From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Saturday, October 16, 1999 10:12 AM To: mjanke@miamiferret.org Subject: (Fwd) Adrenal List #19 Forwarded message: From: Self To: @SENDLIST.PML,@SENDLIST.PML Subject: Adrenal List #19 Reply-to: Lynn McIntosh Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 19:34:05 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 23:05:38 -0700 (PDT) From: Lynn Mcintosh To: Adrenal Group -- Amy Cada , Barbara Gustafson , barbg@oanet.com, beek@feist.com, Beth , "Brian L. Schmidt" , dadams@dzn.com, Dave and Pam Taynor , Deana Beek , Deb214@aol.com, Dixie Carter , Ellen Jensen , Ferretlesa@aol.com, ferreton@pond.com, ferretwise@top.monad.net, Gabby , Gary Holowicki , Helen Andersson , Jan3GDFA@aol.com, Jennifer Skeem , Jennifer_Morlanne@email.fpl.com, Joanne Gelormino , "Karen Purcell, DVM" , Lee McKee , Lorraine Tremblay , lotaweasel , "Michael F. Janke" , Pam Franklin , Pam Franklin , Patricia Curtis , Rick Beveridge , ROCHELLE@art.fss.buffalo.edu, Ster2872@aol.com, TMccabe453@aol.com, Troy Lynn Eckart , Tryntje Miller Subject: Adrenal List #19 Adrenal List #19, dated June 9, 1997 1. Zowie is at the RB 2. Tippie - Surgery Fails Again 3. To Rochelle in regard to Shadow 4. Thyroids 5. Thyroid Post 1.---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 08 Jun 1997 12:44:22 -0500 (CDT) From: Amy Cada Subject: Zowie is at the RB I had meant to post this to the list earlier, but have not found the time. I find the list very helpful, informative and supportive. As for specifics. Two my ferrets, one male and one female, had adrenal surgery last September. Zowie's biopsies came back cancerous. Due to her age (5.5 years) we opted not to try chemotherapy, especially since she was showing insulinomic symptoms, but no visible tumors on her pancreas. This is combined with a mystery virus that she came down with last July which was never cultured out in any recognizable form--multiple stool and blood cultures showed nothing, neither did endoscopy, other than an ulcer that was treated and cured. So, we've had our ups and downs. Since last summer, she has been supplemented with duck soup at least twice a day, often sub-qd with lactated ringer's to keep her fluids up, but her spirits were always good. For the past several weeks she had several insulinomic attacks, despite the fact that she was on pred (1 mg) twice a day, supplemented duck soup, AND was eating dry. It got to the point where the attacks were uncorrelated with her food intake, activity, time of day. So, at almost 6.5 years old, we let her go. I can honestly say, it's one of the best decisions (and, I think, most responsible) I have ever made in my life because I was dreading having her go on her own, which have been devastating for both of us to have parted separately, as well as the possiblity of discomfort on her part. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amy M.E. Cada amycada@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu Behavioral Neuroscience, UT Austin Asta- 2/3 NA agility, tennis ball, flyball, and bath addict scottie; Wylie-court jester wire fox; Gryphon, toothbrush loving scottie Their 3 geriatric ferret friends, and Zowie ferret @ the RB ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 13:22:53 -0600 From: Barbara Gustafson Subject: Tippie - Surgery fails again Well Tippie has just undergone her third surgery for adrenal, and once again as in the last operation nothing was found. She had her first surgery at age one, after complete hair loss on her tail. Her left adrenal gland was removed and the test results showed it was a benign tumor. The hair never did grow back. Eight months later she started scratching excessively and her hair started thinning on her body. At first I suspected allergies or a skin problem. I've changed her food, her litter brand, laundry soap, everything that could possibly be causing the scratching but to no avail. The doctor says she doesn't have any kind of skin problem, flea bites or otherwise, so we both concluded it must be adrenal. She underwent her second surgery at age two. The right adrenal was fine. My vet suggested there could be a problem with her thyroid so prescribed a sixteen week treatment on Synthroid. Nothing helped. After reading all the information I could get my hands on about adrenal, as well as joining the Adrenal Group List I felt that possibly the left adrenal may have grown back or that the tumor may have been too small to locate at the time of her last surgery so I decided to put her through the operation once again. On Friday, June 6, Tippie had her third exploratory. And once again the vet found nothing. He examined every organ. Her pancreas and kidney looked good. He couldn't find any regrowth of the left adrenal nor anything wrong with the right. The vet has suggested that the tumor could be located in an area like the lungs or brain. Personally I don't think so because other than the hair loss and scratching she is very very active. She eats well and is curious and lively as all get out. I started all my ferrets on Timmy's recipe just over a month ago. I still have hope that the recipe will help her. I don't know what to do next. She is slowly going bald. If its not adrenal what else could it be? Can a ferret have adrenal disease yet not have tumors on the glands? If yes what do you do for treatment. My vet has suggested putting her on Lysodren, but if he can't find a tumor would this do more harm then good? It was suggested on the adrenal list that her right gland might not be compensating for the lose of the left. Has anyone heard of this? What would be the treatment if this was so? My vet also mentioned another drug similar to Lysodren, which he felt might not be as hard on her. Its called Diprenyl, has anyone every heard of this drug? I need advice badly here. I've decided not to put Tippie through surgery again, but I'm not ready to give up on her. There must be something I can do. I can live with a hairless ferret, in fact she looks kinda cute, but if there is anything that I can do to help her I will. I'm posting this to both the FML and Adrenal List, hoping that some veterinarians out there might see it and be able to offer me advice. If anyone has any suggestions please contact me. 3. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 8 Jun 1997 22:17:01 -0400 (EDT) From: Ster2872@aol.com Subject: To Rochelle in regard to Shadow Hi Rochelle, I have been doing a lot of research on insolinoma and adrenal disease. ( I like to know what I am in for). I think you are right in your decision to avoid surgery. With insolinoma diagnosed for that long the adrenal is not likely to catch up with your baby before the other. I am not a vet but I have been looking at alot of case history and Adrenal disease doesnt progress as quickly as I once thought it did. With Lydia on Lysodren I had a good eighteen months after she started have adrenal problems again. This second problem was not operable in our case. When she did become ill it was sudden and she died within three days of becoming ill. Dr. Baynes told me that what happens is the bone marrow stops working due to the chemical imbalance and their little systems just shut down. My point was during these three days she did not seem uncomfortable except in the last five minutes before she died. It was much more peaceful than surgery and being away from home etc. A LITTLE SIDE NOTE HERE ( Also for anyone who would like I will be more than happy to let you look at her vet records. ) You might also want to try Timmys super recipe for the holistic treatment of cancer in ferrets. It couldnt hurt and it sounds like you are running out of options. Gary gave that to me and if you dont have it let me know. (Thanks Gary) Sterling 4. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sun, 08 Jun 1997 20:04:46 -0700 From: Gary Holowicki Subject: Re: thyroids In a previous post... ... My mom had an overactive thyroid, & they wanted her to take the radioactive "cocktail".. she was strongly against it, & they then gave her a pill that was a counter to the thyroid, so there is something that does exist as a "anti-thyroid" chemical. She took it for years with no apparent ill effect. I'd think a good pharmacist would know what it was, but finding a vet to set a dose might take more searching.. Best wishes, Gary & the gang of fur -> Thru joining, their grief has been transmuted to joy, loneliness to celebration... ..Data, in "The Tin Man" episode, STNG. Info on Timmy's healing & holistic healing= http://www.concentric.net/~Gferret/ 5. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 21:25:57 -0400 From: "Michael F. Janke" Subject: thyroid post > From: Rochelle Newman > Subject: thyroids, and right adrenal tumors > > >One of the ferrets in our shelter (Sammy) has hypothryroidism. > >There is a test for this condition, I think it's called something like > >"T-6" and there is also medication that can control it. Correction, it was a "T-4" thyroid test. > I'm guessing Sammy is on something like synthroid?) He's on Soloxine. I really don't know much more that those two facts. Sammy seems to be doing quite well on his medication. Totally unrelated, but he originally came to the shelter after being attacked by 5 dogs and had a punctured lung and assorted other injuries. He's just the cutest ferret I've ever seen! Kinda roly poly. :) Mike ---------------------------End of Adrenal List #19-----------------------