older ferret

Treating Adrenal Disease in Ferrets

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There are many alternatives for treating adrenal disease in ferrets. Most will agree that operation is the greatest choice; yet, the operation isn’t possible in all instances. The ferret could possibly be a high surgical or anesthetic risk, or the owner just might not possess the funds. Luckily, there are many non-surgical alternatives and this post will discuss one of these choices – the usage of melatonin for both the treatment of adrenal disorder as well as the likelihood of utilizing it as a preventative measure.

Lupron Depot is another choice, and while it works fantastically (in this writer’s experience) it might be cost prohibitive in case your veterinarian will not use Lupron often and can distribute the cost over many customers. Using Lupron Depot is discussed in detail in a number of areas on this particular website. Conversely, light inhibits the release of melatonin. Based on Dr. Jerry Murray, “Melatonin, directly and indirectly, activates the mating season (spring/summer) during the ‘long day’ intervals, and it terminates the mating season (autumn/winter) during the ‘short day’ intervals. In the autumn/winter there’s release in the spring/summer, and more melatonin is discharged during the dark time. Along with the mating season, the increased melatonin causes the winter pelt to enter as well as the winter weight gain. Similarly, the low amounts cause the summer pelt to enter as well as the summer weight loss.” It is not unlikely that the unusual lighting to could be at least partly accountable for the high prevalence of the adrenal disorder.

Their in-house surroundings are light during daytime hours and we add many hours of artificial light in addition to that during the evening hours. Just how can melatonin fight the effects of adrenal disorder? Vulva swelling in females, hair loss, prostate swelling in men, and aggressive or sexual behavior; more or any one of these symptoms might show up. The consequences can oftentimes be spectacular if this continuous stimulus may be discontinued. Hair grows, prostate swelling resolution or the vulva, and except in some instances of carcinoma, the adrenal glands may get bigger and in a few cases may reduce in size.

TREATMENT PROTOCOL A recommended dosage is 1 milligram of melatonin given around 7-9 hours after dawn. In instances where there isn’t any result to this degree of melatonin, up to 3 milligrams could be given. The single side effects have been sleepiness for the first 3-5 days when starting this treatment and weight gain.

 

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