From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2001 3:03 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Subject: FAIML #496; Jan. 5, 2001 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #496; Jan. 5, 2001 There are six messages in today's list: questions on adrenal/insulinoma surgery Bandit Udder Cream on excoriated back and shoulders? Xan is gone/Need help for Buddy (long) Bodhi My heart goes out to Michele & Debbie 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 find. 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 and send to . Remember: the more specific you can be in your subject heading the greater the chance someone will be able to find your important info when searching the archives. 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 get it; then I'll 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 Michael is kindly posting pictures of FAIML subscribers and their ferrets in a FAIML Album. 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 new subscribers the "Disease Package", a file that tells how to get all six of Pamela Greene's FAQs on ferret diseases. Pam has also compiled 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. Plus, it comes out daily. I encourage people to cross post on the FML and FAIML to get the most possible exposure and feedback. Visit FERRET CENTRAL website (you can find its address in the 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: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 20:31:23 -0500 From: "Felty" Subject: questions on adrenal/insulinoma surgery Hello, I have a 6-7 year old female ferret with an enlarged vulva and hair loss, She also itches some and today she scratched her mouth violently till it bled.My vet diaganosed adrenal/ insulinoma today.She goes in for surgery tuesday, tonight she didnt eat and drools some.What can I expect after surgery? Is the right thing to do with her age? What causes the mouth problem?Any info thanks. Christy. Date sent: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 15:34:05 EST From: REPOSTACY@aol.com Subject: Bandit My ferret was diagnosed with Adrenal disease back in August and we went ahead and had surgery. When the doctor performed the surgery he also notice that Bandit had Insulinoma and removed some of the tumors. Bandit is an older ferret we estimate around 6 or 7 years old. Since August he had gained back almost all of his weight and I haven't had to feed him baby food for months. He is eating all on his own and lots and lots of food!!! He was quite thin before and immediately after the surgery. I have two questions, one I have not given him any medication (for insulinoma) since he has not shown ANY signs of it at all. I was wondering if this is a bad thing and he should be on them, but if he isnt showing any signs I was thinking if he was taking the medicine and then the signs showed up, he might have grown a tolerance for the meds and they would not be effective. Also he has started grown little patched of hair all over his body. He has never had a Lupron shot? Is this normal for them to get there hair back after adrenal surgery. I would ask my vet who did the surgery, but we parted on bad terms. My new vet isnt that knowledgeable on ferrets so I thought I would ask the experts for there opinions. Thanks for all you help. Stacy and the crew, Bandit, Peaches, Nevada, Tazzi and Marshmallow. Date sent: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 23:34:54 -0600 From: Anonymous Subject: Udder Cream on excoriated back and shoulders? My poor little insulinomic boy is now also adrenal. He is balding quickly. My question is this: I have been using Udder Cream on his back and shoulders where he has scratched himself raw. It seems to aleviate his itching for at least an hour and he is playful with the itch gone. Is it dangerous to use Udder Cream? No one seems to be licking it. Thanks in advance Date sent: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 09:58:20 -0600 (CST) From: "Buetow" Subject: Xan is gone/Need help for Buddy (long) Hi everybody, I haven't posted for a while, but I have been keeping up with all of you, saying prayers and shedding tears along with you. In November, right before Thanksgiving, Xan died. Tuesday night she suddenly began to vomit excessively. Wednesday I took her in to the vet and she went for emergency surgery. She had a massive tumor where her right adrenal was and it had blocked her digestive system. My regular vet was not in, so I had to see a different vet and trust the surgery to him. She made it through surgery and vena cava ligation, but never breathed on her own after surgery. So I missed being with another one of my beloved ones at death, because I was at work, since we had 1/3 of our department on vacation. I wish I would have stayed with her or at least left work early to be with her. I've been having a real hard time with this one. Xan was supposed to move with me--I was worried about finding a ferret-safe place for her to play in. I had just ordered food and some new toys from the Ferret Store and Xan hardly had a chance to play with the toys. When I go to draw meds, I still want to draw some for her. I knew I should have pushed harder for surgery when we found that mass last December. What I don't understand is that at our last check-up, our regular vet thought the mass was shrinking. I just don't get it. Goodbye [to you], my little one. You gave me love and helped me find the sun. And every time that I was down, you would always come around and get my feet back on the ground. --from "Seasons in the Sun" I will see you in the light of a thousand suns. I will hear you in the sound of the waves. I will know you when I come, as we all must come, Through the doors beyond the grave. --from "Sand and Water" If I could hold you one more time, Like in the days when you were mine. I'd look at you 'til I was blind. So you would stay. I'd say a prayer each time you'd smile. Cradle the moments like a child. I'd stop the world if only I Could hold you one more time. --from "One More Time" Like a rainbow Fading in the twinkling of an eye Gone too soon ... Like the loss of sunlight On a cloudy afternoon Gone too soon ... Like a sunset Dying with the rising of the moon Gone too soon Gone too soon --from "Gone Too Soon" So now Buddy is my only ray of sunshine left and I am so thankful that she is still with me. She even survived a week without me while I was on vacation. (Actually, I think she had a better vacation than I did.) But now she is failing. She has lost weight and is not eating as much as she was. She has diarrhea and Kaopectate does not seem to help. In November, her liver enzymes were quite elevated, although at her last test, those numbers had come down. (Her vet and I think it's possible that her insulinoma has spread to the liver.) In any case, I don't consider her a good surgical candidate (she bled rather profusely just from the blood test). She grinds her teeth after eating and after I wash her. But the thing I need help with is that she has now developed diaper rash (urine burn) right beneath her rectum, on her tail, and on both legs. I tried Desitin, but she was licking at it so much I had to stop. Right now I'm trying Bag Balm. Part of the problem is that I can't get home during the day to bathe her. But if anybody has any suggestions about any of this, I would welcome the help. I know her time is limited and I would like to keep her as comfortable as possible until she decides it's her time to go. Chris and Buddy Missing Pippy, AD, and now Xan, too, with all our hearts buetowc@sls.lib.il.us Date sent: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 17:22:08 -0500 From: "barbara m. bolas" Subject: Bodhi Hello, Here's wishing a happy, Healthy New Year to all. I haven't written in a very long time. On August 19th 2000, my little Bodhi (5.5 years old) gave up his fight against lymphoma (his insulimoma was "under control"). He survived just one day after surgery to remove a lump from his chest. I have been inconsolable. He'd long before ceased to be his charming playful self, but his love and our deep connection was strong to the very last moment. I have been too scared to consider another ferret even tho' having one of these amazing fuzz-balls has ruined me for any other type of pet. Nevertheless, loneliness and longing have recently begun to overshadow my fear. Last Friday I went to a very reputable Pet Store on Long Island, NY and had a delightful afternoon playing with a number of baby ferrets. I'm still not completely ready to face the very real possibility of more illness in a new ferret. I discussed my concerns with the Pet Store owner. He didn't get very "worked up" about the health issues most ferrets seem to have (he kind of poo-poo'ed me); he also didn't think I should worry that most of his ferrets came from Marshall Farms (then he actually gave me "a little lesson" in distemper/rabies research!). He had one 6 month old Angora from Denmark. What a gorgeous ferret! He told me these "imports" don't get sick (no tumors) the way US ferts seem to. I'd be glad to pay the extra money for transporting 1 or 2 here to NY than to pay astronomical vet bills in the future. I know there are no guarantee. . . . however. . . . Is this true??? Do European ferrets have better health than their US counterparts? Any words of wisdom for someone who doesn't want fear to win. Thanks so much. Say a prayer for The Bodacious One who's now romping around happily with all the other little ferts who've been released from illness. And one for me too please . . . Barbara Date sent: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 14:37:53 -0700 From: "Dawn Guy" Subject: My heart goes out to Michele & Debbie I'm so sorry to here about Fatbert's crossing over the bridge. Also Sid, Debbie's little fuzzy... I just want to let you both know your not alone and my prayers are with you. Just try to remember the good times. I know the Lord will give you strength during these hard times. Sincerely, Dawn & Meiko and Boomer. ---------------------- End of FAIML #496 ------------------------