Herbs for Adrenal Disease in Ferrets

Ferrets can be fun and playful pets, but like all animals they can get sick, sometimes seriously. Adrenal disease is a common malady among ferrets above the age of two or three. Affecting one or both of the ferret's tiny adrenal glands, the disease presents itself as a tumor-producing cancer (neoplasia) or by causing the glands to overproduce sex hormones or androgens (hyperplasia). Symptoms that indicate your ferret may have this disease include hair loss, excessively itchy skin, attempts at mating and increased aggression by neutered males, a larger than normal vulva in spayed females, and urinating difficulties in males.

  1. Saw Palmetto

    • While only surgery has been proven successful in curing adrenal disease in ferrets, drugs and herbs are sometimes used to alleviate symptoms in animals where surgery is not an option. Saw palmetto, for example, has been used for centuries to treat urinary problems in humans and animals. Some clients of veterinarians who have tried this herb have reported back that that the treatments have provided relief for their pets. There is also some anecdotal evidence that saw palmetto can help with hair loss. Like any herb or drug, however, saw palmetto should only be used with the consent of your veterinarian.

    Essiac

    • One of the more popular herbal treatments for ferrets is a mixture of different plants. Essiac is based on a formula used by Ojibway Indians that Canadian nurse Rene Caisse began using with cancer patients in 1923. The four primary ingredients are sheep sorrel, burdock root, slippery elm, and turkey rhubarb. Essiac seems to reduce some tumors but has had limited success on adrenal tumors that are already inoperable. The liquid supplement is sometimes added to soups or baby food in a ferret's diet.

    Dandelion

    • Many people see the dandelion as just a weed in their lawn, but the herb actually has a long history as both a food source and a medicinal plant. For example, dandelions contain sterols, a subgroup of steroids. The adrenal glands in animals synthesize sterol compounds that share attributes of those found in dandelions. This is why the herb has been used to promote adrenal health. Dandelion can be prepared as a tea and then used as a soup base or dried and added to a ferret's food.