From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2000 12:56 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Cc: faiml@uswest.net Subject: FAIML #432; June 6, 2000 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #432; June 6, 2000 1. urgent post 2. Bandit (vomiting), Sabrina, Bandit (lymphoma), Buttercup and Bridgett 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. urgent post Date sent: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 14:39:34 -0500 From: "SAM MANGHAM" I posted for the 1st time about 3 weeks ago with 2 ferrets about to have surgery. They have now both had their surgeries and one is doing well and the younger one not well at all. The 7 year old female (Ricki) had an left adrenal gland removed and a tumor on her pancreas. The path came back probably pre-cancer on the pancreatic tumor but not definite. She is off the pred and has not had any episodes of the insulinoma since surgery. The vet told me that those tumors will probably come back. My question for her is that so no longer exhibits sign of seizure and coma but still sleeps 23 out of 24 hours a day. If this normal? Is it because she is so old? My little 4 year old Lucy is the one I am very worried about. She had a left adrenal gland also removed. She is doing worse since the surgery 2 weeks ago (actually worse than before surgery). She almost stopped eating, not at first but just last week. She is down to a 1lb 6 oz. I am getting her to eat babyfood off of my finger and she will still eat some kibble. Her vulva is still very swollen. I took her to the vet on Friday and she gave her a shot of depo something to try and get all the pus and stuff to come out of out vulva. It hasn't helped. She does not want to get out of bed and I can see pain in her eyes. She was my very active ferret, staying awake and playing for at least 2 hours everytime she was awake. She makes a teeth grinding noise when she eats, what is that? I took her in for her stitches to be removed today and asked for more blood work to find out what is wrong. The vet said that she thinks she is maybe putting out hormones some where else and if that is the case that there is nothing to do about it. Does that sound right? Aren't there some medications to help with this? Sorry this is so long - but I need some input. Thanks, Dawn 2. Bandit (vomiting), Sabrina, Bandit (lymphoma), Buttercup and Bridgett Date sent: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 18:47:37 -0400 (EDT) From: "Clare Sebok" Bandit A ferret with bad breath and vomiting could have kidney disease. Have a chem screen done, or just a BUN test if you need to save money. Bandit had adrenal surgery recently, didn't he? I don't remember if he had one or both glands removed. If he has very little adrenal tissue left, he could need a DOCP shot or prednisone. About the continuing need for duck soup--we've had ferrets who never went back to kibble after surgery. Buttercup has been on soup for over a year and a half. Sabrina Lupron may take a few weeks to work. Don't worry if you don't see any results for a while. Buttercup had Lupron when adrenal symptoms returned shortly after surgery. We eventually opted for another surgery, but thanks to Lupron, we were able to space the surgeries a year apart and she had a very good quality of life in the interim. (Keep in mind, though, that the tumor will keep growing even while Lupron reverses the symptoms.) Bandit We have friends whose ferret has been on chemotherapy for nearly two years. Our ferret Ben had a good remission during her chemo treatments in 1997; Ben lived for 8 months after the diagnosis. If I had a ferret with lymphoma, I would not hesitate to start chemotherapy, although I think I would avoid the drugs with bad side effects (vincristine and adriamycin). Both ferrets mentioned above tolerated the treatments well (with the exception of those stronger drugs.) Chemotherapy in veterinary medicine is different from chemotherapy for humans. With people, the doses of these toxic drugs are high in order to have the best chance of killing every last cancer cell and curing the disease. With animals, quality of life is a high priority; thus drug doses are lower (fewer side effects, but less chance of a cure). It's a more humane approach since animals can't decide for themselves and people who care enough about them to pay for chemotherapy wouldn't want to see them suffer the terrible side effects that come with high doses. Buttercup Buttercup is doing well. It's now about 3 weeks since she had her third adrenal surgery. Her fur is growing back in the shaved areas. She's been a little nauseous lately; I think this means she needs her next DOCP shot. She will see Dr. Weiss tomorrow. Bridgett Bridgett apparently has a testosterone-secreting adrenal tumor. She didn't respond to Lupron, but Casodex helped her a lot. We switched to Proscar to try to save some money (Casodex is really expensive) but we think her tail fur is thinning again. Also, she is very stinky. Has anyone else noticed that ferrets with adrenal disease smell especially ferrety? Bridgett will also see Dr. Weiss tomorrow. Clare ----------------------- End of FAIML #432 -------------------------