Adrenal Disease Surgery in Ferrets

Adrenal disease in ferrets is also called adrenal adenoma, adenocarcinoma, and hyperadrenocorticism, and according to the Ferret Lovers' Club of Texas, it may affect as many as 50 percent of ferrets. While females are at higher risk, but all ferrets can be affected by this issue. Learning more about the surgery involved in treating adrenal disease can help you make an important decision on your pet's care.

  1. Significance

    • Adrenal disease can be completely treated with surgery. Adrenal disease in ferrets refers to the a condition where lesions or tumors have formed on one or both adrenal glands. The most overt signs of adrenal disease in ferrets are baldness and vulvar distension in females, but it can also cause a loss of muscle mass and low energy. Surgery can offer the ferret a significantly higher quality of life.

    Features

    • Surgery to cure adrenal disease is not complicated. During the course of the surgery, both adrenal glands will be inspected and typically, one gland is larger than the other, indicating swelling and tumors, and that is the gland that is removed. In severe cases, half of the other gland might be removed as well.

    Risks

    • According to Bruce Williams, DMV, between 10 percent and 12.5 percent of ferrets die after surgery. The cause for post-operative death is not known, but most theories suggest that the remaining adrenal gland cannot produce enough cortisol on short notice, as the removed, hyper-functioning gland caused it to atrophy.

    Alternatives

    • If surgery is not possible due to the ferret's age or other factors that may make the surgery riskier, the ferret can also be treated with lysodren, also known as mitotane. This chemotherapeutic agent must be administered every three days, and it can be as expensive as $3 per dose. Sometimes this drug has no effect, and some ferrets experience severe nausea from the drug.

    Considerations

    • While removal of the left adrenal gland is fairly straightforward, the right adrenal gland is located near several large blood vessels. The surgery required to remove the right adrenal gland is more difficult than the removal of the left adrenal gland, and should only be performed by a veterinarian with expertise in adrenal gland surgery.