My ferret has adrenal disease. What's her life expectancy untreated?

I would recommend checking a urine sample to make sure there is not an infection present. It is possible the adrenal disease has caused him to drink and pee more so now that he is peeing less it seems abnormal. however anytime you have adrenal disease it is important to watch for UTIs. hope that helps

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry that your ferret has a tumor. The prognosis varies greatly depending on the severity of other signs and the type of tumor. Common tumors in ferrets include insulinomas (tumors of the pancreas), tumors on the spleen, and tumors on the adrenal glands as well as lymphoma. The prognosis for each of these varies from weeks to years and depends on the stage the tumor is in. I hope this helps and am happy to provide a consultation to answer any questions you may have regarding the specific tumor type your ferret has been diagnosed with!

Hello, while I’m glad Kai has received the implant for his adrenal disease, I am very concerned by the other symptoms you describe. Ferrets are notorious for having multiple disease processes at one time, so it’s quite possible he has a primary neurologic disease or the adrenal tumor may have spread. I would recommend a thorough work up including blood work, X-rays, abdominal ultrasound to assess the adrenal glands, neurologic exam, etc. I’m worried about possible cancer or insulinoma as possible causes, though a problem within his brain or nervous system is also possible (less common). I hope Kai is able to get some help and feel better soon. His case sounds complex, so if you’d like to talk more, feel free to request a consult. Good luck!

Thanks for reaching out about Pepper and including photos. With the hair loss on the tail "rat tail", this is highly suspicious of an adrenal disease. A veterinary visit is recommended as soon as possible to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. These endocrine problems are very common in ferrets and only start as hair loss, but other internal changes are likely occurring. Treatments are possible. Good luck.

If Nibbles was being treated with the antibiotics for diarrhea and the diarrhea has not improved or resolved, it could be that he needs a different antibiotic. I would recommend contacting the veterinarian who prescribed the antibiotics to let them know about the lack of improvement, and they may recommend switching the antibiotics. Additionally, they may recommend collecting a sample of the feces to evaluate it under the microscope, and potentially culturing a sample to see what bacteria grows. I hope that helps to answer your question, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Addison's Disease cannot be cured, but it can often be managed with life-long medications. It does usually require frequent vet visits for monitoring in the future. However, it can be life-threatening if a dog is sick when it is first diagnosed (or the suspected diagnosis). Without aggressive treatment, dogs can easily die from dehydration and shock caused by the effects on their fluid volume. Here is a great article on Addison's Disease and what to expect from diagnosis and treatment: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=608

I'm sorry to hear about Scratchy not feeling well. I think your best step is to have him examined by your vet in person first to confirm what the mass is, and then go from there. Your vet can help you determine if it would be OK for him to undergo surgery (via general exam, bloodwork, health history, etc), or if supportive care is a better option.