Adrenal Disease... symptoms, how to treat.... etc.

[Melanie]

Hey! I'm new to this Mindy introduced me to the forum! My female fuzzie who just turned 3 is showing what I believe is signs of Adrenal... Her little vulva is slightly swollen and she is was having a little yellowish discharge... I'm really worried about her I googled it and I found several websites mentioning a douche that is just a drop of vinegar in warm water. I started this and I think that she is not having as much discharge as before but I'm not sure... I'm going to take her to the vet next week but I was wondering if there is anything else I can do myself...

[Tressie]

Hi Melanie,

Welcome! Great to have another person from NL joining us.

As mentioned, her vulva will continue having a discharge until the underlying adrenal disease is treated. Keeping the vulva rinsed as you have been doing does help to keep the risk of infection down. However, as Sandra Mitchell, DVM told me, because it is essentially a large moist donut it is susceptible to infection.

Our latest foster Sadie had an enlarged vulva when she was surrendered to us and also had a discharge. She received the Deslorelin implant and also had adrenal surgery, now her vulva is a normal size.

When Peanut was one of our fosters she had chronic discharge and had to go on antibiotics several times until her vulva finally started shrinking after she received the Deslorelin implant. She was on Lupron for 10 months before she got the Deslorelin and her vulva always had a discharge. After the implant it became clear as opposed to yellow or green and finally stopped altogether.

Good luck with the vet appointment!

Tressie

[Melanie]

Hey Tressie,
thanks, that helps a lot!!! I was also wondering if she is having any pain or discomfort? She is still very playful and showing no signs whatsoever of being ill or in pain.. I am going to do my best to get her the Deslorelin implant.. I really hope I can get it! Also I'm going to get my little boy Zeus a Lupron shot because Mindy was telling me that if a ferret under the age of 1 1/2 to 2 years old receives a Lupron shot that it reduces their chance of getting Adrenal altogether! So we are going to do that for him but our other fert Suzie is almost 4 so shes to old but she is very healthy!

Thanks for the well wishes, I will let you know how the vet goes..

Mel

[Melanie]

Also, I was wondering what the correct spelling of the drug is that is recommended to accompany the Lupron shots... because in the e-mail you sent me you said use "Meltanonin" but I asked my mom (who is a pharmacy tech) about getting some into the store in liquid form and she said that it was a sleep aid steroid... is that correct?

[Tressie]

Melatonin is a hormone not a steroid. And yes it is used as a sleep aid for humans.

For detailed information on how it helps ferrets and its mechanism of action go to: miamiferret.org/melatonin.htm

Your mom may also find it helpful information.

In terms of Deslorelin (which Dr. Benoit has) here is an abstract from a recent publication:

AEMV forum

Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Treatment of Adrenal Cortical Disease in Ferrets with 4.7-mg Deslorelin Acetate Implants


Robert A. Wagner VMDa, , , Mark R. Finkler DVMb, Kellie A. Fecteau PhDc and Tim E. Trigg PhDd

aDivision of Laboratory Animal Resources, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

bRoanoke Animal Hospital, Roanoke, VA USA

cDepartment of Comparative Medicine (Clinical Endocrinology Service), College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA

dPeptech Animal Health, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia


Available online 25 June 2009.

Abstract
Thirty pet ferrets with adrenocortical disease (ACD) of varying severity and duration were evaluated for response to a single administration of a slow release 4.7 mg deslorelin acetate implant. Clinical response to deslorelin was monitored via a physical examination performed every 3 to 4 months. Adrenal ultrasound measurements were taken every 3-4 months until clinical relapse. At clinical relapse, duration of symptom suppression and adrenal size and growth were determined. Administration of a single 4.7 mg implant of deslorelin acetate resulted in significant decreases in the clinical signs and hormonal concentrations associated with ACD. Within 14 days post-implant, vulvar swelling, pruritus, sexual behaviors and aggression decreased or disappeared. Hair re-growth was evident by 4-6 weeks post implant. Within two months post deslorelin implant, plasma concentrations of steroid hormones decreased: mean estradiol concentration decreased 28%; 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels decreased 89% and androstenedione levels decreased 88%. The response to a single 4.7 mg implant of deslorelin acetate was transitory. The mean ± SD time to recurrence of clinical signs was 17.6 ± 5.0 months (range, 8.0-30.0 months). Repeated ultrasound measurements revealed no statistical difference in size of the adrenals (right or left) before, during the months of deslorelin implant and at clinical relapse. Slow release 4.7 mg deslorelin implants can effectively be used to temporarily eliminate the clinical signs and reduce steroid hormone concentrations in ferrets with ACD. This dose of deslorelin does appear to influence adrenal tumor growth causing a decrease in adrenal size in some ferrets, and mild enlargement of adrenal glands in most ferrets with 2 of 30 implanted animals developing large tumors before clinical relapse. The long-term effect of treatment with deslorelin on adrenal tumor pathology requires additional investigation. At this time, surgical removal of the adrenal tumor remains the only curative treatment; however, 4.7 mg deslorelin implants are useful in the long-term management of ACD hormone-induced sequelae and may be as effective as surgical management.

Key words: ferret; adrenocortical disease; adrenal tumor growth; hyperadrenocorticism

I have the entire article if either you or your mom would like to read it - I would be happy to email it to you as a pdf document.

Tressie

[Melanie]

Thanks again Tressie, you are so helpful! We're going to the vet on Tuesday so hopefully its good news!
Mel

[Tressie]

Hi Melanie,

I would suggest copying and printing the abstract on Deslorelin for your vet. Many vets are unfamiliar with it. It is something she can discuss with Dr. Benoit but she should at least be aware of it.

I will often print and bring recent abstracts or the entire article for Dr. Benoit. He always appreciates it and reads them. Vets have such busy clinical practices that they rarely have time to check the latest research themselves. He knows he can count on me bringing it to his attention.

Good luck!

Tressie