>I never thought that I could ever find a reason to do it, but here goes... > >I've got (2) 2 year old neutered male ferrets that are exhibiting mating >behavior. The 'girl' of the pair has had to be separated from his cagemate >due to the bite wounds from the 'boy'. These ferrets were released to >the shelter and she said that they fight a lot in the cage. This isn't >fighting, the sable scruffs, mounts and 'mates' (as best as a neutered >male can to another male) with the panda. > >Both have been thoroughly examined by my vet, as I was concerned that we >had a possible cryptorchid causing all of the problems. He couldn't find >one on either ferret, so we gave the sable a lupron shot and took blood >for a Tennessee Panel, just in case we have an unusual adrenal case going >on. The only other thing that is unusual is the sable did have what >looked like hob rings around his eyes, but have since faded. We have >nothing else to look for, so I thought I would toss this out to the >collective experts....we should have the results of the panel back next >week. Any ideas other than exploratory surgery? That is basically our >last card to play. I've seen this before, and it turned out to be the most aggressive adrenal tumors I'd ever witnessed (my own ferret, of course). I suspect the panel will come back elevated, but surgery here is a good bet before he starts having urinary problems. The poor panda is just a victim here, separation is a good idea. -Dr. Karen DISCLAIMER: This e-mail is provided for general informational purposes only. It is in no way intended as a replacement for a consultation with a qualified licensed veterinarian. If you are concerned about your pet's health, you should seek the advice of your regular veterinarian as soon as possible. [Posted in FML issue 3427]