American ferrets may suffer from a common disorder known as adrenal disease. Ferrets in other parts of the world may also develop adrenal disease, but it seems to be most common in the United States.
Adrenal disease actually refers to a variety of conditions. The most common condition is adrenocortical hyperplasia, which is a proliferation of adrenal gland cells. Other types of adrenal disease may be the result of benign or malignant tumors. The adrenal gland produces hormones; adrenal disease usually means over-production of these hormones.
The most common symptom of adrenal disease in ferrets is hair loss. The hair loss usually begins around the rear end and tail and progresses up the flanks, over the back, over the chest, and along the abdomen. You may see the hair loss begin in late winter and early spring. Some ferrets lose their hair progressively; some ferrets regrow and lose their hair yearly. The skin may be reddened or itchy.
Other symptoms of adrenal disease include:
- Enlarged vulva in females
- Difficulty urinating in males, due to enlarged prostate gland
- Thinning skin
- Muscle wasting
- Weakness and lethargy
- Increased aggression
- Marking territory and/or mounting behavior
A diagnosis of adrenal disease is usually made based on the presence of symptoms, and confirmed by blood work and x-rays to rule out other causes. A physical examination or ultrasound may reveal an enlarged adrenal gland.
More than eighty percent of cases of adrenal disease occur only in the left adrenal gland. Fifteen percent of cases occur in both adrenal glands. It is usually easier to remove the entire left adrenal gland if that is the only gland that is affected. The right adrenal gland is difficult to remove entirely thanks to its proximity to a large vein. Surgery is usually the first and best option; medical management of symptoms comes with serious side effects. With surgery, you relieve the symptoms by removing the cause of the problem. If a malignant tumor is to blame, you have taken care of the cancer, as well.
It may take a while for your ferret to regrow his hair after an adrenal gland is removed, but it will grow back.