From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Saturday, October 16, 1999 10:12 AM To: mjanke@miamiferret.org Subject: (Fwd) Adrenal List #28 Forwarded message: From: Self To: @SENDLIST.PML Subject: Adrenal List #28 Reply-to: Lynn McIntosh Date: Sun, 22 Feb 1998 12:53:17 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 21:49:26 -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 , Lisaferets@aol.com, 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 #28 Hi. Dave, I hope and pray Bobo is getting better. It's amazing how you managed to get him catheterized, and you and Mary have brought to light some interesting questions: what is the optimal size urinary catheter for ferrets, and what is the success rate of catheterizing ferrets? Lisa, Percy was an ardent kisser, too, to the point of rawness! Now, I surmise why. It sure sounds like Faith is in good hands. Well, I'm off to have some dinner, after spending an hour wrestling with the twistiest turniest snapdragons - finally snapped off the flowers an planted the darn roots. Hugs to all fuzzies, and especially warm hugs to those furless fur kids, Lynn Mc. P.S. Are there any more full recovery stories? One of my vets is recommending going straight to Lysodren, and doing surgery as a last option, so this is a very important questions - she's a really good vet and loves fuzzies... Adrenal List #28, dated July 21, 1997 1. Full recoveries from adrenal disease 2. Bobo update 3. Reply: Bobo update 4. Reply: Bobo update 5. Faith 6. Lysodren 7. Hairloss, Adrenal, & Other adventures 1.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 18:14:35 -0400 From: Dave and Pam Taynor Subject: Full recoveries from adrenal disease Hi Lynn, I hope I am not jumping the gun, but I am hoping that Rikki has made a full recovery! I will let you know if any symptoms recur. How about summaries of the following: 1) Age of fuzzy He turned 5y in Feb.'97 2) Symptoms Frequent urination, increased aggressiveness, marking territory. Much later, overall hair thinning, then hair loss across the shoulders. 3) Timeframe of symptoms First noticed symptoms Nov. 96, hairloss around March 97. 4) Time of surgery and what was done; pathology, if any First surgery was mid-March (discovered it was right side and did nothing) Second surgery was early May, ligated vena cava, took right adrenal/tumor and part of liver 5) How long it took for symptoms to fully subside, including urinary problems in males and enlarged vulvas in females and, of course, hair loss Urinary problems subsided within a month, at that time new hair coming in was very obvious too. Aggressiveness gradually faded, within 1-2 months. 6) How long the fuzzy has been symptom free? So far, 2 months 2.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 20 Jul 1997 17:07:24 -0600 From: dave adams Subject: Re: Bobo update Well Bobo is one tough little guy. He is still hanging in there. Spent the morning looking for material to us to catherize him. Have a friend that is an MD but was fishing. He had cell phone and i talked to him about the problem. He is an OBGYN dr and deals with premature babies. He called the hospital where he usually works and arranged for me to meet a nurse in the pediatric icu and get what is called a feeder tube(#5). Long story short it was too large. It ended up I had a small roll of teflon tubing that was about the same size as a number 24 iv catheter. Vet tried to catherize without anesthesia and no luck. she found in a book it is almost always to use anesthesia to insert catheters due to muscle contractions etc. Put Bobo under and after several attempts Bobo is now catherized with a small flow. this is all u could expect from this size tube. Urine is also passing around the tube. Blockages were encountered and appearently moved with a very small piece passing out the tube i believe. Boy if i had only tried to find this tube before the initial surgery Bobo would be far much the better. One other thing that came of this is that if bladder surgery is indicated and performed a supra pubic catheter should be insalled in the bladder and run out through the incision. This is a small catheter with some sort of a small balloon type end that will keep the catheter in place during use and can be deflated for removal. In humans it is usuall kept in place for 7 to 10 days. In a ferret a few days is probably all that is required. Someone with more knowledge of ferret healing will have to give words on this subject. Bobo is a long way from being ok. He has undergone two surgeries in a three day period and is currently being fed by iv. Saw him about an hour ago and he looked terrible - - was still under the effects of the anesthesia. Will go back this evening about 730 and see him again. He may come home tomorrow we will see. Thanks everyone for ur thoughts and prayers. If anyone needs more info on any details please e me and i will attempt to get them for u. thanks again Dave Adams and still 16 fbs 3.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 08:57:33 -0400 From: "Mary L. McCarty" Subject: Reply: Bobo update Dave & Bobo, At 10:33 AM 7/20/97 -0700, you wrote: Good luck to Bobo - my prayers are with him. >ferrets blocking in two months is a coincidence). I will write Cathy right >now to ask her about the size of catheter needed. I know that she and Dr. >Kamaka tried different sizes with Percy. If I recall right, and I'm >pretty sure about this, Mary's Bear couldn't be catheterized either. True - both of my vets could not catheterize Bear - neither had ever been successful. They said they had only heard of one or two vets who had ever been successful at this (didn't give any specific names). Let's hope you and Bobo can make history here of being another of the lucky few for it to work. Mary and the fuzzies.... Fatso, Skinny, Maggie & Sweet Pea In remembrance of Bear, gone to the Rainbow Bridge on June 28 1997 4.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 07:55:44 -0600 From: Troy Lynn Eckart Subject: Re: Bobo update Well the drug Larry told me about is not Lupron. It is 1-DEPRENYL (ANIPRYL). To order the informational article send requests to: David S. Bruyette, DVM West Los Angeles Veterinary Hosptial 1818 South Sepulveda Boulevard Los Angeles CA 90025 Request reprint of: MANAGEMENT OF CANINE PITUITARY-DEPENDENT HYPERADRENOCORTICISM WITH 1-DEPRENYL (ANYPRIL) Pupblished in: Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice Volume 27, Number 2, March 1997 Hugs to all. tle 5.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 09:19:38 -0400 From: Lisa_Leidig@ucamp.com Subject: Faith Hi everyone! My vet friends stopped by (a husband and wife team!) and looked at Faith - the news that they gave me was very good! Laura said that these were blackheads and this was very common in adrenal ferrets! They have both seen it many times in ferrets, and although mostly it is limited to the tail, they have also seen cases like Faith.They recommended cleaning her with a special shampoo (I have the name of it written down at home) and are taking pictures of her for a before and after shot. Laura will be doing the surgery on Faith sometime in August, since I postponed giving her the final distemper shot, in case it was a reaction to the vaccine. The other interesting thing that I learned is that they seem to think that she has an excessive need for salt -- like an imbalance, and that is why she is always licking! I was sorry to hear that, I wanted to think that it was because she liked us!!!! Anyway, they advised us to not do anything about it now, that the adrenal surgery should eliminate that problem to a degree and the blackhead problem. Ian told me that to give her a salt block would put undue stress on her Kidneys & Liver, and since she is older, that is not a good thing to do. Maybe this is another symptom that only adrenal ferrets have? I know from my own experience, that the best kissers have been advanced adrenal cases. Faith is such a good kisser that she will lick any exposed part of your body for 20 minutes or more, just move all around and I have never seen her stop on her own - I usually stop her, because its starting to get uncomfortable! 6.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 08:40:56 -0600 From: Troy Lynn Eckart Subject: Re: Lysodren Pam - It may take up to 4 weeks before you see that the Lysodren is working so don't give up if you don't see results right away. And our pharmacist said that mixing it with oil is good because he protects the Lysodren and also makes it become time-released. You may want to let your pharmacist and vet know that. If they have any questions I'm sure Jim will be happy to speak with them. Let me knwo if you need his number. Hugs. tle 7.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997 23:39:22 -0400 (EDT) From: Ster2u@aol.com Subject: Hairloss, Adrenal, & Other adventures HI group Sterling here. I am still here reading all your posts and taking in what I can and I wanted to let you know about some new things I have found. First I want to relay my experience with rat tail. I have a ferret about six years old that got a bald tail when I got my dog two christmas' ago. The hairloss did not progress and he didnt offer any other symptoms and I knew (You know how you just know) that it wasnt adrenal. So finally after much hunting and some help (thanks guys) I came across the rare problem hypothroidism. It is just what it sounds like--- an underactive thryoid gland. It can cause rat tail, and weight gain, lethargy, etc etc. So if you have any fat lazy weasels you should get them tested. There is hormone therapy for this . The test cost me about 50 bucks and I will let you know what the hormones cost. If your vet doesnt have the t values for the thyroid test write to me and I will forward them to you. Now on another note. This may be a really stupid thing I have done but something in me made me write the letter. I wrote to the people on the FML and said if they would send him to me I would take their adrenal ferret. As you know I have dont this before and lost miserably. But since then an adoptee Janey came into my life and ferret math has me firmly by the hand. I just cant bare the idea that this poor baby will be sent to the animal shelter with people who dont know how to care for him. But then I was thinking of the medical costs involved with adrenal kids. I am not wealthy and sometimes I could use help as I am sure the rest of us could. I was wondering if we could set up an adrenal fund . This way we could all make donations when we can to help others and in memory of our lost adrenal fur kids. We could ask for donations and maybe even have an auction like we did for KODO. Maybe we could get some vets to donate their services. Then when someone has fallen on hard times and needs a little help with vet bills we can send them a little aid ..........What do you think? Also Lynn this isnt my usual email so keep mailing me at my old address ster2872@gte.net Sterling ----------------------End of Adrenal List #28-----------------------