I'm beginning to think that "March Madness" may not just apply to
college basketball. Ferrets at Heart must bring a new tragedy to your
attention. Having ruled out other causes for her fur loss and
behavioral changes and after consulting with our main ferret vet, we
must report that Mandie, not yet 17-months-old, has adrenal cancer.
This condition isn't unheard-of in the young ones, but it is not
common. We had hoped recent interest in Mandie would have led to
her adoption, but she'll be with us for awhile longer now.
Mandie's symptoms:
Balding tail - Her tail is in the process of balding from its end to
its base, leaving a cluster of hairs on the tip. Though some tails
bald without leaving the tuft, this type of balding is associated with
adrenal cancer. The tuft will soon fall out too. She may also be losing
some of her undercoat on the rest of her body.
Obsessive licking - Ferrets with adrenal cancer may become very
affectionate. Mandie is seeking more cuddle time with her cagemates.
That alone wouldn't be very noteworthy, but she is grooming the humans
here like crazy. Lick, lick, LICK! Mandie has NEVER been a lovy ferret.
She has always been a go-go-GO Ferret.
Increased assertiveness - With the adrenal gland(s) out of balance,
Mandie's hormones are as well. Always very assertive, she is now
purposely aggravating some of our older ferret residents, which she's
never done in the time we've had her. When greater assertiveness
becomes aggressiveness, she will have to be dosed with melatonin
compounded with Furo-Tone to help her control those impulses.
You might remember Mandie's story, which was posted here as it
unfolded. She was one of six ferrets from a chain pet store that were
kept in a small enclosure, one of them full-grown. They had no water
and no food. They had no blanket or toy. They were so covered in their
own filth, that we didn't even know what color Mandie was, until we
brought her home. Of course, we reported the pet store, and they are
better about the number of ferrets they keep, but the living conditions
will never reach above bare minimum. The enclosure stays clean though.
Ferrets at Heart uses implants to treat adrenal cancer in ferrets over
five-years-old. It is physically easier on and less risky for the
ferrets and more cost-effective for us, which, like it or not, we must
worry about. This will be our first adrenal case in a young ferret, but
we believe surgery to be the best option. Mandie is a strong vibrant
large female, and she could live more than six years longer with a
successful adrenal gland removal. That would be around six decades
in human years, I imagine.
Our vet requires the funds for the surgery up front. He can't quote us
an exact price, because it depends on which gland - left orright, with
the right being the most difficult and expensive to remove - has to be
withdrawn. Doc says it is safe to take a month or two to raise the
money, since adrenal is rarely time critical, if caught this early.
We have a plan. It is our "Mandie MayDay Raffle and Sale". Our entire
store has been reorganized, re-priced and many new ferret hammocks,
tunnels, beds, super ("floor") sacks, etc. have been added. We will be
announcing a raffle for Mandie soon, which will, of course, end on May
Day (May 1st).
If you would like to contribute to our rescue, you can:
Buy from our webstore. There is quality hand-crafted fashionable ferret
bedding for sale.
Use the PayPal "Donate" button on the left side of our website to have
your gift go directly to Ferrets at Heart. If you need a receipt for
tax purposes, please instead send the donation to Support Our Shelters
(SOS -- http://supportourshelters.org/) with "Ferrets at Heart"
included in the payment message.
Pay our vet, Dr. Frank Krupka of Avon Lake Animal Clinic, directly by
contacting their office at 440-933-5297 for credit card payments or
mailing a check to the address below. The account is under the name
Lori Richardson of Ferrets at Heart in Huron, Ohio.
Avon Lake Animal Clinic
124 Miller RD
Avon Lake, OH 44012
Buy tickets when we announce Mandie's MayDay Raffle. (Coming next week)
When we post that we have things on eBay, go there to help us as well.
(coming soon)
With respect,
Lori of Ferrets at Heart
Huron, Ohio
[log in to unmask]
http://ferretsatheart.com/
...and Rhys, Ayla, Codo, Mandie, Winter,
Holly, Charlie, and Templeton
[Posted in FML 7009]
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