From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Saturday, October 16, 1999 10:12 AM To: mjanke@miamiferret.org Subject: (Fwd) Adrenal List #26 Forwarded message: From: Self To: @SENDLIST.PML Subject: Adrenal List #26 Reply-to: Lynn McIntosh Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 12:52:49 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 18:02:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Lynn Mcintosh To: Adrenal Group -- Amy Cada , AndresenK@aol.com, beek@feist.com, Beth , boots@icrossroads.com, "Brian L. Schmidt" , Cat13Dog5@aol.com, dadams@dzn.com, Dave and Pam Taynor , Dixie Carter , Ela_Heyn@notes.pw.com, Ellen Jensen , ferreton@pond.com, ferretwise@top.monad.net, Gabby , Gary Holowicki , Helen Andersson , Jan3GDFA@aol.com, Jennifer Skeem , Jennifer_Morlanne@email.fpl.com, Jim Dunn , Joanne Gelormino , "Karen Purcell, DVM" , karen wisniewski , Lee McKee , Lisa Leidig , Lorraine Tremblay , lotaweasel , Margaret Lehman , "Mary L. McCarty" , "Michael F. Janke" , Pam Franklin , Pam Franklin , Patricia Curtis , ROCHELLE@art.fss.buffalo.edu, sterling , TMccabe453@aol.com, Troy Lynn Eckart , Tryntje Miller Subject: Adrenal List #26 Hi. My "sweet SO" just picked up the phone and trashed the list, so I start again... *sigh* I've got a steak knife across the receiver now... :) As I've sent messages out as they came in over the last few weeks, I've compiled them into lists #23, #24, & #25. There were enough letters today to make List #26. I think with the ongoing surgeries, it helps to have a regular message flow, so I'll try sending out messages once a day in a list for awhile. Moxie, I'm very sorry for your loss of Flash... it must have been hard to let him go. But I'm glad Zippy went through surgery well! Pam. It does look like we have a pretty good consensus on the Lysodren with oil technique. It's great Oreo will be getting a "treat" instead of a golfball-sized me. Very interesting about these spots and I'm glad, thanks Alicia, that someone has seen them on adrenal kids. This ought to help... and thanks for all the kisses, Flash! Lorraine, I'm glad that Sanka's hair is growing back. It remindes me that while we may be waiting (I waited too long with Percy :(..... )our fuzzies may be getting bombarded by a cocktail of harmfull hormones... And, by the way, how DO you get your fuzzies to drink our of a glass without tipping it over?! ;) By the way... if anyone wants to post about insulinoma... post away. Adrenal problems and insulinoma seem to go hand in hand... Well, I redid the list in 10 minutes, so sorry if there's any mistakes. Oh, and Troy Lynn, I'll post soon about Lupron. I think Cathy uses it mainly to shrink the prostate, and uses it with Lysodren at the same time, but I must write her about Wally and will ask this, too. Never did get an answer on the web site Michael :(.... I was talking to her but we were rapped up with Percy. I'll ask again... Hugs to our fuzzies! Lynn Mc. Adrenal List #26, dated July 18, 1997 1. Reply: Faith - Spots 2. Lupron 3. Flash; Zippy 4. Faith - Spots, ctn. 5. Sanka & Pepe 6. Reply: Faith - Spots Oroe - Lysodren 1.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 08:42:58 -0400 (EDT) From: ferretwise@top.monad.net Subject: Faith - Spots To Lynn, Faith and list reaDers, I do know that we have had several adrenal kids which developed "spots". These were adrenal kids, and when I questioned our vet ( shelters) she was not familiar with seeing them on the ferrets, but replied that canines who get cushings sometimes develop the staining. Those ferret whom we had, had surgery and recovered , ths spots went away. Though I have yet to read any of the FML vets report similar instances. Perhaps this is another one of these instances?? Alicia 2.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 09:09:21 -0600 From: Troy Lynn Eckart Subject: Lupron I think the drug is Lupron if my memory serves me right. I'll check today and if it is something different I'll post it. So Lynn your vet is already using it on ferrets. What is her success rate? Hugs to all. tle 3.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 12:24:06 -0400 From: Joanne Gelormino Subject: Flash; Zippy Hi all, Just a note to say I let Flash pass on to the next life this morning. He had stopped eating and had very weak hindlegs and just lay around. My vet and I agreed that forcefeeding was not the thing to do at this point, as he was six and had many things wrong with him, i.e., insulinoma, adrenal problem, enlarged spleen, and who knows what else. The quality of life that he was used to just was not there anymore and we felt it was best to let him go before he began to really suffer. On a positive note, I got to see my ferret, Zippy, who had emergency surgery for a mass in his stomach on Monday. He is still weak and my vet is going to try solid food tomorrow. My vet did some innovative surgery and we hope he will respond. Best wishes to all ferrets suffering from illnesses. Moxie 4.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 12:42:56 -0400 From: Lisa_Leidig@ucamp.com Subject: Faith - Spots, ctn. Lynn Faith is very perky -- she is estimated to be between 4 - 6 years of age. The wierd thing about her spots, is that they are not raised up on her skin -- they appear to be discolorations only. It is the strangest thing that I have ever seen! A vet friend of mine is coming by the house this weekend to examine her. If she doesn't know, then I will take her to another vet for examination. The spots have only appeared in the last week or so, and they do not seem to slow her down at all. I am definitely throwing my hands up into the air. The only other thing that I can possibly think of it that she is a) almost bald, b) older, so her bones are more pronounced -- maybe some kind of pressure points? Dont worry about the hug, Faith likes to cover you with ferret kisses, while dooking the entire time. She sends about 20 minutes worth of kisses to all on the adrenal list. BTW, it wasn't Ernie that posted, it was me, I just use his internet address for right now!!! ;-). This is being posted from my work address. As far as posting to the FML, I didn't post there yet, but I will. Hopefully, someone else has seen this and can tell me what's going on! Lisa 5.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 13:17:27 -0400 (EDT) From: Lorraine Tremblay Subject: Sanka & Pepe I wanted to post when I would get all the dates and facts right but I keep postponing it so here a post to give you good news but not all the facts: I noticed this spring that Sanka (female about 3.5 years) lost fur on her belly and under neck. Some weeks after, I noticed that her vulva was swollen. I then took an appointment for the vet. The vet said to wait a little to see in the unlikely event the problem would disappear. It did not. Sanka was operated somewhat later than she should have. But the operation was a success: she had a mass cell tumor taken out as well as a some type of cyst. One gland was slightly enlarged but since a cyst was found, the gland was left in place. The cyst was analyzed. I do not recall the words but it was a piece of adrenal tissue, I believe. About three weeks after the operation her hair grew back on the belly. Afterwards, since I noticed one day that Sanka was shedding, I brushed her to make sure she would not get a blockage due to ingested hair. I brushed her at lenght and pulled the loose long guard hairs. She did not seem to mind: she is a biter and she did not try to bite me so I continued until I ended up with a big ball of underfur and guard hairs and a ferret with extremely short, shiny and soft hair on her trunk and tail. We nicknamed her "the small poodle". We could see her ribs! Her hair his still a bit short but is starting to hide her body shape a bit. Tip to check if a ferret drinks more than your other ferrets: I discovered this winter that my ferrets like to drink from a glass. For several weeks, I let them drink from a glass of cold water in the morning. It is an excellent way to monitor how much a ferret drinks in comparison with the others. This is how I noticed that Pepe La Pew (operated for adrenal problems in 1996) drinks more than the others. Her hair is not as thick as the others, she has a rat tail but I do not think she needs to take drugs or be operated at this point. Lorraine Tremblay & Pepe La Pew, Sanka, Mukluk, Presto, Snoreau & Boum Boum Owner of the Ferret Curiosity Shop Webmistress of Mustela Canada http://www.ferretcuriosity.on.ca 6.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 11:32:26 -0700 From: pfranklin@panlabs.com Subject: Reply: Faith - Spots Oreo - Lysodren Lisa, You wrote: "She has developed spots all over her body, the circumference of each at about1 - 2 cm. They are irregular shaped, purplish-brown in color, and closely resemble liver spots in elderly people -- any ideas? anyone see anything else like this?" You also mentioned that she was hairless. Any chance she has had exposure to the sun? Maybe these spots are melanomas (sp?). I would have your vet do a biopsy of one or more of the spots just to make sure that it isn't cancer. Hopefully, if she has dark fur, it is just her fur growing back in. Good luck with her. Troy Lynn, You wrote: "Larry ordered a new drug. It is used for dogs that exhibit adrenal problems that are caused by the Pituitary (sp) Gland telling the adrenals to put out more hormones..." I may have some info on this drug. I had heard of a drug called diphrenly that was being used for adrenals and had my vets look it up. It is not spelled the way I have spelled it here and it also has another name that starts with an A. It is currently used to treat Cushings disease and adrenal problems in dogs (and people too). I have a photo copy of the info my vet found on it but it's at home and unless I can get logged on this weekend, I will bring it with me to work on Monday and post it. My vet is not yet ready to try it on ferrets since she does not know the dosage amount yet. Troy Lynn, if this is the same drug you're talking about - could you let us know what dosage amount he gives for ferrets? Well, I have started Oreo on the Lysodren. The first night I had her swallow the capsule whole. I do not ever want to do that again! I had to literally put my finger down her throat pushing the capsule to get it down. It took me three attempts before she swallowed it and boy was she ever mad at me and I felt like the most cruelest person on earth - it even made me cry! I thought to myself "How can I do this every night for a week and then ever three nights for the rest of her life?" I am sure she would hate me (she holds grudges for a long time!) The second night I took Troy Lynn's advice and opened the capsule and mixed it with oil and used an oral syring and that worked so much better! She thought it was a treat and has accepted me back into her good graces again. I am not going to tell my vet that I'm doing this until I see results. Both my vet and the pharmacist didn't want to mix it but after reading the many responses of it being given successfully that way I decided to go for it. My vet has never used Lysodren with ferrets and people on this list have so I'll take practical use over theory any day! I am so thankful to all the people that responded to my post and to this list. Think of how many ferret lives are being saved and made better since we started. I can count at least two in my life - Big Foot and Oreo One final question - does anyone have an idea how long it takes to see results of the Lysodren working (or not but I'm sure it will)? Pam Franklin ----------------------End of Ferret List #26----------------------------