Christine Haas,
 
I don't know where to start.  After all the great strides made by the FML in
educating clients as well as veterinarians, it's sad to hear that such poor
information is being disseminated by ferret "experts".  Needless to say I
strongly disagree with the ideas presented by your friend and vet.  In many
cases of ferret adrenal gland tumors there is weight loss, lethargy,
decreased muscle mass, hair loss, swollen vulva, and neutered males may
return to mating behavior (caused by an excess production of estrogen, NOT
adrenalin).  Excess estrogen production does not give ferrets more energy or
make them feel better.  In my experience, most of the ferrets diagnosed with
adrenal gland tumors have most of these symptoms.  In addition, these tumors
are painful as they grow and attach or displace the liver, vena cava, and/or
kidney.
 
The treatment of choice for adrenal tumors (by far) is surgical removal of
the tumor.  This surgery, in the hands of an experienced ferret surgeon
using isoflurane (not ketamine), should be at least 95% successful in
ferrets up to 9 years of age.  Two weeks post-operatively the majority of
clients report that their ferrets are more active, are eating better, and
playing more than prior to surgery (even when they did not notice any
lethargy before surgery).  These ferrets go on living a normal, healthy
life.
 
Without surgery these tumors continue to grow and (here I agree with your
friend) they will die prematurely (although I disagree with the "painless"
contention).  They will live their lives hairless, susceptible to
overheating and chilling, develop muscle loss and weakness and may develop a
distended abdomen.  Another concern is the possibility that the tumor may be
malignant and if not removed quickly will spread to other organs.
 
Although I disagree with your friend and vet, I do appreciate the
opportunity to reiterate the importance of tumor removal in ferrets.  My
convictions are very strong due to the high success rate that I have seen
and the dramatic improvements that owners (including several fellow FMLers)
have seen in their ferrets following surgery.  Please don't hesitate to call
if you have any further questions..
 
Good Luck,
 
Dr. Weiss
(301) 299-4142
[Posted in FML issue 1319]