Dr. Charles Weiss is currently conducting clinical trials using medicine to treat adrenal tumors on ferrets who are not good surgical candidates because of age, other illnesses, or other reasons (including lack of funds). Results are already promising, and the medicines are very safe. For a short time Dr. Weiss will be accepting ferrets into this study. If you have adrenal ferrets (or suspect ferrets of having adrenal disease), and can come to Maryland for an initial visit and follow-up 3-4 weeks later, and are willing to keep in touch with Dr. Weiss and keep notes, you can contact him about being included in the study. The Tennessee Panel (the blood test that helps diagnose adrenal tumors) will be done at no charge, and treatment would be substantially subsidized, primarily by Dr. Weiss. The cost would be approximately $10-15 per office visit or month (I forget which, sorry). If results continue to be good, in a few months the medicines and doses will be discussed publicly; until then information will be limited to study participants. I know it's a very busy time of year, but ferret parents from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania may want to take heed. This may well be worth a day's drive down New York or New Jersey, or other surrounding states I'm forgetting. By the way, surgery is generally Dr. Weiss' first choice for adrenal tumors, but there are times that it cannot be done. Our Miska the #1 Ferret may have adrenal disease. The only symptom? Dr. Weiss noticed today that her skin is a little shiny under her fur on her back (the fur itself is thick), and the fur on her front paws may be a little sparse. As much as I believe surgery is the way to go for adrenal tumors, insulinoma, etc., Miska is an example of a ferret who would not be a good candidate for surgery, since she's older, has had insulinoma since 1995, has had several surgeries, and has been on pediapred for a while. She would have to be weaned off the pediapred before surgery (pred interferes with healing), and that's not advisable for her at this stage in her illness (although she *tells* me she feels great and her blood glucose was 108 today). Dr. Weiss' phone number is (301) 299-4142, EST. Pass the word. [Posted in FML issue 2512]