hair loss/walking funny

Question
hi we recently purchased a 2 year old ferret from a guy who owns a in home animal rescue. When we met him the ferret had extreme hair loss on it's back and tail. the guy said it was because his girlfriend mad him keep the ferret in his garage and it was molting(i live in az and the temp yesterday was 110 degrees). When we got him home he would walk funny on his hind legs. He falls over and seems to be much older than the guy said he was. When we called the guy back to explain our concerns he said the ferret was just fat and it's normal,he also said he would buy the ferret back if needed. The ferret also only plays for short periods of time and can't climb stairs or into his hammock please help thanks

Answer
Hello Adam,

The hair loss pattern is VERY typical of adrenal disease, and the ferret is NOT normal if it is falling over and has fur loss! It is possible for a 2 year old to develop adrenal disease, but more than likely this ferret is at least several years older.  Unfortunately adrenal disease WILL require medical treatment (otherwise it is 100% fatal), although most ferrets live a relatively normal life once they have implants or surgery.

Adrenal Disease:  

Adrenal disease is caused by tumorous growths or hyperplasia on one or both adrenal glands, which lie above each kidney.  It causes an overabundance of hormone production, such as estrogen which is the major reason for the hair loss, swollen vulva (females) and possibly aggressive behavior.  Testosterone is also produced, which can lead to increased aggression in males. No one is certain what triggers adrenal disease, but some speculate that it is the overabundance of artificial light, early spay/neutering, diet, or genetics.   

Symptoms:

Whether the tumors are malignant or benign, the most common symptoms of adrenal disease include hair loss usually beginning at the end of their tail (though it can appear anywhere on your ferret) moving up towards their shoulders in a symmetrical fashion, muscle loss and/or a potbelly appearance, lethargy, an orange skin color and weight loss which can be dramatic. It is quite common for a ferret to loose all their fur, except for a few areas and their face. Females often develop an enlarged vulva (50%), and males experience an enlarged prostate often causing them to strain while urinating. Male ferrets can also return to intact male behavior including aggressiveness due to the increased levels of testosterone. There can also be a thinning of the pelt or brittle skin.  

Diagnosis:

Ultrasound is a great way to rule out adrenal disease without jumping directly to surgery, but if the tumor is too small ultrasound may not be diagnostic.  There is a blood test available, but the accuracy is about 50%.  Radiographs are unhelpful in the diagnosis.

The problem can occur on either the right or left adrenal gland (or both). In the overwhelming number of cases the problem is in the left gland only (80%). Eventually, both glands are commonly involved.

The left gland is much easier to work with because it is in a fat pad above the left kidney. The right gland is much more difficult to approach because it is under a lobe of the liver and is attached to the posterior vena cava, the main vein that returns blood from the back end of the body to the heart. In most surgeries we remove the diseased left gland, leaving the right gland alone. If the problem is in both glands we remove part of the right gland in addition to all of the left. Complete removal of both glands can cause serious complications. Sometimes removal of only one of the glands can cause a problem if the remaining gland can not make up for the loss.

Treatment:

Adrenal disease is 100% fatal IF untreated.  One method is surgery to remove the affected gland(s).  In a young ferret, this is an option, though recent research shows that Lupron implants work equally as well if not better.  In older ferrets, or those that cannot go through surgery, there are medications (Lysodren, Lupron, melotion injections, etc) that can help slow the progression of the disease and promote fur growth.  Medication will NOT stop the condition, but it will allow a longer more comfortable life.  Adrenal disease is VERY painful and if left untreated the ferret will die a terrible death.  If surgery is not an option, the ferret will require Lupron and/or melatonin injections for the remainder of its life.  

Complications with surgery:

Unfortunately, it is quite common after the removal of a gland to have the other gland become affected, and to a lesser degree to have them both affected at the same time. If both are affected together, the recommended protocol is to remove the gland that's worst first and then remove the other one 1-2 months later to avoid Addison's crash.

When both glands are removed, the ferrets body stops producing the needed hormones at once, which can send the ferret into shock, Addison's Disease and possibly death. It is very possible that some ectopic tissue remains from surgery, producing enough natural hormones on their own without drug intervention. The only way to know for sure is through frequent Chem Panels to monitor the levels. Your ferret will most likely need to be given Florinef (pill) daily for life or an injection of Percortin monthly for life. Blood tests are vital at the beginning to establish the correct drug dosage, and should continue quarterly thereafter to ensure all is well. A majority of the vets prefer the Florinef for the easier flexibility in dose changes and less visits for you to the office.

When both glands are removed, it is very common to immediately administer the Florinef or Percortin to avoid Addison's shock due to the immediate loss of needed hormones not being produced. Constant and continual monitoring by blood tests are vital to the health, survival and well-being of your ferret.

Prognosis:

Most ferrets that have this surgery/implants regain hair growth and do well for years. Even though most adrenal tumors are benign, recurrence can occur. a tumor can reappear in the adrenal gland that remains after surgery, and symptoms can relapse.  Injection therapy (Lupron) instead of surgery will only mask the symptoms and not stop the progression of the disease, though ferrets tend to live years with this treatment as well.  

I hope this answer helps.  I'm not sure I would feel comfortable giving the ferret back to that shelter owner since he knows nothing about ferrets and the poor thing would likely go without treatment and possibly die from a relatively easily managed disease.  I would have your ferret checked out by you vet and decide what to do from there.  

If you have any other questions do not hesitate to ask.

-Cindy P.