Adrenal Disease in Ferrets: Causes, Signs, Treatment & Prevention

In the ferret, adrenal disease – or hyperadrenocorticism – most commonly occurs when a tumor or lesion on the adrenal glands causes an overproduction of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands. Adrenal disease is most common in ferrets over the age of three years, but it can affect ferrets as young as a year old. Adrenal disease is one of the most prevalent ferret diseases, and there is no definitive test for it. Ferret owners need to know as much as possible about it to be able to recognize it and help the ferret after he is diagnosed by the veterinarian.

CAUSES

While we don’t know for sure what exactly causes adrenal disease in ferrets, most theories point to two possible causes:

Spaying and neutering at a young age

Many large ferret breeders spay or neuter ferrets at the age of 5 or 6 weeks, which may cause the ferret’s body to overcompensate for the lack of normal sex hormones. Adrenal disease has occurred in ferrets that are spayed or neutered after they have reached sexual maturity, but it is not nearly as common.

Extended photoperiods

Most ferrets have been forced to adapt to their owner’s lifestyle and are exposed to at least four or five hours of artificial light in the evening in addition to the natural light during the day. This limits the time they spend in darkness, which decreases melatonin production. Too little melatonin results in overstimulation of the adrenal glands. Ferrets should have no less than 12 hours of complete darkness throughout a 24 hour period.

When a ferret develops adrenal disease, it is most likely the combination of a variety of factors. In addition to environmental factors, some ferrets are probably genetically predisposed to developing adrenal gland cancer.

SIGNS

Hair loss or hair thinning – at the base of the tail, on his feet, on his belly, in an obvious pattern, or in a patchy appearance – are classic signs of adrenal disease. There are multiple causes for hair loss in ferrets, but a ferret owner should always suspect adrenal disease and report this to his or her veterinarian, especially if the ferret is 3 years of age or older. However, while hair loss is the classic sign of adrenal disease, not all ferrets will have this sign.

Unlike other diseases, there is not a standard set of signs that a ferret with adrenal disease will always display. The range of signs that your ferret shows will depend on where the tumor is on his adrenal glands. The adrenal glands produce many hormones, so the location of the tumor will affect which hormones are overproduced. The types of hormones that are overproduced determines which signs you will see.

Here are the various signs of adrenal disease:

• Hair loss, either in a symmetrical pattern or patchy with no apparent pattern *

• Thinning hair
• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Papery thin or translucent looking skin, sometimes with sores from scratching
• Excessive scratching and itchiness
• Increase in musky body odor
• Excessive grooming of self or other ferrets, including ear sucking
• Sexual aggression and mating behavior in neutered males – with other ferrets, inanimate objects, etc.
• Swollen vulva in spayed females
• Difficulty urinating for males – this is a sign of an enlarged prostate, a condition usually associated with adrenal disease
• Weakness in back legs – usually seen in advanced or extreme cases
• Increased thirst, increased urination
• Weight loss due to a decrease in muscle mass, but with a pot bellied appearance

* It is important to note that you may see partial or complete hair regrowth without treatment. This does not mean that your ferret is fine, it just means that the hormonal imbalances have balanced out again, probably due to a season change. The hormones will become unbalanced again, and hair loss will occur, usually more severe than before.

Always remember that you can see any combination of these signs – there is no set group of signs! Keep an eye on your ferrets as they grow older, watching for any symptoms or odd behavior. Something as seemingly innocuous as your ferret running from litter box to litter box trying to go to the bathroom should result in a trip to the veterinarian.

DIAGNOSING ADRENAL DISEASE

If your veterinarian has a lot of experience with ferrets or if your ferret has the traditional hair loss, he or she may be able to diagnose your ferret through clinical signs (symptoms).

Your veterinarian may decide to use the Adrenal Panel run by the University of Tennessee, often referred to as the “Tennessee Panel,” in cases where adrenal disease is suspected. This is a blood test that evaluates the levels of hormones and steroid production. The test is not always 100% correct, and has been known to result in false positives and false negatives, but it is the only blood test available to test for adrenal disease.

Radiographs (x-rays) and ultrasounds help determine whether or not adrenal disease is present, but can be misleading. Diseased adrenal glands can be normal in size and shape and, therefore, an x-ray or ultrasound may not raise any concerns. However, ultrasounds can be helpful in showing prostate enlargement (a complication of adrenal disease in male ferrets).

When it comes to diagnosis, if your ferret is displaying any of the obvious signs, your veterinarian will probably suggest beginning treatment rather than spending money on expensive tests and other diagnostic measures. Ferrets can suffer from adrenal disease for a long time before actually showing symptoms, so no matter how your veterinarian arrives at the diagnosis, it’s important to commence treatment immediately after the diagnosis has been made.

TREATMENT

Your veterinarian may opt to use any of the following options to treat your ferret’s adrenal disease:

Surgery

This is the most common treatment for adrenal disease, and is the only way to completely remove the tumor. It is also the most recommended treatment by most veterinarians. If your veterinarian seems at all hesitant about the surgery or does not perform surgeries, ask for a recommendation to a more experienced ferret veterinarian.

If your ferret has already had surgery to remove one gland and adrenal tumors develop in the remaining gland, your veterinarian may decide that surgery is not the best choice. Ferrets that have both glands removed may develop Addison’s disease, which is a severe or complete deficiency of the hormones made in the adrenal glands. Your veterinarian will probably want to check your ferret’s cortisol (a hormone produced by the adrenal glands) levels within three days of the surgery.

Though surgery is the only option that could completely rid your ferret of adrenal disease, it is important for you to know that there are risks involved with surgery.

• If the tumor is on the right adrenal gland, your veterinarian may choose not to remove it. The right adrenal gland is directly adjacent to the vena cava, the largest vein in the body, and there could be serious complications.

• If any microscopic piece of affected adrenal tissue remains, the tumor can grow back either on the same side, or the opposite side.
• There is always a chance that the ferret may not make it through the surgery or through the recovery period in the first few days after the procedure is done.

Discuss all of the risks extensively with your veterinarian before making any decisions. Some ferrets are just not good surgical candidates, either due to age, health or both, and with these ferrets your veterinarian will probably want to go the medical treatment route.

Medical

Your veterinarian may suggest medical treatment options in cases where surgery cannot be performed, either due to the health of the ferret or other issues. These options include:

• Lupron Depot Injections

  Lupron Depot may be prescribed at 1 month, 3 month, or 4 month intervals. “Depot” refers to the fact that the entire dosage is released over the given time period. This means that your ferret will need to get this shot at the appropriate time for the rest of his life. Lupron may shrink the tumor, but in most cases, it only affects the symptoms.

  Even if all symptoms cease, Lupron must continue to be administered. Lupron is a synthetic version of GnRH (gonadotropin release hormone), and it works by desensitizing the pituitary gland, which stops the production of the hormones that are overstimulating the adrenal glands. So if the Lupron shots are stopped, the pituitary gland resumes its normal function, and all of the problems start again.

  If your veterinarian recommends doing surgery, but you can’t do it right away for whatever reason, some veterinarians may recommend that the ferret receive Lupron in the meantime. This may prevent the disease from progressing any further and, at the very least, may make your ferret more comfortable by alleviating some of the symptoms.

• Melatonin Implants

  Melatonin is a natural hormone that serves many functions in your ferret’s body, one of which is to inhibit the release of GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone). Less GnRH means that the pituitary gland releases fewer hormones, which means that the adrenal glands are stimulated less.

  Melatonin can be used in oral (liquid or pill) or implant form. While you can use oral melatonin, the success or failure of it depends on the time of day it is given. It needs to be administered exactly 7 – 9 hours after sunrise to mimic the natural release of melatonin. If given at this time every single day, oral melatonin is extremely effective. Unfortunately many ferret owners are not home during this time. A more convenient way to administer melatonin effectively is to use Ferretonin, a melatonin implant. Implants last about 3 – 4 months, and provide a steady level of melatonin over that time period.

  Melatonin implants alone cannot be used to treat adrenal disease, and the best results are seen if Melatonin implants are used in conjunction with Lupron Depot.

• Medications to avoid

  Lysodren (mitotane) was formerly used as a common treatment for adrenal disease, but studies have shown that Lysodren doesn’t stop the stimulation of the adrenal glands and causes low blood sugar. This is a concern, as insulinoma and adrenal disease are often seen together, and ferrets with insulinoma struggle with low blood sugar already. Overdosages or incorrect dosages of Lysodren were also known to cause Addison’s Disease.

  Nizoral (Ketoconazole) is used to treat Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism) in dogs, which is completely different from adrenal disease (also hyperadrenocorticism) in ferrets. Though they are the same disease, the same drugs cannot be used to treat both.

  Vetoryl (Trilostane) is also used in dogs with Cushing’s Disease, and increases the level of a hormone that is already quite high in ferrets with adrenal disease. Giving this to a ferret with adrenal disease would make the problem worse.

  Nolvadex (Tamoxifen) is an anti-estrogen medicine in humans. However, it actually has estrogen-like effects in ferrets, which would have a negative effect on many ferrets with adrenal disease.

PREVENTING ADRENAL DISEASE

Unfortunately, there are no proven ways to prevent adrenal disease. It is currently thought that the early neutering/spaying that is done by large scale breeders directly contributes to adrenal disease, and in most cases, the ferrets that you get will already have had this surgery. If they are intact, it is recommended that you wait until they are at least 6 months of age before getting them spayed or neutered. Adrenal disease is still seen in ferrets who are spayed or neutered after reaching sexual maturity, but it is not as prevalent.

Recent studies have shown that light cycles also contribute to the development of adrenal disease. Melatonin, as mentioned above, regulates the release of GnRH. GnRH affects how much the adrenal glands are stimulated. Melatonin is produced when the ferret is in total darkness. Most of our ferrets live in the same environment we do – natural daylight during the day, and several hours of artificial light in the evenings. This obviously shortens the amount of time the ferret is in darkness, thereby decreasing the production of melatonin. Less melatonin means more GnRH is released, which then overstimulates the adrenal glands leading to adrenal disease. A ferret’s optimal light cycle is about eight hours of light and sixteen hours of total darkness each day. It is thought that this will allow your ferret to produce the most melatonin possible. There are some ferret supplies, such as cage covers and certain types of fabric bedding, available to help you create the necessary photoperiods.

IN SUMMARY

It’s important to add one more thought here – adrenal disease is very treatable in most cases. Not treating adrenal disease is condemning your ferret to die, when this doesn’t have to be the case. If you see signs of adrenal disease in your ferret, please get him checked out as soon as possible. Ferrets can live long and happy lives after they are treated for adrenal disease, and I know we all want that for our fuzzies!

Our culture is often quiet on the subject of female hair loss as there are so many jokes and commercials about baldness among man. Moreover, female hair loss is not a social acceptable condition as like that of men. One out of every five females is having thinning hair, but none of them knows the subject of female hair loss. It is really shocking to hear that.

The most common cause of hair loss in women is androgenetic alopecia.. In case your father, grandmother, or mother is suffering from hair loss, there is a possibility that you will have to deal with hair loss too. Apart from this, other predisposing factors causing female hair loss are severe stress, illness that includes special diet and medication (chemotherapy). It is also known that medication for diabetics might cause female hair loss.

It is very important that if you are a female suffering from hair loss, you should not panic immediately after noticing the hair loss because panicking will worsen the condition. If you are going to lose your hair, you are not loosing your friends and also your job.

Don’t feel alone; don’t lose hope there are 30 million other women suffering from female hair loss throughout the world. Don’t lose your confidence and also be aware that you are not less beautiful than before! There are so many nice people in the world who will support you and you will also find a man that will look past your thinnning hair.

There are numerous options available on the market to deal with female hair loss. One among them is Rogaine. This product is one of the most popular medications for male baldness. It can also be used by females.

It will cost you not more than $50 per month. This product has been widely used by women for female hair loss and has been found to slow down and, in some cases, even revert hair loss.

Some doctors prefer to prescribe treatments of estrogen for female hair loss. There is no proven research to confirm that lack of estrogen causes female hair loss.

Female hair loss pattern is entirely different from that of men. Instead of experiencing total hair loss, the female hair loss condition usually has small hair less patches and hair in this areas is getting thinner and thinner.

Some women experience female hair loss immediately after parturition. In such case, the condition will get resolved once they have stopped nursing of their baby.

Hair loss has become a common concern for men, and going bald is something, many men have to adjust to, as they get older even after using many medicines that promise to stop hair loss. But we need to know that there are, however, a number of diseases and conditions that can be the cause of hair loss. By treating the illness hair loss can be reversed.

Illnesses and conditions that can cause male hair loss include:

•High temperature associated with infections or flu.

•Thyroid and pituitary problems

•Some medical treatments; radiotherapy, side effects of medications such as interferon, chemotherapy and steroids can all cause hair loss.

•Stress

•Psychological problems such as trichotillomania where some people pull out their hair

•Exposure to dangerous chemicals such as thallium acetate

•Fungal infections of the scalp

•Ringworm

•Burns

•Alpaca Areata Universalis, where the whole body is affected, or totalis where the whole of the scalp becomes bald.

The good news is, if hair loss is caused by disease there are medicines, which can help reverse the process, you can even buy propecia or other hair loss medicines online. If you believe that your hair loss is being caused by some disease then go, check it out with your doctor. After deciding the real cause of hair loss, your doctor will provide you the right hair loss drug.

If you are a man between the age 20 to 45 and you start to loose scalp hair, then the chances are 95 per cent certain that you are experiencing male pattern baldness. As the term suggests, male pattern baldness follows a typical sequence or pattern. Hair loss can start in different areas but is usually at the temples and/or on the crown of the head. Initial thinning of hair progresses over a number of years and may lead to total baldness but more typically involves loss of hair over the top surface of the head.

However, most men are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness. It is the effect of hormones on the hair follicle that produces male pattern baldness. Testosterone, a hormone that is present in high levels in males after puberty, is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. DHT has an adverse affect on the hair follicles. Acting on a hormone receptor on the hair follicle it slows down hair production and produces weak, shorter hair, sometimes it stops hair growth from the follicle completely. This process gradually depletes your stock of hair and is considered normal hair loss as it is common in men.

Do you know when to see a doctor? When you start losing hair suddenly; if your hair loss is in clumps or significant enough that you notice large amounts on your pillow, covering the back of your clothes or when you wash your hair. This type of hair loss does not represent typical male baldness, but it does require a diagnosis. Don’t worry. Hair loss can occur for a number of reasons and can often be treated successfully. Go and see your doctor to get proper diagnosis and hair loss treatment.

Loosing hair is serious and off course a dangerous fort women. Although there are few times when hair loss is considered normal in a women like after the baby born or during menopause, but still it is disturbing for women. Mostly women give importance to value, quality , style and color of hair.  Hair became an important part of our life, how we feel about ourselves. Loosing hair days can affect self-esteem and cause to feel self-conscious. When a woman finds significant hair loss, she normally acts quickly to find out ways to take care of her loosing hair and restoring them to original quality and appearance.

The problem of loosing hair in women is increasing at high level. It is very common for many women to have some kind of hair loss. Data collected from different sources show us that one in every five women facing hair loss problem. This case is very similar to male hair loss. Men tend to lose hair from forehead and crown of their heads.

Seven causes of hair loss:
An unbalanced diet or
Crash dieting can cause it.
Stress can cause hair loss.
A serious bleeding or weakness can cause hair loss.
Taking certain kinds of medicine also give side effect . Specially controlling high blood pressure Medicines.
Using bad styling techniques such as blow-drying and heat styling also cause hair loss.
Chemicals in hair colorants and in permanent waves can also cause hair loss.

It is off course a good thinking to your hair and to use sense when choosing a hairstyle.
The three most common factors to female hair loss are:
Genetics,
Hormones and
Age.
Genetic predisposition for any type of baldness may be inherited from either parent. Hormones play a vital role in hair loss. Estrogen stimulates hair growth. Aging is considered as final factor in hair loss. During aging, hair becomes weak, unhealthy, and thin.

Normal causes of female hair loss can be stopped for some level. But many others cannot be. It is good thinking o identify the problem of hair loss before taking any action or medicine, would be best. Some hair loss caused by simple changes in lifestyle, try those first. If you find it is not working for you then you need to consider other options, there are many different hair loss treatments available, and many produce very good results.

Some tips about Hair Loss
Don’t overuse heated styling tools – all that straightening, waving and curling can worsen hair loss

Don’t treat or color your hair too frequently. This can cause the hair to break off near the scalp. While it won’t cause long-term hair loss, your tresses won’t benefit from too many treatments

Hair is most vulnerable when it’s wet and most likely to break off if you brush it during this time. Never brush wet hair; detangle it using a wide-toothed comb

You are what you eat – hair is made of protein, so it makes sense that this is key. Protein is predominantly found in meat and fish, pulses and Soya, so stock up on these key foods for healthier locks

Drinking plenty of water will cleanse the body of impurities, providing optimum conditions for cell growth and follicles to flourish.

Your hairdresser is the only person other than yourself who pays your hair regular attention. Make the most of your stylist’s expertise and ask him to monitor the growth and development of your hair at each appointment

Choose your style carefully – tying the hair back in tight ponytails and plaits puts extra stress on the root, which often exacerbates hair loss

Fore more information about hair loss and hair loss related resources visit Beauty Directory Hair Care.

One of the things that can truly devastate the life of a woman is female hair loss. That is no joke and since women value their crowning glory, they are bound to do everything just to keep a healthy and beautiful hair.

Hair loss among men is an ordinary story but in case you don’t know, female hair loss is also a widespread problem. However, women are not as vocal as men in expressing their problem concerning hair loss.

In order to prevent hair loss, you must be able to understand its causes. Oftentimes, hair loss in women is attributed to many things. Try to observe your hair and check if it’s getting thin or maybe you’re losing hair in some spots of the scalp. Once you perceive that something’s wrong with your hair, consult a doctor, dermatologist, or a hair specialist.

The most common cause of female hair loss is the disturbance of hormones in the body. Every time your body stops or slows down, the hormone production undergoes some changes and it can affect the growth of your hair.

Here are some of the causes of hair loss among women:

1. Menopause

Menopause is part of growing old and when a woman enters this period, the hormone production slows down. Since the level of hormones are reduced, about 2/3 women on their post-menopausal stage often find themselves having bald spots. The best treatment preferred by most women is the hormone replacement therapy.

Before the menopausal stage, high levels of estrogen are produced inside a woman’s body. Aside from estrogen, the body also produces testosterone. The estrogen serves as a barrier that protects the testosterone hormones from being converted. But since menopause can’t be stopped as it is a natural occurrence, estrogen production is slowed down until it finally stops. Testosterone will then combine with bodily enzymes and alpha reductase. The result is the production of DHT which is said to be primarily responsible for hair loss.

2. Hysterectomy

Even if a woman undergoes hysterectomy, the production of hormones is still affected and the woman will experience the symptoms associated with menopause. But if you choose the full hysterectomy, there is a great chance that you will suffer from hair loss.

3. Pregnancy

When a woman is pregnant, a lot of bodily changes take place. You will eventually notice that your hair is falling or thinning but there have also been ironical cases wherein the individual’s hair thickens. Those that have straight hair may suddenly find their hair with curls and vice versa. You must see to it that you are getting all the needed nutrients; that is the reason why you need to take vitamins when pregnant.

Aside from menopause, hysterectomy, and pregnancy, hair loss can also be caused by genetics. Pattern baldness has a lot to do with this and it will run in the family. Another factor that contributes to hair loss is your diet. You must eat the right kinds of food in their proper amounts to keep your body and hair healthy. Frequent hair styling can also lead to hair loss. Try to minimize hair coloring, highlighting, or bleaching.

There is a wide range of female hair loss products offered in the market. Ask your doctor which ones you can use. Don’t take hair loss problem lightly; act on it now.