Ferret Lupron Treatment

Eighty percent of ferrets treated with Lupron show improvement.

Lupron is a brand name for the drug leuprolide acetate. This medication is not a cure, but rather a life-long treatment for ferrets with adrenal disease. As the pet ages, treatments may be administered more frequently to maintain the ferret's health. Injections of the artificial hormone stabilize the functioning of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands.

Purpose

The main veterinary use for Lupron is in the treatment of adrenal disease. In a ferret's body the hypothalamus regulates the amount of hormone released by the pituitary gland. This regulation in turn controls the production of hormones in the animal's adrenal glands. When a ferret is found to have hyperplasia, adenomas or carcinoma tumors in the adrenal glands, the production of hormones is disturbed.

The hypothalamus in a ferret with adrenal disease secrets too much gonadotropin releasing hormone. This in turn over-activates the pituitary gland to produce extra luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. The adrenal glands are then triggered to produce excessive estrogen and androgens, or sex hormones.

Process

Injections of Lupron regulate hormone production in ferrets. Injections are given once every month, three months or four months, depending on the severity of the disease. The medication puts a halt to the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. The pituitary gland continues to produce luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone initially, and actually spikes in production. The adrenal glands also follow suit in their production of sex hormones. However, after a few weeks of Lupron treatments, the pituitary glands stop responding, which slows the cycle of overproducing hormones.

Effectiveness

For most ferrets, improvements in health are seen after three to four weeks of Lupron treatments, according to the Doctors Foster and Smith website. Lupron treatments should continue for the life of the pet, since an elevated level of hormone production can resume without the medication. Eighty percent of ferrets exhibit improvements with the treatments. Surgery to remove the tumors in the adrenal glands is also effective, but often tumors will re-grow, causing the ferret to need additional surgery or Lupron treatments.

Symptoms

Hair loss is a common symptom of adrenal disease, with the tail and rear legs usually affected first. For most pets, the hair will begin to re-grow after four to five months of Lupron treatments. Other symptoms include aggressive behavior and swelling of the vulva in female ferrets. Male ferrets may have trouble urinating due to the formation of cysts in the urinary tract.

Prevention

Prevention of adrenal disease with Lupron is a priority, according to the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital website. Veterinarians there recommend a yearly preventive visit for ferrets every January, with the possibility of administering prophylactic treatments. According to the website, the preventive measure adjusts the ferrets internal clock, causing the adrenal glands to "calm down."

References

• Doctors Foster and Smith: Medication Overview - Lupron
• Ferrets Magazine: Do Ferrets With Adrenal Gland Disease Need Lupron For Life?
• Long Beach Animal Hospital: Ferret Adrenal Disease
• Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital: Lupron Therapy

Resources

• Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital: Ferrets, Adrenal Disease Complex