in activity
and that they sleep less.....I have seen the results in my own ferrets, and
I'm sure many people on the FML have seen similar results.
 
>She explained to me the precautions required when caring for a bald ferret
>(overheating, too cold, skin disorders, etc.)... says that they have a year
>to two years to live, they are not in any pain, and.. die in their sleep.
 
    If adrenal surgery can cause the hair to regrow, and prevent these
problems (overheating, too cold, skin disorders), why would you NOT want to
do the surgery on a young ferret?  Let's do the math.  Well-cared for
ferrets should live for 7 years or more (barring lymphosarcoma or other
untreatable conditions.) Scooter is three.  Now if we don't treat, according
to your friend, and if you manage him well, and he doesn't overheat, and
isn't miserable with skin problems, he should live until four or five
without pain and die in his sleep.  That doesn't sound like such a good
thing to me....
 
    Now we haven't even discussed the animals in which the malignant adrenal
tumors grew to the point where they ruptured and the animals bleed to death
internally.  Or the ones that suffer from metastatic disease.  Or, like one
of my ferrets who we lost several months ago, where the tumors get so large
(she only had the one remaining adrenal remaining and was 8 years old), that
they press on the stomach and they vomit chronically.  I would also have to
say that during her last day or two, we did notice signs which suggested
abdominal pain (for which we feel guilty, as ferrets are very stoic animals
and often don't show visible signs of pain....)
 
>My vet concurs with her.  He also added that surgery doesn't add anymore
>time to the ferrets life, with or without surgery, their lifespan is the
>same.  He also has not seen muscle mass loss or lethargy.  I trust him too,
>as he was the editor of a Ferret Medical Journal for 7 years.
 
    Unfortunately, I've not heard of this journal.  I would very much like
to subscribe or get some back issues.
 
    I think its great that you trust your vet.  I only think that this
advice is not in keeping with accepted norms today.  And I don't just
hand out advice, I practice what I preach.  I have done adrenal surgery
on three of my own ferrets over the last year alone, and have seen marked
improvement in each.  Each became more active, and had hair regrowth.  I
don't have to worry about them being chilled, or struggle with skin
problems.  I don't have to worry about the possibility of tumor
metastasis or an animal rupturing a large tumor.
 
>He has the biggest ferret clientele in my city, and is the *only* vet I
>trust to do work on my ferrets, because I know he is very knowledgeable and
>experienced when it comes to ferrets.
 
    Everyone should have a practitioner like this.  However, I strongly
question the practice of saying that cancer in ferrets is acceptable.  I
also would strongly recommend the surgery over your friends "advice".
 
    Please don't think that I'm flaming you, because I'm not.  I'm just
trying to convince you that this advice is counter to Scooter's best
interests and is questionable at best.  There are many articles in the
veterinary literature about adrenal-associated endocrinopathy and its
treatment.  I've never seen one which recommended doing nothing.
--
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Department of Veterinary Pathology
[log in to unmask]                       Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
(202) 782-2600/2602                     Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
[Posted in FML issue 1319]