Jim, sending from Ophelia Hardin address asked -- IF I READ HIM RIGHT --
how to not treat adrenal disease but then alleviate the suffering at
the end. I think he was asking for someone else.

UNtreated adrenal disease has so MANY possible complications that what
to do depends on which combination of the complications occur. It's
better to avoid them by treating the ferret, but i know that shelters
sometimes get in ferrets who have been left too long without care.

So, it doesn't surprise me if the responses that he and the original
poster got from people while i was away did not answer that question
because there is a range of answers which depend on what goes wrong.
You CAN look in the FML and FHL Archives under the specific
complications to find the meds for prostatic enlargement (or even the
surgeries needed to survive prostatic cysts and abscesses when things
haven't gone too far for them to work), or Carafate for secondary
stomach ulcers, or PT for muscle and bone loss, or meds and
transfusions for marrow suppression and anemia but those usually don't
work if the adrenal wasn't gotten out in time, or meds for urinary
tract infections and uterine stump infections, or opiates if the
adrenal tumor remained in place and turned malignant, or special soaps
for too dry and thin skin, but for some other aspects that are possible
with untreated adrenal disease there isn't anything that can be done.
It's kind of like not changing or patching a tire in time, ridding on
the metal rim for many miles, and then asking what can be done...
Sorry, but it just is, and lying to you by pretending it could be
otherwise wouldn't help anyone, I'm afraid.

Here is a highly relevant past vet post:

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG5054

BEGIN QUOTE

However, even under the best conditions, when there is no malignancy,
there is no bone marrow toxicosis, there is no prostatic cystic
disease - even the most mild prediction is a sad one. Ferrets with
adrenal disease have a diminished quality of life - they have
progressive muscle loss, low grade anemia, they tend to redistribute
weight to the abdomen, further making it difficult to walk, they have
an increased incidence of gastric ulcers as a result of the stress of
chronic illness, decreased bone density - none life-threatening, but
all life-compromising. Even medical treatment, which is not my
preferred way of treating adrenal disease, gives slight releif to
symptoms. Doing nothing is not kind and not in a ferret's best
interest.

With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM

END QUOTE

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5996]