http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/7314 >You have some good questions about the best way to medically treat >adrenal gland disease. There have been several melatonin studies on >adrenal ferrets, including an implant study that was just completed at >Colorado Sate University. Plus there was an oral melatonin study that >was done at the University of Wisconsin. Plus there was a melatonin >implant study by Dr James Johnson (from Texas A&M) and I. Plus there >was a melatonin implant study done by Dr Cathy Johnson-Delaney in >Seattle, Washington. Thus there is a lot of info about melatonin, >so I can answer most of your questions. No, melatonin is not "only >cosmetic." The oral melatonin study and all 3 melatonin implant >studies have shown that melatonin lowers the adrenal hormones. In Dr >Johnson-Delaney's paper she wrote, "The melatonin implant appeared to >be similarly effective as monthly administration of Lupron." The >melatonin ferret actually had slightly lower hormone levels than the >Lupron ferret. In the recently completed melatonin implant study at >Colorado State University, there was a decrease in all 9 ferrets >hormone levels, clinical resolution in all 9 ferrets, and the owners >gave a very high quality of life score. Plus there were no changes in >the blood glucose level, and none of the 9 ferrets became resistant >to the melatonin implants. The oral melatonin study also proved that >melatonin can shrink an enlarged prostate. As you can see that is much >more than just a cosmetic effect. Melatonin also lowers prolactin >levels which may help prevent the adrenal gland from becoming bigger. >There are melatonin receptors on adrenal glands that may also help >prevent an adrenal gland from becoming large. Melatonin also stimulates >the bone marrow to make red blood cells which should treat or prevent >the anemia that is common with adrenal gland disease. Thus it helps >with all 3 serious complications of adrenal gland disease (prostatic >enlargement, estrogen induced anemia, and adrenal gland enlargement). >In addition melatonin is a powerful antioxidant, free radical >scavenger, and an appetite stimulant. Again a lot more than just >cosmetic effects! With that said, Lupron is a very good medication >too. Thus I would recommend using BOTH melatonin and Lupron to get the >best results and to decrease the odds of the adrenal gland enlarging. > >As for preventing adrenal gland disease, there has not been any >published study yet. Thus all we have is anecdotal suggestions. You can >certainly start a young kit on Lupron and use it monthly throughout the >kits life to prevent adrenal gland disease. However I do not believe >one injection of the monthly Lupron once a year (in the spring) will >actually prevent adrenal gland disease. If you want to try that option, >then I would suggest using the 4 month version of Lupron instead of >the monthly version. When the Suprelorin (Deslorelin) implants become >available in the US, then using them once a year in the spring will >be the way to go. The Suprelorin implants last for a year or more. > >The lifespan for an adrenal ferret depends on a lot of things. My own >ferret made it to 8.5 years old. He became adrenal at 3.5 years of >age. However some ferrets develop prostate problems, or estrogen >induced anemia, or have large adrenal carcinomas and do not live as >long. Other ferrets will develop insulinoma, lymphoma, heart disease, >etc., in addition to the adrenal disease and will not live as long. >However with treatment a ferret with just adrenal disease should have >a normal life span of 6-7 years of age. > >Hope that helps, >Jerry Murray, DVM Carried with author's permission to the FML by FHL co-moderator: Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 6070]