Adrenal concerns

[raven]

Hello! I have a ferret that was recently diagnosed with adrenal disease, I started giving him melatonin leading up to his Des appointment and that seemed to be helping his hair was growing back quickly, he got the implant on Nov 22 and I thought he was getting better and I stopped giving the melatonin partly because i thought he was doing well enough with just the Des and partly because i was sick for 2 weeks and didnt want to risk giving it to him. Lately (like a week?) he seems slightly bloated, hes always been a chonk so im unsure if im just working myself up or if hes actually bloated, hes also struggling to use the bathroom, he's been able to go eventually but it takes several attempts. He's eating and playing as normal, but the possible bloating and struggling to go is stressing me out. I'm planning on going to the vet when I can get an appointment. Ever since my other ferret Poe died suddenly in December everything's had me on edge.

[unclejoe]

Hi. Is he straining to go? Or just picky about where? I have puppy pads in multiple corners and sometimes they go from pad to pad before they do their business.
If he is getting his coat back you shouldn't need to keep up the melatonin. It does help to regrow fur more quickly that the des alone, but with the adrenals up to speed he should be ok. Idk how much you know about the endocrine (gland) system, but there are glands that depend on other glands to know what to do, and the adrenal cortex plays a major role in regulating several other glands.
If you are using des to control adrenal disease rather than prevent it, it should be given every 6-8 months rather instead of just annually. (You may already know all this)

[raven]

unclejoe Maybe both? He seemed slightly prolapsed the other day but it returned to normal by the next day. It's usually him going back and forth to the same box/pad until it finally happens. Yep it's as a controlling method, I'm aware of the scheduling no harm in a reminder though. I'm wondering if the adrenal is causing the prostate to swell or something like that. I had his poops tested on Nov 22nd as well and the test came back all clear so it doesn't seem like a gut issue.

[Corvidophile]

The implant is known to first cause a raise in hormone levels before it tamps them down, so it theoretically could’ve caused a prostate swelling, but it should have been early on in treatment and resolved by now.

[raven]

I wonder if him being a wardy has something to do with it, maybe stress from the loss of a cage mate?