Actually, I also read a similar comment in a widely-read book on ferret care last night, so I thought I'd clear up a common misconception about examining the prostate of the ferret. In the ferret, the prostate lives on the floor of the pelvic canal, is usually surrounded by the bony cage of the pelvis. This means that in the vast majority of cases, except in extreme enlargements or abscesses, the prostate is generally non-palpable. In humans and in dogs, the prostate is easily checked by digital rectal palpation (and everyone thought a doctor's life was glamorous). However, in ferrets, the anus is far too small to allow such direct examination. So, while it is still important that your vet feel the caudal abdomen for prostatic enlargement in male ferrets with adrenal disease as part of the routine exam, a negative finding does not rule out the possibility of prostatic disease. The most effective pre-surgical test for prostatic disease in ferrets is ultrasound, which allows good visualization of the enlarged prostate - normal prostates will probably not be picked up. While I am not a fan of routine ultrasound in the case of adrenal disease, this is an important exception, and any male ferret with urinary difficulty should be scheduled for an ultrasound with haste. With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, DVM --- I'll have to second Dr Williams' post. Prostate problems are common in male ferrets with adrenal gland disease! If your male is on a good food then he should not be having crystals or stones. If he is also showing adrenal gland signs (thin haircoat, hair that epilates easy, increased musky odor, itchy skin, orange tinge to the skin in the shoulder blades area, return of sexual behavior, aggressive behavior) then it is time to treat him for the adrenal gland disease (surgery if he is healthy, Lupron and Propecia if he is unhealthy). A PU surgery will NOT help with a prostate problem! Hope that helps, Jerry Murray, DVM The most common cause of dysuria in male ferrets is prostatic disease as a result of adrenal disease. Our belief for many years that crystals in the urine was causing these animals not to be able to urinate was simply incorrect. Crystalluria (sandy crystals and plugs in the urine) do occasionally happen, but nowhere as commonly as adrenal disease will cause this problem. With adrenal disease, the estrogens result in the prostate swelling and occluding the urethra as it passes through. These animals cannot voluntarily urinate, but the bladder is easily expressed. Differentiation of the two syndromes can be accomplished by one or more of the following tests: 1) Evacuating the bladder. If the ferret is having trouble urinating, but you express the bladder by hand and urine comes out easily, then it is likely the prostate. If the urine does not come out, or only dribbles out, urinary stones are a more likely cause. 2) Look for other symptoms of adrenal disease - hair loss, behavioral changes such as marking or aggression. If it is still in doubt, the blood tests available at the University of Tenn. for adrenal disease will help. 3) Do a urinalysis, to include a sediment exam. While both causes will result in WBC's in the urine, there are usually far more in prostatic disease, as there is often suppurative inflammation coming out of the bladder. The sediment in prostatic disease will have numerous white blood cells, and flakes of keratin. In urinary stones, you will see many urine. The pH of urine in crystalluria is usually more alkaline. It is usually best to look at several of these parameters before a decision to do surgery is made. While a perineal urethrostomy will not hurt a ferret with prostatic disease, it is not helpful. However, a PU is always a good idea in ferrets with recurrent urinary crystals. With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, DVM [Posted in FML issue 3652]