From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Friday, July 07, 2000 2:22 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Cc: faiml@uswest.net Subject: FAIML #441; July 7, 2000 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #441; July 7, 2000 1. Daisy's Weight Gain- Heart Problem 2. Swollen Vulva Question 3. Orange spots and hairloss 4. Spots Question 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. Daisy's Weight Gain- Heart Problem Date sent: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 10:02:13 -0400 From: jkerin@attorneygeneral.gov I've posted before about Daisy's sudden, dramatic weight gain due to heart problems. Just in case you haven't seen it before, Daisy's history is . . . both adrenal's removed with persisting adrenal problems so she had a 4 month depot of Lupron in December which made all her hair grow back and vulva swelling disappeared. In the last six weeks, Daisy has grown in size from 2 pounds 6 ounces to 3 pounds 3 ounces. It's also kinda of weird how she gained that weight, it wasn't like a 1/2 ounce a day, it was more like nothing for a few days and then all of a sudden she would gain 3 ounces overnight. Now I'm not so sure it is a problem with her heart. Here's the story . . . I went to another vet who took and xray and did an EKG on Daisy. The EKG was normal and the xray showed: Daisy holding no water weight (of course she was/is on lasix), a normal size heart with a little fat around it which may be making it just a little hard for her to breath, and a possible right adrenal regrowth (about the size of a dime). The regrowth is right beside the ligaclips used when her right adrenal was removed. The vet was unable to get blood that day. That vet doesn't think that Daisy has a heart problem and suggested switching her to Totally Ferret for older ferrets and weaning her off the lasix to see what happens, but if I notice water weight to put her right back on it. She was also really interested to see what the blood tests would show. I went back to my regular vet and had Daisy's blood tested . . . CBC, four hour fast - glucose, LDH & CPK. Her glucose was 48, yes, I know this is low but their was a mix up at the vet's office and I'm not sure if that's what caused her glucose to be so low. I'm sure someone will know . . . how much would it effect the glucose level if a four hour fast turned into a nine hour fast:(??? I'm sure one of my vets will know also but no one is in today. Everything else was normal except for the LDH. (Note - there is a chance I'm confusing LDH & CPK) My vet told me that the CPK is related to the heart and that was normal. The LDH is related to the heart and the liver and that is way elevated . . . it's supposed to be 600 and some and it's over 4000. The other things in the CBC to look at for the liver are all normal. My questions are: Could Daisy be gaining all of this weight because of being adrenal? Could her body be producing steroids now (because the Lupron shot was over six months ago) that would cause her to gain weight? Has anyone seen these kind of blood results in their ferret? Does anyone have any ideas??? I really don't think she'll be able to walk if she gains anymore weight. Poor Daisy, I have her hammock almost on the floor and all she does is climb in halfway and lay her head down on Pooh Bear. Her stomach and butt is outside of the hammock on the carpet. She has a tent she can go into also, but she loves her Pooh Bear. I'm going to be away from 7/7 to 7/9, so if you respond, could you please e-mail me at . . . joylenay@hotmail.com . . . so that I can get them while I'm gone. Thank You, Joy 2. Swollen Vulva Question Date sent: Thu Jul 06 18:04:20 2000 From: MsStacey19@aol.com Hi. We hope someone can help us with this question. We have three female ferrets, ages 4.5, 5, and 6. The 6 year old, Trixie, has had both of her adrenal glands removed and still has a swollen vulva. My other two girls, Cassy and Sasha also have swollen vulvas, but no other signs of adrenal problems (no hair or weight loss). The wierd thing is that sometime the swelling goes away for several months and then comes back. Also, seasonly, Trixie will grow back most of the hair on her backside and then lose it again. Besides that, she doesn't seem to be in any discomfort. Sasha (the 4.5 year old) seems okay, but has a lot less energy. Cassy has some slight vaginal discharge that concerns us. The vet tried antibiotics, but that didn't help much. Has anyone heard of something like this? Are there other diseases that cause swollen vulvas? Any info would be greatly appreciated. We want our babies to get better, but we don't want to make then go through any unneccesary pro! cedures. Thanks, Stacey, Jason, and our 3 fuzzies (Sasha, Cassy, and Trixie) 3. Orange spots and hairloss Date sent: Thu, 06 Jul 2000 10:00:25 -0300 From: "Amy Claire Dempsey" As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, my BJ went in for adrenal surgery 13 days ago. He had been lossing fur and had orange secretions on his skin, and had been rubbing himself on everything. His brother had just had both adrenal removed about 4 1/2months ago. Adrenal right? Well both adrenals look perfect, in fact, as my vet said this is the first time she's ever seen a ferret with nothing visible wrong. I watched the surgery and she and I looked at the adrenal glands again and again, we could not believe everything looked normal. His pancreas looked prefect as well. My biggest post-surgery problem with him was trying to keep him in the recovery cage. So what could be causing the hair loss and the secretions? We are going to go to some antibacterial shampoos. I feel terrible for having put him through the surgery, but I also feel relieved that nothing was wrong inside. I am still wondering if I would have take T-2 in earlier if he would still be with me, so I think I did the right thing. Now if we can only figure out why my boys going bald. Odie also came through her teeth cleaning with flying colors. I think that was more tramatic than the surgery on BJ. I hate to see it but she's starting to get Pred-belly, but after 2 years what can I except. In less than 2 months she'll be 10 years old. Amy and her 3 fur snakes. 4. Spots Question Date sent: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 08:58:15 -0400 (EDT) From: "abc fgh" Both my ferrets have a spot on them with no hair and a what looks like a hole. They are healing, but I don't know what the spot is from. They are in different areas on each ferret. They only seem to have on bare spot. I was thinking maybe it was from a misquito. They sometimes are outside at night. My friend watched them for me while I was on vacation. They came back with these. I havent't said anything to her. I know that she was allergic to them and put them outside. She also has 18 collies. She breeds them. Can all those dogs bring other attraction of bugs that would bite ferrets? If anyone can help, Please tell me how to get rid of the spots. I haven't taken them to a vet because they seem healthy. Thanks for any advice, Mary ----------------------- End of FAIML #441 -------------------------