>I have some questions on Adrenal treatment: >Has anyone ever used the Suprelorin implant for adrenal disease? If >so, where can you get it? Full details of my Sugars treatment with Suprelorin. (probably in the first 2- in the UK) I live in tne UK where suprelorin is approved (also all of Europe and Australia) but I do know that Suprelorin has been used in the US a few times but I don't know how it was obtained. 08/28/008 My 3 yo Sugar has just been diagnosed adrenal with swollen vulva and thinning fur. Despite my best efforts, not neutered until 9 months old and restricted to natural light by being shut in the unlit ferret room as dusk turns to night. There is a window in the room but the nearest artificial light is 200 yds away. As well as the room being dark they have a choice of dark sleeping boxes in their cage. All to no avail it seems. After reading every opinion that has probably been written on the treatment of the illness My vet and I have decided that a Suprelorin implant, (Generic name is deslorelin acetate) is the way to go with the addition of oral melatonin. We decided against surgery as removal of one gland often leads to the other needing removal at a later date. Also it is reported the time to relapse period is longest for female ferrets who do not have surgery (medication only, this was a study on the use of lupron). The opposite is true for male ferrets as prostate problems are an additional factor. As this is a fairly new treatment (not yet approved in the US but OK in Europe) I intend to post regular updates on her progress so that we can all learn. 09/03/2008 Sugar received her implant today. Suprelorin 4.7mg. In the six days since she was diagnosed her fur generally has coarsened and thinned all over. She has very little fur on her feet and looks like a pink-footed ferret. Her skin pigment is very pink. For anyone in Europe the implant can be ordered from Virbac S.A. they are the sole licensed supplier in Europe. The cost in the UK is [UK#]56 but there are two implants in the pack, I offered to pay for both as neither I nor the vet realised this but he only charged me [UK#]28 + tax and he will find out the shelf life of the implant. He injected the implant while I held her and let her lick ferretone from my finger, she only flinched as the implant was ejected from the end of the (huge) needle. Sugar's progress Day 10. Sugar's vulva has decreased in size to about 50% of what it was on the day she was treated. I first saw a change about day 5 but I couldn't persuade myself that it wasn't my imagination. I have checked every day and the changes are so small day by day that it is hard to see a difference but now I am sure. Day 30 Sugar's vulva is now less then half its maximum size, the day to day changes are imperceptible but it is smaller than day 10. Her skin pigment has lost its very pink color and her fur feels softer. At this time of year they all get combed every day with a fine steel flea comb as this helps me judge the condition of their under fur by the feel of the comb. Over the last few days I have started to get a few wisps of fur from Sugar and this is about the time of year my ferrets begin to put on their winter coats. All my ferrets seem to take 4-6 weeks, centered around October to complete this process. The timing may be climate/latitude influenced but its always the same. She has become more playful over the past few days, more like her old self. Day 60 Sugar's vulva is now 5-10% of its maximum size, the changes seem to happen in a non linear way, nothing seems to happen for a week and then a big reduction in size almost overnight. She seems to have almost finished shedding her summer coat, I am combing out less day by day, she was a bit skimpy in the fur department anyway but she had no bald patches. She has become livelier than she was prior to the implant and is now enjoying a good wrestle everday with Suki. Her appetite seems to have improved but that may be just stoking up for the colder weather. Day 90 Sugar's vulva is now of normal conformation as far as I can tell, the changes continued to happen in a non linear way. She has now got her full winter coat, very thick and soft with some yellowing around the neck and shoulders, this yellowing has stabilised with no increase in area over the past 3 weeks. She has remained livelier than she was prior to the implant and her appetite remains good. 6 months Sugar is still symptomless at the 6 mth point. Still has the slight yellowing around the neck area. She is just beginning to shed her winter fur so I will soon know if the yellowing is just a residual affect of the initial hormonal changes or if the secretion is still happening. Appetite, activity levels and weight are still good. I never did use the melatonin as I thought it might confuse the picture as to how the implant was working. Tony (not a vet), Sugar and Suki. In memory of Sally and Sue.. [Posted in FML 6267]