My vet has asked that I post here in the hopes that we might find some
alternate options for treating my seven year old male ferret Boots.
Boots has started having urination problems despite having both adrenal
glands removed.  He has been diagnosed with "sterile pyuria".  He is not
straining yet but he is having frequent small bladder movements and is
almost constantly dribbling.  We have put him back on Lupron injections
and my vet is looking into the possibility of obtaining a drug called
Caxodex which apparently helps to shrink the prostrate.  The last resort
as I understand it, is to perform surgery to create a new opening for the
urine or to redirect is somehow, which is not always successful or so
I've heard.
 
We are hoping that someone might be able to suggest other options or
other medications which are less expensive, easier to obtain, but still
effective.
 
A brief history: Boots had his left adrenal gland removed in Sept 98.
His only symptoms at that time were a sour smell and weight loss.  The
histopth came back as "pheochromatocytoma".  I have a copy of the report
if required.  One year later (Dec 99) his hair started thinning across
his shoulders and he developed an interest in the girlies.  We elected to
start him on Lupron which he received monthly until March 2002.  In March
he started showing signs of Insulinoma and so we decided to do an
exploratory.  A partial pancreotomy was done and at the same time the vet
also did cryo on the right adrenal.  In July 2002 he once again developed
an interest in the girlies, only more so.  He then started having the
urination problems and within the last two weeks has had thinning hair
again across the shoulders.
 
Boots is currently on 1ml of Pediapred once a day and 1/4 tab of Florinef
daily (which we are now cutting back to every other day).  In addition we
have started him back on the Lupron.  We would really appreciate any
suggestions you might have.
 
P.S. I am going to cross post this to the FML as there are many
knowledgeable ferret owners there too.
 
Barbara Gustafson
Alberta Ferret Society
President
[Posted in FML issue 3876]