From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2000 12:14 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Cc: faiml@miamiferret.org Subject: FAIML #384; Feb. 5, 2000 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #384; Feb. 5, 2000 1. Input needed ...please help!! 2. help 3. Weasel & Dr. Marx 4. Finding Lupron in single doses 5. Lupron shots 6. Lupron 7. Lupron/Dr. Weiss 8. skin irritation; white pads; Colorado ferret 9. Skin Irritation and white feet The FERRET ADRENAL/INSULINOMA MAILING LIST (FAIML) is a group that's come together to share support and information about adrenal and insulinoma diseases. FAIML comes out in digest format three to six times per week, depending on the number of posts sent, and their surgency. FAIML information is the opinion, only, of subscribers, mostly ferret caretakers. It is not medical advice, comes with no guarantee of accuracy, and is not meant to replace the examination and medical oversight of a qualified veterinarian. If your ferret is sick or exhibiting signs of illness take your fur kid to the most ferret- experienced vet you can find! A ferret- experienced vet is one of the most important services you can provide to your ferret. 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 email. 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 great 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. Input needed ...please help!! From: "Michele" Date sent: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 22:22:30 -0500 Hi I just came back from the vet today with my other ferret named Fatbert who has stopped eating and drinking..He had numerous tests taken and today my vet told me the following things that he found so far.. His right adrenal is enlarged he has a mass inside his pancreas he has infectious hepatitis he has most likely an ulcer he might have insulinoma,but he wont know until Monday if the results for the insulin test comes back I want all of you to know my main concern is very simple.. all I want if for him to get well and eat and drink and I would like to know if anyone ever had a ferret with an ulcer since I cannot find allot of info on that.I also would like to know if anyone had or has a ferret with infectious hepatitis as I never knew they could get it .. I did ask if it was contagious and was told no ..I have 2 other ferrets with one bandit who is not doing well with his insulinoma..he has been having seizures everyday since this past Tuesday even with increasing his meds..My vet told me there is nothing I can to to make him come out of his seizures which have lasted for over 4 hours..all I can do is watch him shake drool and pant and paw at his mouth..I have givine him karo rubbed on his gums and it did not make him come out af his seizures..I find that kind of strange since every person who has an insulinomac ferret get out of the seizure in 15 minutes.. I really could use some help here..what more can I do for him to help his seizures shorter then 4 hours and doesnt having a seizure that long do any kind of permanent damage to my Bandit?? Thanks for all of your help and support I do appreciate all of your emails... Michele *~It's the soul afraid of dying..that never gets to live*~ 2. help From: ferretchick@webtv.net Date sent: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 15:59:23 -0500 (EST) hello my name is skeeter & i was just diagnosed with an adrenal gland disease..i'm on hormones now so my hair grows back & hopefully the itching stops..now my problem is do i go for the operation ..i'm 4 years old & the prettiest ferret you ever saw..well until i went bald..the doctor said the operation costs $500 for the left gland & $600 for the right. my owner said she'd pay it but what are the risks..doc said if it's the left gland i should be ok..but if it's the right one thats another story..my owner hasnt stopped crying yet..we need all the information you can send us on this disease & any info on the outcome of this type of operation..so if you could add me to your mail list that would be greatly appreciated.. thanks for your help Sincerely c ya skeeter (a very scared little dudette) ferretchick@webtv.net Moderator's Note: I wrote Skeeter and Cathy suggesting they might look around for a vet more confident in doing a right adrenalectomy (and prepared and confident about doing a vena cava ligation if that's necessary). I also mentioned a more experienced vet could be less expensive (ours runs about $300 for the surgery, plus something for diagnostics and/or blood tests sometimes). Cathy and Skeeter wrote back that they're located in the New Jersey area (Monmouth/Ocean Counties), so if you know of an experienced vet drop her and Skeeter a note please! Lynn 3. Weasel & Dr. Marx From: hjdom@webtv.net (Holly Domanick) Date sent: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 10:31:12 -0500 (EST) Hi Everyone, I posted a few weeks ago about weasel and neck lumps. It seems the problem was too much nutrical. She was getting it with all her meds. SInce I sopped giving it to her the fat lumps have disappeared. I did have her checked out by my vet. I also use Dr. Sharon Marx of State College. She is wonderful. She is the first vet I have found that takes her patients home with her each night to care for them. The night of weasel's adrenal operation Dr. Marx gotup with her every 3 hours to feed and check on her. She also clalled me from her home at 9pm. to keep me updated. Her husband is also a vet. How I found her was when I had scheduled her original adrenal surgeryl with a vet that is nice;but had only done 2 right adrenals. I was really nervous and posted on this list and the night before I got an e-mail from Mary McCarty that told me about Dr. Marx. I went to see her the next day and knew this felt right. I truely believe this saved weasel's life. That was the miracle I was praying for. Thank you Lynn and Mary for all the good things you do. I know it can't always be easy. I also have a male who drinks his pee. He doesn't when he is in his cage. When he comes out to play he tries to drink as much as he can until I get to him. He started doing this after he was really sick and almost died in March 99. He is a healthy 3 1/2 lb.boy now. I have had blood work done twice and it comes out ok. I guess it's just a bad habit. Sorry this is so long. A big thank you to all the wonderful ferret people who take great care of these wonderful fuzzy angels. Eileen, Weasel, Rascal, R.J. http://community.webtv.net/hjdom/WelcometoHollys http://community.webtv.net/hjdom/STARTREK 4. Finding Lupron in single doses From: "dross1@saluki-mail.siu.edu" Date sent: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 13:20:05 -0500 I have a 5 yr. old ferret that was diagnosed with adrenal disease two months ago. He was also diagnosed with a heart murmur on the same visit which then ruled him out as a surgical canidate. The closest vet that gives the Lupron shots is 4 hrs. away and I would need to take him every 4 wks. I recently found out that this injection can be packaged in single doses of 3 or 4 months but, what pharmacies will do this? I have had no luck finding one that will. ------------------------------------------------------------------- This message has been posted from Mail2Web http://www.mail2web.com/ Web Hosting for $9.95 per month! Visit: http://www.yourhosting.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Moderator's Note: Hi. Check out Michael Janke's adrenal/insulinoma and more website (mentioned in the introductory paragraph's to each FAIML list). Look under Dr. Weiss's info on Lupron and there is a pharmacist listed, 800 number, your vet can call can order the shot. Lynn 5. Lupron shots From: "Diane Ashton" Date sent: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 08:14:19 -0900 I too was becoming very discouraged with Lupron. We started my 9 year old little girl Molly on Lupron in conjunction with the Lysodren that she has been taking for about 4 years now. She had a very unsuccessful surgery at 5 years so it was necessary to start treating with meds. We started at the lowest dosage, 200 mcg per monthly injection. Pepper, the little boy also started at the same time and same dosage. He started growing fuzz inside of a month and is now sporting a lovely thick coat and without the supplemental Lysodren. My vet and I had just agreed to up Molly's injections to twicw a month at the smae dosage, in essence cutting the original dosage in half and giving her the full dose per month but in the form of 2 injections. Well on the 4th month and before I started with the 2nd injection, I noticed peach fuzz, Molly is now almost 9 years young and is showing off a full if not rather gray coat of fur. Here in Alaska, bald can be very chilly and she loved to snuggle with anything warm but absolutely spurned my efforts to dress he in long ferret sweaters to help keep her warm. I was about to give up on the Lupron with Molly, I am glad that we decided to give it another 3 months. :) Hang in there. Diana and the Ferret Farm 6. Lupron From: "Michael F. Janke" Date sent: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 20:44:42 -0500 >5. 3d Lupron shot, no success >From: "The Ferret Aid Society" >Date sent: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 12:31:41 -0500 > >Saigon has just had his 3d shot of 200 mcg and has still shown no >improvement. Any ideas???? According to Dr. Weiss' article on Lupron, he gives 500mcg of the one month Lupron. Perhaps Saigon's dosage is not high enough. For the ferrets, Mike * Michael F. Janke, mjanke@miamiferret.org * Secretary, South Florida Ferret Club & Rescue * A 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation * * Shelter web site: http://www.miamiferret.org * Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc 7. Lupron/Dr. Weiss Date sent: Fri, 04 Feb 2000 11:41:42 -0800 From: Linda Knights RE: Dr Weiss - You said: Dr. Weiss has lots of Lupron info up on the web and is very "visible" so most internet ferret people consider him to be an expert on the subject. Bear in mind though that this is one vet's experience. Melissa - can you share the web address with us on this vet? I'm not familiar with it. Linda K (and 14 fuzzy little friends)Send reply to: 8. skin irritation; white pads; Colorado ferret From: "Steve and Becky McMall" Date sent: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 12:17:58 -0600 Colette, You may try some neosporin with pain relief on the little bald spot that your ferret is scratching to irritation. Sue, When Bear had Insulinoma tumors (before he gave up and died), I noticed not only white foot pads, but white nose and lips. Some suggested the low blood sugar caused it, and some said poor circulation. Best to check with a vet. Trish, if Martha did not contact you with the Ok vets, please email me. I have the name and address and phone number of one in Norman, OK that is said to be a good ferret vet. I also use Dr. Kendrick in Arlington. We live in Southwestern OK and make the long drive down when we have problems the local vets cannot deal with. Cannot say enough good about him. He also reads this list occasionally. He did caution me about something that I wanted to pass on to all of you: Do not believe everything you read on these lists as far as advice goes. What works for one ferret does not always work for another. As he says in his adrenal/insulinoma article in the latest Ferret magazine, treatment must be geared toward the individual ferret. Always, always check with a good ferret knowledgable vet first and foremost. (No, Trish, this is not directed to you.;-) I know nothing about the lupron issue) But the most important thing to pass on to those new to the list is .............Do not put it off! If you think something is wrong with your little friend, see a vet just as soon as possible. Ferrets are so tiny, and putting it off for even a day or two can mean the life of that ferret. Lynn, if no one has claimed the ferret in Colorado Springs, and they are willing to meet us at least halfway, have them contact us. We are ECE positive, but it sounds like she is young enough to handle that easily. Oh! Trish might say there are no "ferret experts" but there certainly are quite a few ferret enthusiasts on this list and the fml that I would say would qualify! Becky, Steve and the four furry faces; Snowball, Socks, Shadow and Rascal 9. Skin Irritation and white feet From: "Susan S Saliga" Date sent: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 11:38:13 -0600 Hi, My name is Susan Saliga and am new to this list. I volunteer for a local ferret shelter and am currently "ferret mom" to 8 curtain climbers. One of my adrenal ferrets Tiger passed away in December. Last year the itching he had on his back was intense and had everyone baffled - red stripes would appear almost perfectly parallel to each other - no one had ever seen a pattern like that. He would then pick and lick at the scratched area which intensified the problem. We tried a special moisterizing spray from the vet, and various ointments with no luck because he'd start licking and picking at the area again. Finally, I tried this method and it worked fairly well. I rubbed a little Neosporin on the scratched area. Then I mixed up a small blob of Vaseline with a little bitter apple ointment and a drop or two of Tree Tea oil. Most ferrets hate the smell of Tree Tea oil (smells like turpentine). Tree Tea oil also has an antiseptic property to it and is found at health food stores. As soon as Tiger would turn his head to pick at his skin, he'd change his mind immediately as soon as he got a good whiff of the Tree Tea oil and his skin healed beautifully. White skin can appear if the ferret is anemic. Usually it will result in pale gums and nose and ears can also appear pale. My ferret Smurfy Brown is a little baldy with inoperable right adrenal cancer (growing into vena cava). I usually mix Lixitinic or special iron drops into their liquid food. (Her cagemate Nessie's skin turned white due to severe anemia). Adrenal females especially are prone to anemia. I'm not sure about ferret with insulinoma whose feet go from white to pink when picked up. Could this possibly be due to circulation problems similar to those experienced with diabetes? I'd really be interested in any ideas on this one. ----------------------- End of FAIML #384 -------------------------