hullo all,
 
Well, my ferrets are now two for two in the adrenal department-- Amelia was
just diagnosed via ultrasound with an enlarged adrenal (I'm dyslexic so I
can't remember whether it was the left or right but it was definitely the
more easily operable one).  I thought I would share how I came to bring her
to the vet, in case it can help others.
 
A couple of days before Christmas, I noticed thinning hair on Amelia's
hindquarters, and she was scratching the area a lot.  Earlier this fall
she'd lost most of her tail fur to blackheads, and it grew back rather
sparsely, so I've been keeping a close eye on her fur.  It took me a couple
of days to come to terms with what the thinning fur meant, then I made an
appointment for her at the vet.  We had the ultrasound done, confirming the
adrenal tumor, everything else looks normal, she's a very healthy five year
old, so we're going to schedule surgery as soon as we can.  The interesting
thing, and the observation I wanted to share, is that now, just a little
over a week later, Amelia's growing back in most of the hair.  If I had
been in a bigger state of denial, I could easily have convinced myself that
it was some random skin irritation that was taking care of itself, and not
taken her to the vet.
 
Lesson learned: it's much better to face your fears for your ferret
squarely, and get it taken care of right away-- if you're lucky it was a
false alarm and you have peace of mind, if not, then you can get prompt
medical attention to the ferret.  I did not want to know that she has
adrenal, but knowing about it and getting it taken care of is infinitely
preferable to not knowing.
 
Another lesson learned: just because your ferrets are a few years apart in
age does not necessarily mean that you won't have high medical costs for
both of them within the space of a few months :-\  I just finished paying
for Cully's August surgery.  And that's just the money part of it-- I still
haven't really emotionally come to terms with Cully's health, and now
there's Amelia with adrenal too.  But for now, Cully's still chugging along
(he's got insulinoma and lymphoma, and is on pred), and Amelia is a strong
big girl, and I'm very happy for every day I have with them.
 
Regina
 
Regina Harrison
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http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/1083
Electra the Brujah's page:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Labyrinth/8096
 
Wrapped in my mongrel wings, I nearly freeze
In the howlin wind and drivin rain
All the trash blowin round 'n' round
[Posted in FML issue 2917]