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Post by maddy on Mar 15, 2011 21:42:33 GMT -5
Ok... I really think I have been in denial about it bc of his age... I am pretty sure MegaWeasel has turned into a molestor... There are just too many signs... Dr. Potts told me we should wait until May to see how his rat tail looks, but I am afraid to wait so long. Here is what I have noticed from him. 1.) thin hair on tail (I have been hoping it was seasonal shedding) 2.) itchy skin (hoping it was just dry winter weather) 3.) molestor -- On this, I really thought he was playing bc he is always so rough, but I noticed he is ALWAYS after Vanilla Bean and he scruffs her and wraps his legs around her, then licks her face and bites her nose?? It has been hard to tell bc she is such a wiley fighter bucking bronco that he never has had a chance to pin her down. I noticed Clovis will also jump on their backs and bite their necks, but he just trys to drag them off...he looks more like a lion taking down a zebra. Are there any other signs I may not know about that someone could enlighten me on?? This is sooo not fair... only a year and 4 months
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Post by miamiferret2 on Mar 15, 2011 21:49:07 GMT -5
I have seen 1 year old ferrets with adrenal disease. Can you have the vet run a Tennessee panel?
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Post by maddy on Mar 15, 2011 21:57:52 GMT -5
I could but I can not afford a Tennessee panel, esp if I am going to have to do lupron and or surgery... I say this bc I know they can have adrenal and it still not show up on the panel. It is well over $300 and I am in my last couple semesters in school and I am about to freak out. UGh.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 15, 2011 21:59:09 GMT -5
Here's a video of classic mounting behaviours:
Go to about 4:30 in the video. This is exactly what Sinnead was doing.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 15, 2011 22:02:24 GMT -5
Forgot! Other signs can be personality change(Athena became very timid, others become aggressive.). Also, check the tops of his toes for fur loss. Do you see him straining to pee? No, it's not fair if he is indeed adrenal. But take a breath. They can do fairly well with treatment. Sinnead's been adrenal for 3 years now, medicated for 2 of those years, and is still going really strongly. It's also possible it's just his hormones kicking into high gear for mating. Even though he's been neutered- his pituitary gland hasn't. Males still tend to display some of the behaviours during when normal rut would have occured.
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Post by maddy on Mar 15, 2011 22:38:53 GMT -5
Yea I watched that video the other day actually. He isn't really 'humping' or moving, he just wraps his arms and legs around her and chews on her neck. And I know they can do farely well on medication, but after hearing about the cost of lupron from that one vet ($203.96 per shot per ferret) I wanted to die. So are you saying there is a slim chance it could just be 'spring fever' hormones? I mean I have never had a male ferret this time of year. I got MegaWeasel last Jan, but he was a baby, and got Clovis as a baby later that June. Unfortunately, I have noticed the past day or two it seems like he can't make up his mind about going to the bathroom, I didn't link that to having a hard time, I just thought he was being his normal weird self. I was inspecting him today and I noticed it looks like his little b-hole seems a little protuberant. I mean it isn't a lot but still noticeable and I have been debating taking him back to the vet.
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Post by Heather on Mar 15, 2011 23:36:24 GMT -5
I'm sorry that you have to worry about this. A trial set of lupron shots would probably be cheaper than doing the adrenal panel. If there is no change in his behaviour then you will know it's just Megaweasel-isms . I'm finding this horribly disturbing that babies (they're only a year old, for mercy's sake) are coming down with adrenal. Either we're over reacting or there is something horribly wrong ciao
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Post by maddy on Mar 15, 2011 23:51:26 GMT -5
That is something I have been concerned about. I mean I just had such a hard time with Beatrice and insulinoma, maybe I am just freaking out and over reacting, but idk he just seems to have so many signs...but then again, so young. I know it happens, I just didn't think it was very common...maybe I am just unlucky? I don't know how long I should wait?
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Post by Heather on Mar 16, 2011 0:34:51 GMT -5
Considering his age and his symptoms, I might be tempted to wait and see if his ardor wanes a bit during the summer. I've found fur loss for adrenal (at least my guys is more around the butt, hips and belly), not the tail. Watch the litter box, if you see him straining to pee, or appears to be having difficulty then you will have to move quickly and admit that he does indeed have adrenal ciao
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Post by Sherry on Mar 16, 2011 0:47:40 GMT -5
I don't know if this helps, but here's a couple of pics of Sinnead with early stage fur loss from adrenal:
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Post by maddy on Mar 16, 2011 13:18:01 GMT -5
Yea, thank you. His isn't like that... its just real thin, but it has been like that sev months and hasn't progressed. It looks like some hair may be coming in, little black dots at first, but it seems to be growing. His little rectum seems to be poking out a little... he looks like he is having a hard time pooping now... so we will be going to the vet again, hopefully tom. He is going to give me wrinkles.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 16, 2011 21:50:10 GMT -5
As for his bottom- has he been having loose stools? That can cause a tiny prolapse that will heal itself when the reason for the loose stools is addressed. Is it poking out regularly, and is he scooting a lot more? That, at least for one of mine, indicated it was really irritating her. Prep H can help with the irritation. And I'm wondering if his seasons are reversed? You say he's had thinnish fur for a few months? Guard hairs, undercoat, or both?
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Post by Heather on Mar 16, 2011 22:49:22 GMT -5
Have you got a photo? Perhaps that would help us see at least the physical aspects of his coat and get an idea about his weight ciao
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Post by Sherry on Mar 16, 2011 22:50:46 GMT -5
Especially a "before and after" like I did with Boris. Even I hadn't realized just how much he'd lost until I saw those!
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Post by maddy on Mar 16, 2011 23:03:46 GMT -5
Yes I will take some good ones and post them later tonight or tom. Here is a timeline, he was born late nov, I got him Jan, he got FAT and fluffy then about Sept he dropped the fat and shed his thick soft coat and has been that way since. So, I mean if this were due to adrenal he woulda been under a year when he got it! Megaweasel is a "fancy" BTW, I know we were mentioning genetics....also has a toe tat for the record.
I talked to a vet in atlanta today that ONLY sees exotics and also recommends lupron as a preventative. It just isn't really feasible for me to do that for 5 ferrets tho... I mean that will def add up, especially since no one knows if it does anything.
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