Hi everyone.  I'm sad to post that there's a good chance that my Rocket has
adrenal disease.  He is showing the classic hair loss at the tip of the
tail.  The rest of his tail is only covered by guard hairs (no undercoat)
which come out easily if I pull lightly.  The tip is almost completely
bald, and I'm sure it will be no time before the entire tail is hairless.
Rock has recently been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, but
luckily it seems to be in remission right now.  He is an otherwise healthy
boy but has always been quite mellow.  He is only 1 1/2 years old.  I just
scheduled another check-up with the vet for next Tuesday at which we will
discuss options about adrenal disease.
 
Can anyone tell me what I should expect?  I'm very new at this and scared.
Will he most likely do exploratory surgery right away?  How much does that
generally cost?  Obviously there are risks, but are these surgeries easy
for docs to perform?  What questions should I be asking?  If anyone could
give me their personal experiences with adrenal disease or point me out to
a comprehensive, easy-to-understand web site, I will be most grateful.
 
Thanks,
 
Shyla
Rocket, Lynk, Mykah, and Jewell the cat
[Posted in FML issue 3524]