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Adrenal disease
Adrenal disease, a growth of the adrenal glands that can be either hyperplasia
or cancer, is most often diagnosed by signs like unusual hair loss, increased
aggression, difficulty urinating or defecating, or agitation when urinating, and
(in the case of females) an enlarged vulva. Even if the growth is benign, it can
still cause a hormonal imbalance which can have devastating effects on the
ferret's health.
Treatment options include surgery to excise the affected glands, melatonin
implants, which treat the symptoms but not the disease itself, and/or hormone
therapy. The causes of adrenal disease are as yet uncertain, but speculated
triggers include unnatural light cycles, diets based around processed ferret
foods, and prepuberty neutering. It has also been suggested that there may be a
hereditary component to adrenal disease.
Adrenal disease is usually detected during the spring or fall. This is because
adrenal disease affects the hormones that make the fur grow, so when ferrets
with adrenal disease shed their winter coat they simply don't grow it back
because of the disease. The hair loss pattern is very specific for adrenal
disease: It begins at the base of the tail and then continues up the ferret's
back.
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