From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2000 12:22 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Cc: faiml@uswest.net Subject: FAIML #475; Oct. 24, 2000 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #475; Oct. 24, 2000 There are five messages in today's list: Insulinoma questions Odie crosses the bridge Rat Tail How long does Lupron take Itchy Ferret 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 sent: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 20:25:44 EDT From: JHerge9760@aol.com Subject: Insulinoma questions Hello all. I have not posted in a while but I have been reading. My thoughts are with Buffy and her owners. I have a few problems of my own. My Keegan who is 5 this month has Insulinoma. She had the surgery in March. My vet, who is considered an expert in our area, told me you can usually get about a year out of a ferret after the surgery. Her blood sugar has been steady in the high 80's. Her last check on 10/16 was 89.4. I took her in for shots on 10/19. I told the vet that day that she has been licking her chops for a couple of days. I think thats what she is doing. The vet told me not to do anything and see if it goes away in a couple of weeks. Does anyone know what this means. She also threw up Sunday morning - what looked like food? I am very nervous. How do I know when she is slowing down? She has been through soooooo much I just can't think of it being her time right now. Even though realistically I know it's close. I also have a question regarding how much time to spend with my 4 fuzzies. I am full time student teaching, working a full time job, I have 3 additional classes, and managing my household pretty much by myself. I only get about 1 hour to spend with them each day. I feel horrible but for the next year that's what it will be like. Do ferrets notice this kind of stuff? Are they effected by it? I am in need of some very serious advice. Thank you for listening. Sincerely, Stephanie (the human), Keegan, Kayla, Maya, and Max (the 4 fabulous fuzzies) Date sent: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 10:19:48 -0300 From: "Amy Claire Dempsey" Subject: Odie crosses the bridge Last week with a heavy heart I made a decision that I knew one day I would have to make. My little Odie, my little girl, the one who made me fall in love with ferrets, was helped across the bridge. Odie was 10 years, and 1 month old. She had been diagnosed with insulinoma about 2 years ago and had been on first pred and then proglycem and pred. She did extremely well until about 2 months ago and began to go down hill. Then week before last she really started to slide and I knew it was time. She never flinched when the doctor gave her the shot, she yawned 3 times, then curled up on to her back and put her head in my hand. I knew I had done the right thing. She is now playing happily with her brothers and sisters at the bridge. Odie and her sister Milo had traveled all over with me, she had seen the Statute of Liberty (I held her out the window to make sure she saw it), went skiing with me in Colorado (loved tunneling in snow), drove from Texas to Miami, and then lived through hurricane after hurricane with me in St. Croix. She was the smallest grown ferret I have ever seen, she only weighed over 1 lb. for a few months when she was really chubby. Odie was always the alpha ferret. You would find her dragging the much larger boys around. She was also the smartest. I could tell her to pick up her toys and she would start moving them around, what I never understood is she would get everyone else to help as well (of course she only re-located them, only sometimes did she take them back to the ferret room). She also knew her name as well as all the other ferrets' names. I could ask her where's Little Bear and she would take me to her. This tiny sable ferrets favorite toy was a black and white spotted ball. We went through dozens in her 10 years. As time passed and I slowly lost my babies to cancer and diseases, I started to believe that Odie was determined to outlive every one. That she was determined to remain alpha ferret. She will always be the alpha ferret of my heart. She will always be missed - but I know that she's happy to see her brothers and sister who have gone before here to the rainbow bridge; Milo, Little Bear, Tips, Teddy, Bubba, Shivers, Roxy, Trouble, Tyrone, Nippers, Snaps, Cowboy, Little Boots, JJ, and T-2. She's missed badly by her family here.. Amy and her 2 fur snakes - Jack and BJ (Whiteness) Date sent: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 15:54:46 -0400 From: "Gayle Ritzert" Subject: Rat Tail  My vet who is knowledgeable about ferrets said that thinning hair on tails with "blackheads" is a seasonal change and not adrenal disease. The blackheads are really new hairs ready to grown,  He also said that in the US, 90% of ferrets die from adrenal disease and/or insulinoma. I asked about breeding programs to try to reduce this deadly duo and he said that American ferrets are descendants of the 12 original pairs that were introduced to the US. Has anyone else heard this.  My Farley now has insulinoma in addition to his adrenal disease. He had adrenal surgery in the spring and has had four monthly shots of Lupron with no improvement. The only reason he has stopped being aggressive to his cage mate is because of the low blood sugar! He has been on Prednisone for one week and has an appointment tomorrow to recheck his blood sugar. I am going to ask about surgery for both the remaining adrenal gland and insulinoma. Gayle Date sent: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 21:01:55 -0400 From: "Michael F. Janke" Subject: How long does Lupron take > From: "Eileen Ledbetter" Itchy ferret she is very > kissy.. She had her first lupron shot about two weeks ago and I have my > fingers crossed that she will grow some fur back - so my first question is - > is four weeks about the average time when I should begin to see some results? > If after four weeks I don't see anything, should I assume the lupron was a > failure or should I stick with it and try another shot in 4 months? My first question would be, how much Lupron? I used 100mcg of the one- month version on mine and got variable results. Spaz got his first 100mcg of the one-month Lupron and within three weeks was growing his hair back. Beasley got the same dosage for four months in a row and it had no effect. But, Beasley weighs about a pound and a half more than Spaz, and once we increased Beasley's dosage to 200mcg, he started growing his hair back within a month. For the ferrets, Mike * Michael F. Janke, mjanke@miamiferret.org * South Florida Ferret Help Line, 305-752-7040 * * Website: http://www.miamiferret.org * Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc Date sent: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 11:49:45 EDT From: Kgsalimy@aol.com Subject: Itchy Ferret <<. She had her first lupron shot about two weeks ago and I have my fingers crossed that she will grow some fur back - so my first question is - is four weeks about the average time when I should begin to see some results? If after four weeks I don't see anything, should I assume the lupron was a failure or should I stick with it and try another shot in 4 months? Also, Abby seems quite itchy right now - but that started before the lupron. What can I do to make her feel better? Bathing with anything special? A soothing powder? Recommendations will be greatly appreciated. >> Hi Eileen, I don't know if four weeks is the average, but it was exactly four weeks to the day after JoJo's first Lupron injection that I first noticed new hair growth under his skin (looked like bruising on his belly). Once it appeared, the hair then grew in quite rapidly, his aggression disappeared, and his energy level increased. Two weeks later (six weeks after the injection), a lump appeared between his shoulders (that's expected, don't worry if it happens to Abby). After another two or three weeks, the lump disappeared. JoJo is back to his old dancing, dooking self ... you would never know to look at him that he has adrenal disease. The dry, itchy skin is caused by the adrenal disease itself, not the Lupron. There are several commercial skin preparations that will help relieve Abby's itchiness temporarily. I used a spray on skin and coat conditioner made by Professional Pet Products called "Ferret Fresh" which helped to relieve JoJo's constant scratching, a friend used one made by Marshall's with equally good results. Neither of us noticed any yucky buildup, something you might get with a powder. Once the Lupron starts working, the itchiness should disappear and the conditioner will no longer be necessary. Good luck with Abby. Kathy <>< Mom to Sparkle, Flash, JoJo, Sunny, Fox, Valentine, Bouncer, Cosmo, Grace, Simon and Chance (always remembering Skitty and Scat, the first silly weasels to steal my heart). See them all at: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=1251123 ----------------------- End of FAIML #475 ------------------------