A ferret with adrenal complications in Issue 16: Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 04:33:15 -0000 From: "Dr. Bruce Williams" <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Intro and dilemma I'm going to agree with XXXXX on Kif. Difficulty urinating can be a significant and urgent problems in male ferrets with adrenal disease. In a small percentage of adrenal cases, the estrogens liberated by the adrenal glands result in cystic enlargement of the prostate, which eventually swells to the point where it closes off the urethra. These animals can't pee on their own, but you can easily empty the bladder by squeezing it. Total blockage of the bladder can result in death in as little as 48 hours, so we take it seriously. Foul breath can occur as toxins build up in the body in such cases, but they appear to do this far less in ferrets than in cats and dogs. While the breath may represent something as minor as gum disease, we generally rule out severe life- threatening illnesses first. This is one for a quick vet visit. A blood chemistry panel and a good physical exam will give us all of the information we need on urinary function and patency of the urinary tract. Trevor is a bit more difficult to assess in this venue, because the signs are pretty tenuous. Ferrets with high temperatures often turn bright red to pink on the nose, gums, and forepaws, as blood vessels dilate to try to liberate heat. You can also see a profound color change when animals go into shock as well, as blood is poorly pumped throughout the body,and the animal's blood is poorly oxygenated (called cyanosis.) However, cyansosis usually is a severe sign and animals don't pull out of it without some help. While laundry detergent is not a good thing for the ferret to be licking, it is likely not a significant cause of toxicity. But let's lock it up anyway. With kindest regards, Bruce H. Williams, DVM Join the Ferret Health List at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list [Posted in FML issue 3343]