From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Monday, September 25, 2000 10:24 PM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Cc: faiml@uswest.net Subject: FAIML #464; Sept. 25, 2000 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #464; Sept. 25, 2000 MODERATOR'S NOTE: Hi! I think I lost a post. If I recall it was an intro post. I"m very sorry. My list didn't save right and the messages dissappeared, most of which I was able to retrieve. If it was your post I hope you saved it and can send it back to me. Again, I'm sorry. Thank you. Lynn There are six messages in today's list: Jonesy is sleeping alot now questions about Lupron ferret longevity ferret longevity ferret hates pediapred Is someone looking for Noni juice? FERRET ADRENAL/INSULINOMA MAILING LIST (FAIML) is a list featuring support and information about adrenal and insulinoma diseases. It comes out in digest format three to six times per week, depending on the urgency and number of posts. It is the opinion, only, of subscribers, and is not intended as 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 exhibiting signs of illness please take him or her to the most ferret-experienced vet you can. A ferret-experienced vet is one of the most important services you can provide for 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 and FAIML ARCHIVES/PHOTOS: For more info, check out Michael Janke's adrenal/insulinoma web site: . Past FAIMLs are archived there, with a search feature, and there is a FAIML album featuring pictures of FAIML subscribers and their ferrets. FERRET CENTRAL WEBSITE and PAM GREENE's FERRET FAQs: Ferret Central Website is the grand intersection of ferret websites, at . You can also find the Ferret FAQs there, which include invaluable FAQs on insulinoma and adrenal diseases. I forward these two FAQs 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. 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. Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 11:46:02 -0500 From: "Sue Stout" Subject: Jonesy is sleeping alot now Jonesy was diagnosed with insulinoma in January. He has been on prednisone 0.5cc twice a day since then. His last blood sugar was 61.5, which for him was good.  He has been doing really good since then active and eating well. He eats Hills AD twice a day to supplement his food intake and because I enjoy "our private time" together. The past week, Jonesy has been sleeping more than usual. He wakes up easily when I pick him up. Today, he feels like he might be losing weight. He is content when he is out to just sit in my lap and be held and petted. He will be 5 years old the beginning of October. My vet really discourages surgery for him, so seems like medical treatment is what we will do. I trust his vet. His tail fur is thinning (now where else is though). My question is: does it sound like he is relapsing? With my work schedule and the fact that his vet has been on vacation and I trust no other vet, the first I can even think about getting to the vet will be this coming Thursday at 9:30am. Thursday seems a very long time away. Call me an overprotective ferret mom, but I really treasure my fuzzies. His brother Fiesty (from the same litter) is beginning to act less active also. Anyone ever heard if insulinoma is genetic? Thanks in advance for any advice or information. Sue, Jonesy and Fiesty Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 09:54:19 -0700 From: dagger4u@home.com Subject: questions about Lupron I have an older ferret that went through adrenal disease and surgery 1- 1/2 years ago. He was doing well, but now he's starting to lose hair again. I don't want to do another surgery on him, I suppose Lupron is my other option. Some questions come to mind: how do i get it? how many shots of Lupron do you have to get? how much does each shot cost and what is the time frame between each shot (if there is more than one) The funny thing is, my vet has never even mentioned this stuff. I'm worried I won't be able to do this treatment. any help would be appreciated. KIM and her furry band of six Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 12:04:14 -0600 (CST) From: "John Rosloot" Subject: ferret longevity Hi all. I posted a couple of months ago about my Cassie-girl passing away, but haven't posted a final update yet. It turns out Cassie had malignant cancer in her pancreas and right adrenal gland, despite showing only mild symptoms for these conditions. She'd been coughing on and off for a couple of months before this (we ruled out cardiomyopathy, and she didn't respond to antibiotics). She had what may have been a stroke on June 29th, but was recovering. On July 24th she had emergency surgery for an acute bowel problem (part of her bowel lost blood supply and had to be removed). She was awake and comfortable after surgery, but passed away quietly in her sleep the next morning. My vet suspects the cancer had spread to her lungs, causing the coughing, and that her lungs may have been shedding blood clots causing the stroke and bowel problem. Under the circumstances I believe it was a mercy that she passed away peacefully and was still in good health and good spirits till near the end. If she had survived the surgery she probably would have faced a painful decline from her cancer. Cassie would have been 8 years old on August 27th. I believe a few people have posted that their ferrets typically live 10 years or more. In 20 years of practice my vet has never seen a 10 year old ferret. I've only had 3 ferrets, so my experience is limited, but my first two didn't make 10, and at 6 years old Sammy probably won't reach 10 either, having been diagnosed with insulinoma 1.5 years ago (happily he's been in full remission, if that's the right term, since having a partial pancreatomy in April). So my question is, what are the people with long-lived ferrets doing right that I'm doing wrong? Is it diet? Environment? Genetics? I'd love to get more ferrets, but the last few years of worrying over various illnesses and the grief of losing them after too few years make it a hard choice. -- John Rosloot, Caregiver to Sammy With loving memories of my dear departed Buddy, and my precious little Cassie-angel http://www.cs.uregina.ca/~john/ferrets john@cs.uregina.ca Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 10:22:33 -0600 (CST) From: "John Rosloot" Subject: ferret longevity Hello. I posted yesterday about ferret longevity, but forgot to mention another point I was wondering about. Some people have posted about a fairly low incidence of adrenal disease and/or insulinoma in their ferrets. I've had three ferrets in the last 8.5 years, and *all* of them have had adrenal disease *and* insulinoma. Two had malignant cancer in their adrenal gland (Buddy in his left, Cassie in her right). Again, I wonder if it's something I'm doing wrong, something in their environment, their diet, heredity, or if I've just been unlucky. Someone suggested ferrets in Europe and Canada may be healthier and longer-lived than elsewhere. Being in Canada myself I can say that in my experience (and my vet's) that's not the case here. -- John Rosloot, Caregiver to Sammy With loving memories of my dear departed Buddy, and my precious little Cassie-angel http://www.cs.uregina.ca/~john/ferrets john@cs.uregina.ca Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 13:34:45 EDT From: EquineAmy@aol.com Subject: ferret hates pediapred This is just in response to a post about a ferret hating pediapred. When Winnie first started to get it, she hated it also - but we turned it into something fun. IMMEDIATELY after her med, she got a cookie = but she didn't get cookies (none of them did, until winnie got her meds). Then after about 3 weeks, she actually licked it out of the syringe. Now the only time I have a problem giving her her medicine is if she hasn't gotten her baby food before. I give her chicken baby food which she grew to love before I give her her meds. She also eats her TF regularly (all three of my guys are pigs about the food - especially when I spill some on the floor). So far this method has been wonderful for me. Don't give up - my guys are relativly picky and not only is the medicine okay, but the baby food is a favorite for all three of them. Don't give up - it probably will get a lot easier. Good luck, Amy, Winnie, Chloe and Connor Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 04:01:55 GMT From: "alice avina" Subject: Is someone looking for Noni juice? Dear Lynn, My sister sent me a copy of your newsletter,Asking if anyone has heard of noni helping ferrets with cancer. Yes, I have,for a ferret of a friend in Arkansas,the adrenal cancer,the cancer just seem to go away, he had been sleeping all time,had almost lost all his hair. She got a bottle from me and a bottle of extract.Then about 3 1/2 weeks later Katie called me,and said that Rascal, was jumping and rolling,and playing,and that his hair was starting to grow back. It's now been 4 months,and Rascal just got a clean bill of health!!! Now I contribute most of the healing,because of Katie's love and determation to help her little buddy. Now she says that she gave Rascal,a eyedropper full,3 times a day and a drop of the extract each time .... Then she feed him lots of water,even when he didn't want it. I don't know where she came up with this program,but it seems to have worked.....coupled with lots of love. I am my own sucess story,cancer,arthritis,aging skin,and many other thing,seem to have reversed themself after using it for 9 months now, I'll never, give it up!! I pain free too! Yours, Alice ----------------------- End of FAIML #464 -------------------------