Asia after 9 weeks on lupron

[mysticalmanana]

Her new coat is pretty well all in now, just a bit more to go and shes doing so well, shes my little sweet pea! The trouble is getting her to hold still long enough to get some pics, and thats a good thing!
This is her this morning after soupies and full of beans. You can see her rear legs, tail and flanks are almost all filled in as is her tummy, she wouldnt sit still long enough for a tummy shot all I got was a blur LOL

[dee517]

:Congratulations! All the love paid off.

[Deleted]

That's wondeful. It took my Gizzmo almost 6 months to start growing is fur back.

[greta]

Asia looks wonderful qnd it's great that she has so much energy she won't sit still long enough to get an unblurred pic of her tummy. lol Your little girlie is gorgeous! Hugs, Greta

[huronna]

She looks great.
I have som eshots I took of Rocki back in 2000 of before and after
www.geocities.com/huronna/Lupron.html
and then of Silveretta
www.geocities.com/huronna/Lupron2.html her shots show after Lupron and then after adrenal surgery and then again after Lupron

[mysticalmanana]

Those are great pics Huronna, they really looked good in the after shots, I do have a question, you had written there after 2000mcg 4 month lupron depot, is that right? Asia is only getting 200mcg am I making a big errror on her dosage?

[wildbunch]

They are all great shots.

[yukkabelle]

Omg what a real sweet heart and what a wonderful news
Give to your precious Asia big hugs and kisses from me
Love, Yukka

[huronna]

Lupron is "time released" So it really doesn't depend on the amount of miligrams but on the number of months "depot shot"

Lupron is available in several forms that last different amounts of time in the body. Lupron is available as an injection that lasts 24 hours, 1 month, 3 months and 4 months. Each is a different preparation that lasts for different amounts of time, so it’s important to know which form you are using: 1-month, 3-month or 4-month.

The reason I used the 4-month form is for convenience and cost. The monthly injection given 4 months in a row is more expensive than one 4-month shot. (No matter how high a dose you give of the 1-month shot, it will only last 1 month. So when you talk about what dosage you are giving, you must say which form you are using.)

This is the whole article www.custompetrx.com/articles/lupron.htm

[mysticalmanana]

I was told its the one month depot but its all so confusing LOL The vet and I had some confusion about what to order, he wasnt familiar with lupron either.
I guess its ok because its workin!

[Dar24]

She looks fantastic..I love her coloring.. Is she petite?? Her legs look so short in the pics..Glad she is doing real well on Lupron..

[huronna]

If it is the 1 month depot, I am assuming that you are giving her a shot monthly. This will work also. Even though it less expensive in the long run to use the 4 month 2000 depot, sometimes it is easier financially for a person to purchase the 1 month is smaller dosages

[mysticalmanana]

I sure hope I am being given the right thing, the vet, pharmacist and I worked it out, its not too bad I pay 35. a month for the 200mcg if I buy multiples or 210 for 6 months and it comes direct from the pharmacy who doesnt charge for the overnight on ice shipping, I think thats not bad.
She isnt that petite she is over 2 pounds, down well over a pound from when she had her adrenal belly, so she is just right at this point I think. Of course she has her winter weight on now too.

[mysticalmanana]

This article explains why I chose the one month depot over other methods, I have marked the appropriate paragraph so its easy to find.

Adrenal Disease In Ferrets
AUTHOR: Sari Kanfer, D.V.M,
For years we have been struggling to treat adrenal disease in ferrets. Surgery seems to offer only a temporary relief, and so far we don’t have a cure. But a number of veterinarians have been researching this syndrome, and have shed light on the cause as well as methods to control adrenal disease.

Signs of adrenal disease include hairless, swollen vulva or enlarged prostate, straining to urinate, aggressive behavior, marking or loss of litter box manners, and itchiness. These symptoms are caused by elevated levels of hormones produced by the adrenals, a pair of glands which reside in front of the kidneys.

Normal ferrets are very seasonal breeders. In non-neutered ferrets, male sex hormone levels peak in December, and female hormone levels start rising in January, and peak in March. In the brain, the hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary gland in the form of GnRh (gonadotropin releasing hormone). This stimulates the pituitary to release LH and FSH (leutenizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone) which tells the sexual organs (ovaries and testes) to produce sex hormones. When mating occurs, and/or the daylight length changes as the breeding season ends, this causes a surge of LH which tells the hypothalamus and pituitary glands to stop sending those signals. Then sex hormone levels decline until the next breeding season.

Now, here is where things get messed up. Spaying and neutering DOES NOT stop the brain from sending LH and FSH during the breeding season. But when there are no testes or ovaries to receive the signal, the adrenal glands receive the signal instead and produce sex hormones. Without testes or ovaries, the ferret cannot produce the LH surge that tells the brain to stop. So the ferret continues to produce high levels of adrenal hormones. Even when both adrenal glands are completely removed, fat tissue can respond, and start producing sex hormones! Keeping ferrets in the dark or giving melatonin only helps a small amount – ferret brains still know when it is breeding season.

Adrenal disease is not a benign condition, though it is a slowly advancing disorder. Continuous production of sex hormones not only causes the signs we see, but it also causes enlargement of the adrenal glands themselves. Enlarged adrenal glands proceed to a precancerous state, then to a benign cancerous state (adenoma), and eventually to a malignant cancerous state (adenocarcinoma). All ferrets should get frequent veterinary exams to monitor for adrenal gland enlargement, even if there are no outward signs of adrenal disease. Once enlarged, adrenal glands usually require surgical removal. Another item of note - female ferrets can safely live with adrenal disease longer than male ferrets. Male ferrets get a swollen prostate which can block their urethra. This causes a life threatening urinary blockage which requires immediate treatment by a veterinarian. These are the most important reasons why adrenal disease is not an illness to be ignored.

So how do we prevent or treat adrenal disease? We need to do something to turn off the brain’s signals in spayed and neutered ferrets. This is where Lupron comes in. Lupron, or leuprolide acetate, is a GnRh analog. It is given as a depot injection, which means it lasts for 1 to 3 months, depending on which version is used. While the Lupron is in the ferret’s body, it suppresses LH and FSH production, thereby halting the signals from the brain to the adrenal glands (and sex organs if present).

How often to give Lupron and for how long is the question. Most veterinarians recommend giving a Lupron shot whenever the ferret starts to show signs of adrenal disease, like hairless or a swollen vulva. This could be every 6 months, or whenever the owner gets tired of looking at a naked ferret. But hairless and vulvar swelling are NOT good indicators of adrenal disease, and a ferret can look completely normal but have adrenal glands progressing towards the cancerous state. Exam, bloodwork to check levels of adrenal hormones, and sometimes ultrasound are recommended monitoring methods.

At the forefront of ferret adrenal research is Dr. Cathy Johnson-Delaney, a board certified specialist in Avian and Exotic Medicine. She has been a practicing veterinarian for several years, with a special interest in ferrets. Based upon her research and experience, her current recommendations are as follows:
· 1. Intact males will cycle out of the breeding season on their own.
· 2. Intact females may cycle out on their own. If they don’t, they need to mate with a male ferret (vasectomized or intact). Or they can get an injection of Lupron to end their breeding cycle each year.
· 3. All young ferrets (under 1 year) that were spayed/neutered, should have an injection of Lupron during the first breeding season (Dec/March) after puberty, and once a year every season after that. This will tell the brain to stop sending signals to the adrenal glands.
· 4. Adult ferrets that have never had Lupron, and have no signs of adrenal disease, should have hormone levels checked three times a year. If they have elevated adrenal hormones, then they should receive monthly Lupron injections until the hormone levels drop. (Dr. Johnson-Delaney’s research was performed using the one month depot of Lupron).
· 5. Adult ferrets with signs of adrenal disease should also have their adrenal hormone levels monitored three times a year, and should receive Lupron injections every month probably for the rest of their life.
·injections every month probably for the rest of their life.
· 6. Once Lupron injections are started, it is recommended to continue them with no longer than 4-6 weeks between injections. This way we try to avoid the resistance that can develop over time, requiring higher doses. Another method of dealing with resistance is to use higher doses during the breeding season, and the regular dose the rest of the year.

[pauljmsn]

Ooh, what a pretty fur coat! Hey guys, did you see - whoa...

(Four ferrets - Murphy, a handsome Sable; Sammy, a Dark-Eyed White; Clarissa, a Cinnamon; and Max, another Sable in a wheelchair - come up to Paul. All of them are dressed in bell-bottomed jeans decorated with flowers. Murphy is wearing a fringed vest and sports long, straight hair held back with a headband; Sammy is wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and a "natural"; Max is also wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and long hair in a ponytail; Clarissa is dressed in a white caftan. Murphy and Max are wearing peace medallions from their necks.)

Murphy: Hey, man - I mean, sir! Love is beautiful, sir! (Makes the peace sign with his fingers.)

Paul: My goodness, that brings back memories. What are you guys dressed up for?

Max: We're going to be starring in a production of an American tribal love-rock musical, sir!

Paul: Tribal love-rock - not *the* American tribal love-rock musical?!

Sammy: The same one, sir! From all the way back in '69!

Paul: It's never really gone away, has it? Man, I loved that music! Why are you guys here, though?

Murphy: Well, sir, we wanted to show Asia some encouragement with getting her coat back, and we figured a round of the title song from the musical might be a good way to do it.

Paul: You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all. Why don't I step back and let you get into it?

Max: Groovy, sir! (The four ferrets begin to sing slow and easy.)

She asks me why...
I'm just a hairy guy...
I'm hairy noon and night;
Hair that's a fright.
I'm hairy high and low,
Don't ask me why; don't know!
It's not for lack of bread
Like the Grateful Dead;
darling

(The pace picks up briskly.)

Gimme a head with hair, long beautiful hair
Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there, hair!
Shoulder length, longer (hair!)
Here baby, there mama, Everywhere daddy daddy

Hair! (hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)
Flow it,
Show it;
Long as God can grow it, My Hair!

Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees
Give a home to the fleas in my hair
A home for fleas, a hive for bees
A nest for birds, there ain't no words
For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of my

Hair! (hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)
Flow it,
Show it;
Long as God can grow it, My Hair!

I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy
Snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty
Oily, greasy, fleecy, shining
Gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen
Knotted, polka-dotted; Twisted, beaded, braided
Powdered, flowered, and confettied
Bangled, tangled, spangled and spaghettied!

O-oh, Say can you see; my eyes if you can,
Then my hair's too short!
Down to here, down to there,
Down to where, down to there;
It stops by itself!
doo doo doo doo dook-dook doo doo dook

They'll be ga-ga at the go-go
when they see me in my toga
My toga made of blond, brilliantined, Biblical hair
My hair like Jesus wore it
Hallelujah I adore it
Hallelujah Mary loved her son
Why don't my Mother love me?

Hair! (hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)
Flow it,
Show it;
Long as God can grow it, My Hair!

Hair! (hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)
Flow it,
Show it;
Long as God can grow it, My Hair!

Hair! (hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair)
Flow it,
Show it;
Long as God can grow it, My Hair!


Wishing the best for your baby. Keep growing that hair, Asia!

Paul

[momof3fuzzies]

Paul...you are a hoot. I love it! you must be a story/song writer.

Asia, thank you for posting that article, I hope you don't mind, but I printed it, as I am researching the right course of action for my Coogles.

Great pictures, what a sweetie!

Christina

[huronna]

I think that the treatment you mentions is compatible with the way I do it. As long as the timing is consistent. In my humble opinion I think you are doing just fine

[mysticalmanana]

Whewwwww thanks, I guess we are always learning and second guessing our choices with these little enigmas arent we?

[huronna]

There is always more than one way to get from point A to point B
And Asia is a beauty