It seems that I have learned a lot more about adrenal disease in the last few days, although unfortunately not in a manner I would have liked. My 6.5 year old, Elie, has been experiencing mild hair loss (nape and underside of neck, extremities) for some time, as well as increased scratching, and myself and my vet have suspected adrenal disease. Other than that Elie was active and playful. I was in the process of trying to ascertain success rates for the surgery for ferrets of his age. My impression of adrenal disease is that it is very slow-acting and that I had some time to decide. Also Elie had lost a lot of weight when I was on vacation (he was ferret-sat but for some reason went off his food), so I was building him back up to his normal weight of 2.25 lbs before considering surgery. Well, Thursday evening Elie started straining to 'go', backing up into a corner but producing nothing. He was making a whimpering noise which was truly heart-breaking to hear, and would cling to me like a baby when picked up. I was up all night with him and was at the vet hospital when they opened their doors, and they saw him shortly thereafter. He was admitted for testing and x-rays and possible exploratory surgery. The vet mentioned a possible connection to adrenal disease. Up until this point I suspected a blockage because I couldn't imagine this being connected (little did I know). X-rays showed an enlarged bladder, and the vet decided to refer me to Dr. Charles Weiss in Potomac. I got an appointment for the early afternoon, and off we went to Dr. Weiss. Dr. Weiss explained to me that the adrenal disease had caused Elie's prostate to enlarge and this prevented urination, and recommended immediate surgery. I concurred. They drained Elie's bladder with a small needle and operated, removing the right adrenal in its entirety and about 60% of the left, as well as a small insulinoma on the pancreas. Elie recovered beautifully but they are still holding him because bloodwork showed a kidney infection. His prostate is slowly going down because of the surgery, and he is having more success urinating. He is being treated aggressively with antibiotics for the kidney infection but hopefully I may be able to pick him up this afternoon. Dr. Weiss has been just great and has called me every morning and evening with updates. The moral of the story is that adrenal disease does not necessarily imply only hair-loss, wasting of muscle, and lethargy--it has other complications including enlarged prostate in males. Also Dr. Weiss indicated that an adrenal tumor on the left side can put pressure on a vein (?) and cause problems in this manner. I hope that I have explained everything correctly. For all of you on the east coast, I highly recommend Dr. Weiss for such surgery. He is very experienced and is doing a study on adrenal disease in ferrets which he indicates will be out soon. I will try to find out where and how to get a copy. Hopefully I can follow this up with the news that Elie is home and well on his way to recovery. Good luck to everyone else and I hope that this posting helps someone else. *=======================================================================* * This message is for information only, and unless otherwise specified, * * it does not constitute a binding commitment by Light Industries * *=======================================================================* * Gail Snyder Shochet | INTERNET: gshochet @ lightind.com * * MCNE/MCSE | COMPUSERVE: gshochet @ light * * Light Industries | MHS: gshochet @ light * *=======================================================================* [Posted in FML issue 2073]