Any recommendations on hair growth supplements?

[dee]

Hi!

My ferret is losing his hair despite being on Lupron!!  He might not be responding to it at this point anymore. Has anyone gone through this??  Does anyone know of a supplement to regrow hair or have any recommendations?  A friend suggested Pro Animal anti-oxidant supplement but its for cats and I wouldn't know the dosage for ferrets.

Thanks!

[unclejoe]

Get the suprelorin implant if possible. It lasts longer and probably costs the same in the long term. you can use either oral melatonin or melatonin implants (Ferretonin) to speed hair growth and relief of other clinical signs. We only had one ferret that did pupron before it became prohibitively expensive and while the des implant was unavailable. MOe was getting 3 mg melatonin crushed tablet daily and he went from naked to full coat in 4-5 weeks.
There are a number of articles on this site and the original "Old HFF" boards, but this is a pretty concise article on adrenal disease tx options
ferretassn.org/about-ferrets/health/illness-disease/common-major-illness/adrenal-disease-treament-options/

This article was written in 2010  Since then, lupron went from became very expensive if you can even get it in the USA.

Melatonin tablets don't have the nasty taste of medications, and mixed with a favorite oil or a small serving of soup they will lap it right up.  It is a hormone, so there are no adverse side-effects.  If possible it should be given between 5-7 hours after sunup, as it helps regulate circadian rhythms (day/night response)

[dee]

Unfortunately, Sampson no longer responds to the Lupron/Deslorin implant.  I brought up the subject of melatonin to my vet after reading an article on it.  She recommended "Winks sleep drops for kids" liquid melatonin or "Zarby's", which is a 1.2 mg tablet. She said to give him .5 mg and work my way up depending how he does. Is Moe a big boy? I ask that because 3 mg seems like a lot.  Does the dosage depend on the weight of the ferret?

[Corvidophile]

Melatonin can lower blood glucose, so take care if insulinoma is on the table. Other than that, it’s very safe. I was giving 1.5 mg melatonin as a starter dose for a two-and-a-half pound ferret and planning on upping him to 3 mg myself before finding out it affected blood sugar, so I cut it out. I’d rather him be bald than have blood sugar dips every afternoon.

[unclejoe]

MOe never developed insulinoma. He was avg size, about 2 1/2 lb. He was about 6 when one day he just didn't wake up. Melatonin is a natural hormone so without comorbid insulinoma, he can't OD on it. It does work best if you can give it on time.

[dee]

Nov 19, 2020 20:03:32 GMT -5 Corvidophile said:

Melatonin can lower blood glucose, so take care if insulinoma is on the table. Other than that, it’s very safe. I was giving 1.5 mg melatonin as a starter dose for a two-and-a-half pound ferret and planning on upping him to 3 mg myself before finding out it affected blood sugar, so I cut it out. I’d rather him be bald than have blood sugar dips every afternoon.

I don't understand. There is no sugar in the product that I'm giving. Therefore, it shouldn't be an issue. My vet recommended it.  I'm just curious as to where you got the information that it lowers blood sugar?  

[Corvidophile]

My vet let me know when I asked about implanting melatonin that it wasn’t a good idea because of my ferret’s insulinoma, and when I looked it up on Google all the search results confirmed as such. My diabetic husband now uses melatonin to supplement his meds when he’s having bad numbers and it works on him, too. I don’t know why it does, perhaps animals sleep more soundly when their blood sugar lowers. When they produce their own melatonin at night, I mean.