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Post by Heather on Nov 17, 2011 15:10:17 GMT -5
It does work....no, I'm not saying it doesn't. It just doesn't do what we thought it would do. It's the same as the Des....why I'm sitting on the fence with it. Several years ago, it came to light that melatonin given between 7 and 9 hours after sunrise fooled an altered ferret's system. Now accompany that with the proper lighting and you can fool it for quite awhile. It was proposed that by doing this you could "prevent" adrenal disease from happening. It doesn't. It does stall it though. So, what it might do is allow a ferret that was going to be adrenal at age 4, to postpone the inevitable until age 6. For some reason ferrets who get adrenal later in life live longer. The adrenal is not near as aggressive. So, theoretically, you could get your ferret to live to 8 or 9 without really showing or suffering from the signs (but your ferret still has adrenal...it's just not showing) Actually, most of mine died from other causes and it wouldn't be until the necropsy that we would find an adrenal gland that was swollen. After a time, it was then decided that melatonin had no use but to put fur on, it didn't do anything to the adrenal gland itself. This has since been proven wrong, it does work. What you do is consider it a tool in your battle against adrenal. No, it doesn't cure it but it helps control the rate that the disease works at. Eventually, it can do no more, then you have to move to the next method...lupron or des. The melatonin is continued to be used during the other as it does seem to continue to allow a wee ferret to at least keep it's fur on Clear as mud right ;D ciao
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2011 15:21:33 GMT -5
I definitely agree with you on that Lotro. I think Heather noticed an increase in adrenal disease in her guys when she switched to those light bulbs (and stopped using them for that reason), if I'm remembering correctly. It's something that I think helps more than using melatonin (whether liquid or crushed pills) by allowing them to produce melatonin themselves naturally through natural lighting. I've always wondered if giving them a melatonin supplement would interfere with their natural melatonin production (based on what I've read about long term use of vitamin/nutritional supplements)... almost like the body forgets or stops making it because it's already supplied I also live in an apartment. Their cage is in our room, so I let the light in through the windows during the day, then use a standing lamp with amber light bulbs to see them at night (I turn it on and off as needed). Basically, I never turn on the lights in our room. I think that's the best thing you can do other than them living outside, but not everyone can do this (especially if you live in a southern state like me... it's way too hot ). I'm with everyone else though... either get the melatonin implant or des. I've tried using liquid melatonin for a while with one of mine, but it's really hard to keep up with the timing
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2011 17:56:47 GMT -5
I have given liquid melatonin before - no problem. Per pervious conversation, melatonin is just another "weapon" that can be used to try to affect the onset and severity of adrenal disease. It does help, but it's not going to prevent adrenal progression.
And yes, melatonin can be used along with Deslorelin or Lupron. (Lupron and Deslorelin can NOT be used at the same time since they are the same class of drug.
-jennifer
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Post by miamiferret2 on Nov 17, 2011 18:17:13 GMT -5
I have used Melatonin implants to mask symptoms in my ferrets that already had Adrenal disease. It worked great. What I meant is that I used it (orally) to try and prevent it and it was not effective for that.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2011 20:27:48 GMT -5
I have used the pill crushed up and served in thier soup, and it put fur back on my bald ferret.
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