Bella the 5 year old female ferret wasn’t doing very well.  She was listless, and the hair on the back half of her body had been getting thinner for the last few weeks.  Mrs. Smith brought her to us obviously concerned that something was wrong, and after taking one look at her, I could see that she was right.  Bella was rather emaciated, and she definitely lacked the Tigger-like bounce that a healthy ferret should have.  It was at this point that I suspected that this cute little ferret had an adrenal gland problem.

Anyone who has ferrets usually knows that ferrets in the United States, being mostly inbred and spayed at a very early age (usually 6 weeks), have a good chance of developing one of three  diseases – lymphoma (a cancer of the lymphatic system), an insulinoma (an insulin-secreting tumor causing a ferret’s blood sugar to plummet), or an adrenal tumor.  Adrenal tumors in ferrets can be benign or malignant, cause weakness, hair loss and intense itching,  a swollen vulva in females or possible urinary obstruction in males, and potentially death as the tumor grows in size and affects other organs.

It can be removed surgically if it isn’t wrapped around the aorta, or it can also be controlled with a synthetic drug called Lupron (which inhibits the pituitary gland and thereby lowers estrogen levels) which is injected monthly (ouch!).  However, I have recently been using a new implant called Deslorelin that can last for up to 6 months, and the ferrets (and owners) that we have used it on are very happy.

So if your ferret isn’t feeling so perky or looking so fuzzy, give us a call!

Till next time,  Dr. Steve                      www.ashburnanimals.com 703-729-0700

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