What is adrenal disease? Can it be managed holistically? Learn more about this common ferret disease and how to manage it's symptoms. Adrenal disease in a nutshell
First, you have the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is responsible of sending signals to the pituitary gland, which then sends more signals to the adrenal glands and gonads (testicles or ovaries). The signals tell them to produce testosterone and estrogen, along with some other hormones. When a ferret is altered (spayed or neutered) there will be less sex hormone production. They now only have their adrenal glands to manage the production, forcing them to produce enough testosterone and estrogen for themselves and the missing gonads. Eventually, it develops into a benign cancer, then to a malignant one. We don't exactly know what causes the disease, but it's heavily suggested early altering of kits may be a cause or extreme artificial light patterns where the ferrets are being housed. Because most U.S. ferrets are altered too early and mass produced in a laboratory (learn more here) the chances of them developing adrenal disease is quite high. Common symptoms of adrenal disease Normally, symptoms will appear between 4-6 years of age, but many have recorded signs in much younger ferrets. Important note: some ferrets may be asymptomatic, or show only some signs. 1. Hair loss is the most common tell tale sign of adrenal disease. It generally begins at the base of the tail, and works its way up the ferret. They may eventually be left with no hair at all (not to be confused with rat tail!). 2. Behavioral changes like mounting, aggression, excessive biting, grooming or licking. 3. Swollen sex organs for females, the vulva may swell in preparation for mating season even when altered. This can lead to infection or aplastic anemia if you're not careful. For males, the swollen prostate may lead to difficult urination, and even a complete blockage. If you notice your ferret's parts are red and swollen, they need vet care immediately. Other more minor symptoms may appear like dry skin, weight loss or changes in activity. Keep in mind though these minor symptoms can be shared with many other diseases, and even just the change in seasons. Veterinarian diagnosis Some vets will elect to do a blood test to determine if the disease is present, but many claim it's not super accurate at detecting it. Instead, they medicate and treat regardless. Some even treat if no symptoms are present, based simply on the assumption the ferret has it due to poor breeding and early altering. If the gland is very large, your vet may be able to feel it. Please do not do exploratory surgery to confirm if tumors are present, this is putting your ferrets under anesthesia unnecessarily. If symptoms are present, treat them anyway. Treating adrenal medically There are a few options you can choose for adrenal disease treatment for ferrets. 1. Hormonal implant. The best options are Deslorelin/Suprelorelin but you also have the Lupron. The Lupron is a monthly injection, and can be costly. Some Lupron injections cover 2 to 4 months. The Deslorelin is also pricey, but more cost effective in the long run and only needs to be given annually or biannually depending on your vet's recommendation. The Deslorelin in particular has been known to help shrink or remove tumors if any are present, so it's the most popular choice in adrenal disease treatment. There are no known adverse side effects that I could find with the DES implant. 2. Hormonal implant paired with daily oral melatonin. In order for this to be effective, it must be given at the same time every day. Generally 7-8 hours after sunrise. The recommended dosage is 1.0mg/kg daily. You can instead choose to do the melatonin implant, Ferretonin. This is more effective as you don't have to remember to administer the oral med every day at the same time, but the pricier option. Response to melatonin can take many months. 3. Surgery. I saved this one for last since it's my least favorite way of treating the disease. Of the two glands, only the left can be removed with minimal risk. The right gland is very close to the vena cava and can be extremely dangerous to remove. This is the most expensive treatment, and if only the left gland is affected and removed, the disease will spread to the remaining gland. Additionally, anesthesia is a risky procedure for older ferrets, or those with compromised health. (ref) Treating adrenal holistically I support the use of a hormonal implant in conjunction with dietary adjustments. This is all theory, but when we look at adrenal disease in humans, we can alter what works and utilize that knowledge for ferrets. Hey, if it's healthy and has no side effects why not try? Feed a balanced raw diet. Yep, you got it! There's anecdotal evidence that suggests adrenal disease can actually be managed via diet. When we observe the disease in humans, the adrenal and thyroid glands can't function properly when deficient in these minerals: - Magnesium. Found in sufficient amounts in fish and shellfish. - Iron. Red meats, poultry, eggs and shellfish. - Zinc. Beef, poultry, oysters. - Selenium. Fish, shellfish, any animal meat. - Iodine. Fish, shellfish, whole prey, kelp. And these vitamins: - B vitamins. Found in sufficient amounts in organ meats, eggs, and spirulina. - Vitamin C. Organ meats. - Omega fatty acids. Fish, shellfish, raw brain, eggs. - Vitamin A. Organ meats, eggs, fish. With this knowledge, we know that when a balanced raw diet is fed, they should be receiving these vitamins and minerals naturally. However, when not feeding fish and shellfish, their magnesium, iodine, and fatty acid levels may be lower. I feed fish 1-2 times a week in their organ soups. Remember this: food is medicine! As always, if you have any questions or concerns about adrenal disease bring them up to your trusted veterinarian.
1 Comment
James Sawford
6/9/2020 10:57:01 am
Great article as always. I'm don't know if you saw but there is also a possible vaccine for prevention and treatment of ACD. You can find the paper on it here:https://digitalcommons.unl.edu › ...PDF
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