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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2012 21:13:59 GMT -5
Neutering later is definitely more beneficial, but once you neuter (or spay) the damage to the adrenal glands begins. Mustelidmusk has 3 that are late alters, and now at 7 all tested positive for adrenal. Although they never showed the typical adrenal symptoms.
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Post by Heather on May 5, 2012 21:28:09 GMT -5
They may never go into full adrenal either at that age, it moves so much slower than when the wee ones come into full symptoms at 2 and 3. At least not something we recognise as symptoms. It will be interesting how that plays out. ciao
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2012 21:41:52 GMT -5
She's also been using des. So that could have also helped prevent further damage to the adrenals.
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Post by Heather on May 5, 2012 21:49:59 GMT -5
Was she using it from the beginning? or only since the adrenal was diagnosed? ciao
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Post by Deleted on May 5, 2012 21:56:45 GMT -5
I believe she used lupron depots after altering, and started using des after age 5. I think they showed adrenal symptoms before implantation.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2012 0:22:18 GMT -5
Jackie is correct, I tried the annual preventive lupron shots (started the winte/spring after alter), which failed to prevent issues. Symptoms began at age 4 - behavior - (ear cleaning, not excessive - just more than normal in the sprng.....this is when testing was done....hormone elevations were slightly high in the spring, so I continued the lupron. Hormone levels were normal that Fall. I switch to Des. when they were 5. (I initially could not get the Des.)
A LOT of late alters do not show classic adrenal symptoms....as a result, they are never tested. I asked my now-retired vet about some of the local breeder ferrets who , according to their owners, do not have adrenal disease. (although I have observed subtle symptoms suggesting otherwise.) He said that nearly all late alters have apparent abnormalities in the adrenal glands that can be seen during necropsy unless the ferret has just been altered and /or dies very young. So yes, the specific late alters in question did have diseased glands. Many owners do not consider a ferret to have adrenal disease unless classic symptoms are present.
That being said there is some question regarding whether or not prevention should begin before or after puberty. Some vets feel that prevention of the first hormonal surge is most effective, while others disagree. -jennifer
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Post by joan on May 6, 2012 13:36:30 GMT -5
So far all of the late alters (done between 6 months before coming in heat/rut and 6 years old after yearly breeding seasons) I've owned and/or bred who were necropsied after death have had normal looking adrenal glands and a normal looking pancreas...the latter is significant, as most of them were kibble fed. It's possible that histopathology might have shown changes, but the gross pathology was good enough for my purposes. These were all linebred and inbred on the UI (Doug McKay's) sable only lines, with no background of dilute or white marked ferrets.
I began breeding hybrids in 2005 and thus far there have only been accidental deaths among them. Only a few were necropsied and they too have had normal adrenal glands and a normal pancreas, including the ones who were fed kibble.
My hypothesis has always been that the sables from a sable only background, with no dilutes or white markings behind them, will most likely not carry the genetics to develop adrenal disease or insulinoma even if the environmental factors which lead to their development are present. So far at least it's held true.
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Post by Jeremy's Boggle on May 6, 2012 15:24:06 GMT -5
My hypothesis has always been that the sables from a sable only background, with no dilutes or white markings behind them, will most likely not carry the genetics to develop adrenal disease or insulinoma even if the environmental factors which lead to their development are present. So far at least it's held true. Are you the only breeder in the states following this type of breeding program?
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Post by Sherry on May 6, 2012 22:08:26 GMT -5
I believe she is, yes.
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