From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Monday, March 27, 2000 3:06 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Subject: FAIML #404; March 26, 2000 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #404; March 26, 2000 1. Help I'm going through this right now 2. Surgery for Older Ferrets? 3. Yearly vet visit 4. Lily 5. Dr. Weiss's new office 6. Update on Quinn Post 7. FAIML #400; March 16, 2000 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. Help I'm going through this right now From: JanEtienne@aol.com Date sent: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 03:43:15 EST Hi Lynn, I took my ferret (Hobbs) in for his regular checkup for shots and a health screen. The Dr. took some blood and he said his blood level was very low, signs of Insulinoma. He then thought that the little bit of bareness on his tail might be adrenal. So he said the best thing to do would be to have emergency surgery. I thought a lot about pregnozone vs. surgery and I chose surgery. When I picked him up from the hospital he didn't recognize me. His body was like jello. It was awful seeing the big scar and the redness that covered his belly. This was tremendous surgery. They took off nodules on his pancreas and removed the left adrenal and they tried their best to remove parts of the right adrenal. When I woke up this morning, Hobbs! was alive!!! I guess it's a day by day process. Jan & Hobbs 2. Surgery for Older Ferrets? From: nikki4539@aol.com Date sent: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 02:40:38 EST I have 2 ferrets that begun losing their hair within a month of eachother. I spoke with a lady who runs the local ferret shelter in Milwaukee who said due to my oldest one being 6 1/2-7yrs old it wouldn't be right to put him throught the surgery. i work in the medical field and agree even with pets sometimes surgery is not he answer. I have a litle ferret that I got from the shelter and her age is unknown...her hairloss has progressed rapidly and now her vulva is swollen. I don't know if i should subject her to the surgery either. What happens to a ferret who isn't surgically treated? They are both as active as ever even my oldtimer. It breaks my heart to see them with this but i just don't know what the most humane thing is to do either. Also, my oldtimer, Sassy's hair has started to grow back what does that mean? has is spread to another part of the body? Anyone with answers please let me know.(also their unfortunately is a money factor here..out of the goodness of my heart I took in a couple of orphaned ferrets, and adopted acouple from the shelter but my job isn't the greatest paying so money is a factor) Please if anyone has any info please let me know. ~nicole 3. Yearly vet visit From: EquineAmy@aol.com Date sent: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 14:28:15 EST Today Winnie,Chloe and Connor all had their exams. Winnie unfortunatly has insulomnia now and has been started on .75 of pediapred 2x day for three weeks and then we will do another BG to see if we should adjust teh meds. Chloe got a clean bill of health. And Connor, my adrenal baby looks wonderful. He is shedding, but looks good. The vet is currently optimistic about him because it has been almost 7 months since his last lupron shot and so far is doing very well. Not that he is better, but is thinking that maybe the tumor shrunk and is not overproducing hormones anymore(hopefully for ever, but I don't knwo if that is possible). Anyway it wasn't as bad as I thought it wwould be - I was waiting to hear bad things about them all - just wasn't feeling good about the visit, but feel better now. I was expecting the insulomnia with winnie, but wasn't sure about the other two. Not that I am sharing all good news, but not too bad I guess. Hopefully I will be able to save up for surgery on them, but for now, meds is all I can do - -Amy, Winnie, Chloe and Connor 4. Lily From: "katharine" Date sent: Sat, 25 Mar 2000 16:52:46 -0500 Lily, my lymphoma/adrenal 6 1/2 y.o., was euthanized on Wednesday. She deteriorated very rapidly; quit eating, slept 23+ hours a day, and, generally, no longer had any quality of life. It was, surprisingly, a very easy decision to make. I was proud that I was able to do it. It helped greatly that her vet, after examining her, fully agreed. I stayed with her until she was asleep, Doc performed a necropsy, and didn't let her wake up. I have her ashes now. In addition to the numerous lumps that kept popping up in her neck area, he found a large tumor in her abodmen and internal bleeding. I suspected the bleeding as her stools had become very tarry the previous day. He said her right adrenal looked just fine. Lily had two adrenal surgeries (left and right) The right was debulked (is that the right word?). A year later, she again tested positive. She had been on Lysodren for nearly 1 1/2 years. Does the fact that the right adrenal remnant looked OK mean that the Lysodren was working? I always wondered. We had taken blood in November to run the UT test again just to see if the Lysodren was working. The first tumor (lymphoma) was discovered during the same examination so the blood was never sent off. No condolences please. Just wanted to let all of you know. This is a very supportive group and I intend to stay on the List. Never know when another adrenal or insulinoma problem might pop up. Dr. Murray, I printed out your insulinoma handout and gave it to my vet today. Hope you don't mind. I gave you full credit for the handout (left your name, title, and location on it). I thought it would be nice for them to have papers such as that to give to their patients. If you don't wish it to be used, please let me know. Katharine 5. Dr. Weiss's new office From: "Clare Sebok" Date sent: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 21:58:40 -0500 (EST) Friday, March 24, was Dr. Weiss's first day at Green Valley Animal Hospital. The waiting room was full of ferrets! It was obvious that many clients had followed him to his new practice. We saw Fran Wiles, who was picking up a ferret who just had surgery. Dr. Weiss said he had done 10 ferret surgeries that day. Green Valley Animal Hospital is in a beautiful rural area and is surrounded by a small farm with baby goats, baby Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, llamas, and emus. A baby emu was in one of the cages in the treatment area. Here is Dr. Weiss's new location: Green Valley Animal Hospital 2910 Prices Distillery Road Ijamsville, MD 21754 301-831-6930 The hospital is near Route 270 south of Frederick, Maryland. Clare and Bill Sebok with Buttercup, Bridgett, Bonnie, and Charlie and Patrick the Sheltie 6. Update on Quinn Post From: "Marcia Anop-Rokmashko" Date sent: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 20:29:59 -0600 Hi everyone, I just wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciate all the help I have received. I have learned a lot and have found a doctor nearby whom I will call tomorrow. One of the list members has several ferrets and has used her for a number of years. Quinn is still hanging in and ate and drank on his own, as well as running around a little bit more than usual....the diarrhea is still present, though. I will let everyone know the results. Thank you so much.....I learned something from everyone! Sincerely, Marcia 7. FAIML #400; March 16, 2000 From: Outlaw50@aol.com Date sent: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 15:53:33 EST In a message dated 3/16/00 11:27:13 PM Central Standard Time, faiml@uswest.net writes: << It probably wouldn't hurt to cut back a little on the nutrical and honey depending on the size of your chicken, but when someone asked Bob this very question on the FML, he answered that it was important to keep those nutrients in and that he thought it unlikely it would cause a problem. Hope this helps. Ann Barzda >> Great post, Ann! I just want to add that I know for a fact that the sugar in the Nutrical and honey doesn't cause a problem. Shania had surgery for insulinoma in July of 1998. She was on pediapred afterward. After starting her on the chicken gravy, my vet was able to wean Shania completely off the pediapred in time. Shania now has as much energy as the rest of my kids. There is no way anyone would ever be able to tell she is insulinomic. Shania consistently has a glucose reading of over 90 since starting on the gravy. Bob did recommend not cutting back on the Nutrical, but said you could cut back on, or cut out, the honey if you wish. Judy ----------------------- End of FAIML #404 -------------------------