Adrenal Gland Disease

Question
I have two ferrets one, Kiki who is 7.5 yrs of age and the other Candy Cane who is 7 yrs of age.  Kiki who is the most sick of all is (6 mths now).  She started to swell up a year ago and I took her to see her vet and they told me it was hormonal so we ran a panel and then started her on hormonal injections thinking that it was due to half an ovary left when she was spade.  This is not work and was told she was not in pain and therefore did not have to continue the injections if that is what I wished to do.  months passed and she started to loose her hair and getting more and more swollen more frequently.  She is completely bald now, lost allot of weight (can see the bone structure) and she seems to have trouble using her hind legs now.  I was doing some research online a couple of months ago and came across the description of "adrenal gland disease." I belive this is what both of my ferrets have but have yet to be diagnosed.  They eat and drink normally but sleep allot.  Kiki scratches herself allot and Candy Cane is constantly cleaning Kiki and vice versa.  They are still quite playful with each other but sleep the majority of the day and night. I am fearful to come home and discover they have passed.  I can no longer continue to watch them deteriorate. I have tried to keep Kiki as comfortable as possible but now that Candy Cane seems to be going in the same direction with this disease I want to ensure I do what I can for them both to prolong their lives.  Luckily Candy Cane still has all her hair with the exception of her tail she seems to be loosing it more and more daily.  No tumor visible on her but Kiki's tumor, being she has no hair is very much so visible on the top of her little head.  it has not gotten any bigger or smaller than it first showed its self but worry she is in pain ...Please help.  If Ferretonin  is going to help, i would like to know the cost of such....Thank you.

Answer
Dear Precioustj:

I'm so sorry to hear that both of your ferrets are so sick.  Yes, it sounds like they both have adrenal disease. It is unfortunate that apparently you don't have a ferret-savvy vet because this should have been diagnosed and taken care of a long time ago and they should have not suffered so long. The ONLY thing that will help or cure adrenal gland disease is to simply remove the gland. They live quite well without the gland. The adrenal glands are just above the kidneys in about the middle of the ferrets body. Unfortunately, if the disease is allowed to go on for a long time, it increases the chances of turning into malignant cancer and moving to other places in the body. The baldness is a sure-fire diagnostic tool for adrenal gland disease. Any ferret vet will do surgery on just that symptom.

Surgery costs range from $200-$1,000 so be sure to call around and ask to compare prices. Also, there are TWO adrenal glands and it will depend if one or both glands are involved; of course it is more expensive if both glands are involved. For comparison sake, when you call, ask for the "approximate cost of a one-sided adrenalectomy with no complications". This will help you find the vet who is likely to cost the least. Also, be sure to ask how many adrenal surgeries the vet does a month (hopefully 2 to 5 would be a good number for a well experienced vet, but you may have to settle for less). Since both your kids need surgery, hopefully the vet will either make you a special deal OR let you make payments so both kids can get done right away. Don't be afraid to ask for such help. Your kids lives are at stake here. Surgery is the ONLY thing that will save their lives.

The only other thing you might want to consider - and this may sound cruel, but I will be very frank with you - your kids have lived to be the average lifespan of a ferret at this point. Six to eight years is about the average lifespan of a ferret.....so, if you prefer, you can just monitor them and treat them for the dry skin symptoms so the itching doesn't drive them crazy (get a good safe-to-lick cream from the vet for their dry skin or ask what they recommend). I used to give my little guy full body rubs with baby oil several times a day and he LOVED it! Keep extra soft blankies in the cage for them to snuggle into since they don't have any fur to keep them warm. Remember their body temperature is around 103 degrees, so keep them plenty warm *nnot overheated, that too is dangerous).  Allowing them to die a natural death is not the worst thing in the world. Given their age, as long as you keep them comfortable, they should just pass away in their sleep.  If you see them getting uncomfortable, you can certainly take them in and have them put to sleep - keep a close eye on them and let thejust live out their lives together getting warm old rubs daily and having nice soft blankies - shux, I know people who don't have it that nice. They know they are loved and that's important.   If you can't deal with it, certainly you can have them put to sleep though - the choice is yours and you don't have to make it right this minute.
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IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL NOTE: One other thing you may want to try is LUPRON. This does nothing to shrink the tumors, however it DOES relieve the symptoms 100% within days of receiving the injection. My Gilbert, who is also 7-1/2, gets a 2mg depot injection every four months to maintain his comfort level (it varies with the ferret and the severity of adrenal disease). It's not cheap, but it works. Here's where you can call for the price, but you do have to have a vet's Rx to order it and your vet will need to give the injection because it MUST go into a muscle (hip) and it is a very painful injection to give: 1-800-832-9285 Professional Arts Pharmacy.
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Best of luck to you. Don't hesitate to write if I can be of help. My thougghts and prayers will be with you and with your little ones. God bless......

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers