I'm not sure if anything has been posted about this, since I'm weeks
(months?) behind in my fml reading, other than what people send me.  My
vet, Charles Weiss, completed an adrenal study of 96 ferrets - 94 with
adrenal tumors.  The article was published in the Journal of the American
Animal Hospital Association, December 997, Vol.  33.  If anyone would like
a copy, just send me a private e-mail with your name and address.
Unfortunately, the cost of doing color copying is prohibitive, but there
are only 3 small pictures and the text tells the story anyway.
 
When I asked Dr. Weiss what stood out the most in the study, he discussed
two items.  The first is male agression, or "return to sexual behavior." In
100% of the males who exhibited a return to male sexual behavior, the
diagnosis was cancer - adrenocortical carcinoma, rather than benign tumors.
Since there were only 7 subjects who fit this profile, he said further
research would be needed to see if the trend held, but it would make sense
to get males who are exhibiting this behavior, to the vet rather than
waiting.
 
The second had to do with the use of prednisone after adrenal surgery.  In
dogs and cats post-op glucocorticoids are administered for unilateral and
bilateral adrenalectomies.  The drug appears to be unnecessary for ferrets.
95.6% did not require steroid replacement following surgery.  The 4% that
did showed mild lethargy and anorexia but did not develop life-threatening
symptoms.  It is suggested that glucocoricoid replacement is only
administered if these symptoms are present for more than four days post-op.
 
This is particularly valuable for ferrets who also have concurrent insulinoma
surgery (26.6% in his study) since ferrets recuperating from insulinoma
surgery are more prone to developing pancreatitis if they receive
glucocorticoids.
 
A second study involving bilateral adrenal ferrets is about 18 months
underway.  Removing the larger tumor and about 50-60% of the right one seems
to be resulting in no recurrance so far.
 
Last, Dr. Weiss has just completed a large insulinoma surgery.  His journal
article is making it's way through the slow journal process, and hopefully
will be published within 4 to 6 months.  Better results are being obtained
with partial pancreatectomies - removal of the tumor(s) and about 1/3 to 1/2
of the pancreas, rather than just the tumors or "popping" the tumors, which
can seed rapidly.  This surgery is more difficult when the tumor(s) is/are
on the side closer to the intestinal tract.
 
Veterinarians who want to discuss the partial pancreatectomy technique or
the adrenal study are welcome to call Dr. Weiss at (301) 299-4142.  While he
will make every attempt to call back owners who call him, at times it can be
extremely difficult with his surgeries, medical appointments and family -
including a toddler.  So I know you will be respectful of his time and
invitation.  His e-mail address is [log in to unmask] and he tries to check it once
or twice a week.
 
BTW, I keep hearing about vets who are fasting ferrets pre-op from midnight
the night before surgery.  Three hours is plenty, and if your vet doesn't
believe it, they may want to call him or another skilled ferret vet, or read
Hillyer's vet book, Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents.  Please excuse my rushed,
non-medical words.  I keep meaning to polish this post up, but if I wait
until I have the time to do that, I'll never post.  I'm not a vet, vet tech
or medical anything, just an owner struggling to learn as much as I can.
 
Beth
[Posted in FML issue 2239]