Recent work at the University of Wisconsin, Colorado State and Texas A&M has shown that melatonin also helps control adrenal gland disease. This is an injectable melatonin implant that has been FDA approved.
It is a slow release product that lasts for approximately six months.
So far most of the ferrets regrow their fur and gain weight in 1-2 months after the implant is given. In addition the implant is a low cost option to treat adrenal gland disease. Plus it can be used with Lupron. It can also be used with Propecia for males with prostate problems, and with Arimidex for females with estrogen-induced anemia.
Read more about melatonin at Wikipedia
Testimonial: Ferretonin Results
"A little input for your private list discussion. At Ferret Wise Shelter with our extended hospice network we have been administering melatonin implants for over 7 years WITHOUT any major problems. What people need to realize that if you give an implant or any treatment to a health compromised ferret you may be compounding a preexisting condition, but using 100% natural melatonin this is not a side effect.
Here at the shelter we keep records of health issues and if in doubt get a pre op blood panel done so we can check on liver and kidney function as well as anemia, BG, etc. Many hidden health problems can lie in an older ferret as most folks can witness to.
Ferrets can well tolerate melatonin as it is a natural and necessary hormone in the body. They tolerate it better than chemo which is what Lupron / other unnatural implants are. Where the melatonin implants HAVE been useful in slowing the progress of hyper adrenal syndrome and in IBD! I hope this is helpful - a cursory health exam should be done before administering melatonin whether oral or implant. As I have said we have ferrets ages 5 years to 9.5 years currently on melatonin, some are heart patients, in the past a IBD patient and bi lateral adrenal ferret gained over 1.5 years of symptom free life and many others here are fully coated and happy as a result of these implants. They are also very, very useful ion cycling out ferrets (with the help of Lupron) form heat or rut cycles, enabling spay or neuters without hormonal crashes."
Testimonial: After Ferretonin Implant
"I wanted to give you some feedback on Emmie Lou Ferret, a 6 1/2 year old female who was 80 to 90% "naked" and so thin that the vet was afraid she could not make it through adrenal surgery. I believe she might be one of the oldest you've gotten results on now?
We placed Emmie's implant on September 10th. In a matter of a few weeks, her obsessive licking stopped. At 3 months, her body started to have the silky feel of fur just starting to emerge. Now, at 4 months she has 100% coverage of a thick, lush coat. For the 1st time ever, I am seeing what color Emmie is, a creamy undercoat with silver here & there.
I think the most impressive result though is that Emmie has nearly doubled her weight! She literally did not have an ounce to spare and in 4 months, she has gained 9 ounces!!!"
