Anthony and Binky, Cushings disease is the name for a disease we see in dogs that have a tumor of the pituitary or adrenal gland. In ferrets it is very common to have a tumor of the adrenal gland, but it causes different symptoms and is not diagnosed with the same test as dogs with Cushings Disease. This is an important distinction because it is treated differently then the disease that dogs get. By far the most common symptom of ferrets with an adrenal tumor (the name for this condition is Adrenal Associated Endocrinopathy or AAE) is hair loss. This hair loss can be anywhere but is most connonly on the tail, above the base of the tail on the back, over the shoulder blades and on the tops of the rear feet. Other symptoms of adrenal tumors in ferrets include vulva swelling in a spayed female, aggressive behavior or return to mating behavior in neutered males, thinning of the skin and in some cases abdominal distention. The tumor is usually on the left adrenal (the easiest to remove), but can be on the right side or on both adrenals. The treatment is surgical removal of the affected adrenal. The adrenal that does not have a tumor should be atrophied (smaller then normal). If neither adrenal is small then both adrenals usually have tumors. In this case we remove the left adrenal and half of the right adrenal. These ferrets usually do great but may need a low dose of prednisone post op. It is important to have a surgeon who is experenced in ferret surgery for several reasons. This is a delicate procedure: the adrenals lie in close proximity to the vena cava (one of the largest vessels in the body), these tumors can attach to the vessle and even grow under it, and if it tears the ferret will not survive. In experienced hands this surgery has a very high success rate. Also during surgery the pancreas should always be inspected for tumors which are fairly common. Again the treatment for this condition is also removal of the tumors which should be done at the same time as the adrenal surgery. In my opinion it is not necessary to do a sonogram before surgery. It can be tough to see the adrenal tumors even when they are present, and 99% of ferrets with the symptoms have the tumor. Also the sonogram is more expensive then the surgery! There is also a new accurate blood test for adrenal tumors offered at the Vet School in Tennessee (but it also is about as much as surgery). If you have other questions feelfree to ask. Dr Weiss [log in to unmask] (301)299-4142 [Posted in FML issue 1287]