From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 1999 6:17 PM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Subject: FAIML #326 August 31, 1999 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #326 August 31, 1999 1. balding belly? 2. Update on Connor 3. Intro 4. Surgeries and Brina 5. Yahoo! 6. Thank you-s 7. YUCKY-YUCKY MEDICINE ~~ IN MEMORY OF CLAUDIA 8. Proglycem 9. Skin problem TO POST: Write POST at the end of your subject heading (the more specific you can be in your subject heading, the better) and send to . URGENT POSTS: If you feel the message is urgent please mark it POST URGENT and I'll send it out to subscribers as soon as I can, then include the message in the next list. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: Please write POST ANONYMOUS after your subject heading if you don't want your address or last name published. SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE: Just use the one address for posts, subscription questions, requests, cancellations, comments, etc. The list is run by hand so just send me an e-mail. ADRENAL/INSULINOMA WEBSITE: FAIML ARCHIVES/PHOTOS: Past FAIMLs are being archived, with a search feature, on Michael Janke's adrenal/insulinoma web site: . Michael is also kindly posting pictures of FAIML subscribers and the ferrets at this site in the FAIML Album. Check out his site for more info. PAM GREENE's FERRET FAQs: I suggest people read (and reread) Pamela Greene's Disease FAQ's on Insulin and Adrenal diseases, as they offer a good background. I forward them to all new subscribers, and will gladly send them upon request. I also send the "Disease Package", a file that tells how to get all six of Pamela Greene's FAQs on ferret diseases. Pam also has excellent FAQ's about general ferret care as well, and a link to these may be found on the FERRET CENTRAL web site: . THE FERRET MAILING LIST (FML): The FML has 3,000+ ferret-loving subscribers and the topic is simply ferrets, ferrets, and more ferrets. Moderated by Mr. Bill Gruber, it's a good source of ferret entertainment and information. Visit FERRET CENTRAL on the web (see paragraph above) for more info on the FML. To subscribe to the FML, send email to its moderator, Bill Gruber, at and ask to be added. You can also try subscribing automatically by sending email to with the command SUBSCRIBE FERRET in the body of the email. 1. Subject: balding belly? From: Jacqueline Snyder Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 08:16:28 -0600 I'm not sure whether a new adult male ferret is stressed or ill. He is losing hair on his abdomen. All the rest of his hair looks normal (no tail hair loss). This ferret has to have a separate play time (with his cagemate) because the others will not leave him alone and will put bite marks all over his neck. He is an unusually submissive ferret and won't fight back. Other symptoms--hair is slightly coarse. Neck sometimes seems a bit swollen, but that may be due to the biting he got. I can't feel any lymph-gland type masses. He is alert, eats well, and except for the hair loss on his abdomen, seems quite normal. Suggestions? Thanks, J. 2. Subject: Update on Connor From: EquineAmy@aol.com Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 12:21:11 EDT Some of you may remember my little Connor. He was just 1.5 yrs when this all started (he will be 2 in november). He has a right adrenal tumor. His first ultrasound was taken in the end of June along with his first shot of Lupron (opted not for surgery for various reasons). I caught the first outward signs of the cancer early on (like the first day his hair started coming out), which I thought was important, hoping that the earlier the treatment starts, the better chances the ferret has. Connor never had any other signs except for the hair and only lost it on his back. From the first shot to the second shot the only thing that I really noticed is that no more hair fell out. He got his second shot in the end of July. vet said that he was looking very good. He lost the heart murmor and was no more anemic and had gained a bit of weight (never really lost any, but gaining was a good sign anyway). Within two weeks of the second shot, he had a full coat of hair. Now this is all looking really good. I was trying not to be too optimistic, but hey, it all looks really good. Connor went in judt went in last Tues for his third shot and his final ultrasound. (he is in a study, so this second ultrasound was covered by the vet ) The vet is now a little disapointed. He has had great success with Lupron stopping the growth of the tumor and even shriking it sometimes (or so I thought) He said to me that Connor is physically doing super. Blood is excellant, heart and lungs and all else are great. His coat is super thick and looks good (stilln ot yet at normal ferret length, but it has just st arted growing in three weeks ago), but here is the killer. THE TUMOR HAS GROWN IN SIZE!!! I was sooooo upset. So I asked, now what? Really all we can do is wait and see. He said that if I noticed any changes to call him so he can keep note of them and that at the first sign of hair loss or somethign else significant idicationt he tumor is acting up again, we go back in for an ultrasound and redo this lupron series. he is optimisitic though. He said that all we want to do is make connor comfortable for the rest of his life. I feel worse than my baby. He doesn't even know he is sick, that is the only thing that keeps me smiling when I look at him. He is just as happy as his two sisters and just as active and mystchievis, but I still know thta his tumor is getting bigger. I feel so bad, and whenever I start getting upset, I need to go play with him to see him and know that he still feels good. It is just so sad that these little guys get so sick and there is nothing we can really do. I hope everyone else's little fuzzies are doing well and if anyone has any other ideas that I can do - even herbal things that seem to work (if there are any). I just don't want to lose this guy, even though it seems that we are far from that, but still think of him for me. Thanks everyone for listening. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amy Winnie (Mom! Pay attention to me. Mom, if you play with Chloe and Connor and ignore me, I'm going to have to poop in the corner....I mean it....look at me, i am the pretty one!) Chloe (Hi mommy, I am your good girl. Hey do you have any old socks I can play with? I promise not to eat them....I am gaining wait now - I don't need to eat socks anymore) Connor (What? Huh? Are you calling me...I can't hear...remember? sniff sniff...I smell cookies.....here I come...thud thud thud...ahhh...cookies....I am so cute) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. Subject: Intro From: "little_thief" Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 09:19:06 PDT Hi, I've just joined the list, and I was very impressed with the information and support you all share with one another. I was hoping I could get some of that. First off, I'll tell you about my history with Fuzzies. I started off with a bother and Sister name Fred and Ethel. They were the BEST ferrets. Then Ethel passed away, and I decided I couldn't live withour another, so I got Ginger when she was only 6 weeks old. (a few months latter Freddy passed over the rainbow bridge after a terrible old age spell, and is now burried in his FAV. spot in my backyard) What a sweetheart Ginger is. I have yet to meet such a nice ferret, She doesn't bite AT ALL. and will do anything for a little Love! I have just discovered she has Adrinal disease. (not spelt right, I know!!!) I took her to the vet, knowing very well what it was, and he said it wouldn't be a bad idea to wait a while, becasue she isn't sick yet, just loosing her fur. Well, I don't know about that. I don't want her to get worse. And I'm afraid of her going bald, becasue she is a silvermitt, and VERY VERY tiny. (The doc. actually told me she needs to put on some lbs.) and if she has no hair, won't she get cold, resulting in more illness? So what do you think? Should I wait for the disease to move into an advanced stage? I don't want her getting sick. Any suggestions or comments would be GREATLY appreciated. My second problem now is..I have just acquired another ferret. My EX-boyfriend bough a ferret when we were together (we we going to get married and you know how it goes....) so once we broke up, he stopped taking care of him. Just lost interest. Harldy ever let him out. I think he only cleaned his cage once a week, if that (Although I don't know how he could stand the smell!!) so anyhow, I ended up with him, and when I got him home, I noticed that he is quite bald, and VERY VERY thin. He is a year old white haired dark eye (very rare as you know) and he is the sweetest thing to me (bites my mother for no reason, but is very good to me) He's got a Vets Appt. on Thursday, but I was wondering if anyone has had experiences with neglected ferrets, and do they loose their fur? I know he isn't healthy, and I'm trying my best to beef him up (he isn't a picky eater), but why is his fur so thin? Could it be adreinal again? I can't stand the thought of haveing two ill ferrets, it's breaking my heart. I cry everytime Amadeus (that's his name) comes out to play, becasue he is so ill looking (he used to be a big fat guy, and now he's as tiny as Ginger, if anyone has any suggestions on what this hair loss might be from, even if it is just stress, please let me know. I can't live without knowing, and I'm so scared for him. Oh and if anyone has any idea's on what to feed him and Ginger too pack on the pounds, please PLEASE let me know. I think I'm going to enjoy this list, it's a great way of supporting each other. Thank you guys in advance for all the help I know I'll be getting. Give a squeeze to all your fuzzies!! Thanks from; Furry Lit'l Thief (that's me; Colleen) Ginger and Amadeus (and Fred and Ethel, who are no longer with me in person, but always in my thoughts) to reach me, please e-mail at furry_little_thief@excite.com 4. Subject: Surgeries and Brina From: "Troy Lynn Eckart" Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 13:17:38 -0600 Friday Larry did 3 adrenal surgeries for us - LG - second surgery, took right and ligated vena cava, also had to take two liver lobes Rusty and Randa both first timers and left Monday Larry did two more - Krystal - second surgery, right, and ligated vena cava and took small portion of liver Ulysses - second surgery, right, ligated vena cava, removed large tumor from pancreas, removed superficial tumor from esophagus and cut muscle that was constricting the esophagus Spartan had a growth removed from the back of his neck. Brina has had both adrenals removed and is not doing well on Percorten. Larry said Percorten is the same as Florinef only in time release form. She's also on pediapred. Any one have a little one that didn't respond to Florinef? I'm considering going with the the Florinef instead of Percorten, we have to do something she's lethargic, occassional vomiting and just doesn't feel well. All surgeries went well, as well as could be expected, and all are recovering, at different paces. Rusty was up this morning playing and feeling just fine. Hugs to all. tle 5. Subject: Yahoo! From: Linda.Doran@att.net Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 16:15:45 +0000 Hi, you members of the FAIML: I'm growing new fur! Lucky Charm 6. Subject: Thank you-s From: Tracy C Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 05:25:28 -0700 (PDT) Dear FAIML'ERS: Thank you all for your advice on feeding Dook E. Ferret. I've started him on Timmy's Tonic, thanks to wonderful Ms. Meagan, who drove 3 hours and got lost coming to my house to help us! Dook E is perking up, and he started taking his feeding concotions, much better on Sunday, after 2 days on the tonic. He was really good about eating on Monday, but yesterday was tough. I think the toxins in his body are starting to come out, and he's pretty tired. I'm very thankful for all of your advice, and your recepies, and very thankful for MQ's help! Dook E and I will keep you posted! Dooks to all Tracy and the Fuzzy Bunch (+1) 7. Subject: YUCKY-YUCKY MEDICINE ~~ IN MEMORY OF CLAUDIA From: "Grant, Lillian" Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 10:20:58 -0700 It has been 3 months since my little Angel Claudia, got tired and crossed over Rainbow Bridge to rejoin her cagemates Sam and Scarlett O'Ferret. They are truly missed, they were such a blessing to the entire family. Claudia wanted to donate her YUCKY-YUCKY Medicine to some other "Specially Challenged" Fur Kid (s). I promised her I would. I know this post will bring a war dance of joy to her, knowing someone else can enjoy that YUCKY stuff. I have listed the items below: Mega Zyme-high potency proteolytic enzymes Shark Cartilage Extract L-Cysteine Chelated Manganese GTF Chromium Pychogenol 1 UNOPENED bottle of Timmy's Original Tonic Drenamin I also have an opened bottle of Timmy's Original Tonic, (used 1 time) that I want to find someone locally to give it to. (It has to remain cold). Please let me know via my e-mail address if you are interested and in which item or items and I will forward them off to you. Stephanie & My Little Band Of Closet Thieves: Spanky, Moose, SnowFlake, George & Gracie And the Zoo: TAZ, Dara Nin, Snickers, Monkey Inside/Out Cat & 3 Weird Lizards + Sam, Claudia, & Scarlett O'Ferret @ Rainbow Bridge 8. Subject: Proglycem From: "Victoria Wade" Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 10:20:23 EDT My ferret loved the Sardine flavored proglycem and wouldn't touch the chocolate mint! Good luck! 9. Subject: Skin problem From: Glenn Johnson Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1999 09:22:35 -0700 Ferret Lovers, Long way off topic, but am hoping some one may have helpful info. My Chuki has what his vet thinks is a ringworm on his face....and I know he was exposed to a cat with ringworm. Her recommended treatment (iodine scrub) is having no effect after a month of use. Have any of you had experience with this? Glenn and Chuki (with an ugly brown spot on his face) ------------------- End of FAIML #326 ---------------------