Hi, my name is Shelley, but most of you know me as The Gothic Ferret on Twitch and YT, as well as all the other social platforms I am on.

I want you to meet Ava. She is a two-year-old white-marked female ferret, commonly referred to as Jill in the ferret world. Ava is the happiest ferret I have ever had the pleasure of being a mommy to. She's bouncy and playful the entire time she is awake, and even though she's ill, and she's very ill. Ava has Adrenal Gland Disease (AGD). Gone untreated, she only has a few months left of life; her little clock is slowly winding down and will stop if she doesn’t get her life-saving implant to help regulate the adrenal glands in her tiny body.

What Is Adrenal Disease in Ferrets?

All mammals have what is known as the endocrine system. This is a collection of organs and glands in the body responsible for producing hormones and maintaining their levels in the body. Two adrenal glands are part of this system.

Adrenal glands are small, located near the kidneys, and are responsible for regulating stress hormones, such as cortisol, steroids, and sex hormones. If something goes wrong with the adrenal glands, the typical mammal either over- or under-produces steroids and stress hormones.

Ferrets are special in that they can develop adrenal disease, which is characterized by the overproduction of sex hormones, due to a tumor in their adrenal gland(s). This condition is incredibly rare in just about any other animal, but it occurs in up to 25% of ferrets in the U.S.

Ferrets may die in as little as a few months if adrenal disease is left untreated.

Causes of Adrenal Disease in Ferrets

Adrenal disease in ferrets has been studied at length because their adrenal tumors are different from just about all other species. Comparison between populations of ferrets in several countries have helped identify some of the most likely causes of adrenal disease in ferrets.

• Neutering age—Ferrets in the U.S. are neutered at 4–6 weeks of age, and other countries that also neuter at this age have similar rates of adrenal disease. Countries that neuter their ferrets closer to 1 year of age have nearly no cases of adrenal disease.

• Genetics—The pet ferret populations in the U.S. come from one breeder and have become genetically isolated. Their genes may be causing the tumors, but it appears more likely that their genetics predispose them to being more sensitive to the hormone changes after neutering, which trigger tumor growth over time.

• Photoperiod—Ferret breeding season is dictated by the length of daylight. Artificial lighting in the home may be causing a ferret’s adrenal glands to think they need to produce sex hormones in support of breeding year-round, instead of seasonally. This stress can be contributing to tumor growth in their adrenals.

Treatment of Adrenal Disease in Ferrets

If a ferret only has adrenal disease in one adrenal gland, surgical removal of the affected gland can cure the disease. However, the other adrenal gland can become diseased at any time. Both adrenals cannot be removed entirely; Adrenal glands help regulate normal body functions, so removing both glands completely can cause other terminal problems for the ferret.

Medicinal treatment is now more common for adrenal disease in ferrets due to lower cost and risk than surgical options, regardless of whether one or both adrenals are affected.

Treating adrenal disease medicinally is a multi-step process, including the administration of:

• Deslorelin—a chemical that mimics a hormone found naturally in ferrets. Deslorelin slowly decreases adrenal gland stimulation and hormone release. This can significantly improve symptoms but doesn’t treat adrenal tumors themselves. Deslorelin comes as an implant that can be injected under the skin, leading to resolution of symptoms within two to six weeks that lasts three to 30 months.

• Leuprolide—a chemical that mimics the same hormone as deslorelin. Leuprolide is an alternative that requires monthly injections, in contrast to deslorelin’s one-time injection. – https://www.petmd.com/ferret/conditions/endocrine/adrenal-disease-ferrets

Leuprolide, of course, is the more expensive route because it has to be done every month, and that means paying the vet for the office visit, the shot, the disposal of said shot, etc.

A ferret’s life span is between 8–10 years. Our oldest was 8; she was two months shy of her 8th birthday when we lost her. Over the years, I have had a total of 7 ferrets. We started with five; three of them came to us in 2017, which we called the siblings, Bear, Rikki, and Ezreal (Ezzie). Christmas of 2018, Glytch became a part of our family, and boy, did he live up to his name; he was the weirdest ferret. His favorite thing to do was to look at you upside down. And then Juniper (Junie) came to us unexpectedly. Junie was our first rescue. She had been abused by her previous owner; she was only about a year old and was so scared of humans. It broke my heart. It took me a year to fully earn her trust and to show her that hands don’t bring pain but love and a tender touch. They were the start of the Fab Five, our ferret business. (Business is a family of ferrets.) Jax and Ava (the twins) joined our business two years ago, and they are the only ones left now. All the original members of the Fab Five have left us and gone across the Rainbow Bridge to be with each other again. Rikki and Junie both left us late last year, Rikki from old age, and Junie, they claim it was from broken heart syndrome. Though she had the twins, she hadn’t formed a full bond with them like she had with her sister and the others. So when she lost her sister, she had no one to console her, even though we tried our best, she went to be with her siblings two months after we lost Rikki.

Now to the meat of the reason I’m asking for help. As I mentioned before, Ava is sick with a life-threatening disease. Even though I cannot cure her, yes, surgery would be an option, though not a guarantee, AND highly expensive, we are talking in the thousands. Been there, done that with Glytch when he developed cancer, and we tried to save him through surgery. (I am still trying to pay that Care Credit and two credit cards off for that surgery and treatments.)

We are not new to AGD. Bear, our big cuddly chunk, was struck with it, and so was Ezzie a year after Bear. This was in 2018 and 2019. The cost for these implants was around $250.00 + the vet visit. And they lasted longer than a year on both ferrets. Bear lived until 2022; he didn’t pass from AGD. Unfortunately, he passed from Insulinoma, and Ezzie passed the next year. I know that doesn’t seem like a long time, but I can’t tell you how much I have treasured each and every moment with these furry bundles of joy and chaos.

We have always kept ferrets in triplets; that way, when a ferret passes, they have each other to lean on. With the cost of ferrets nowadays, I cannot afford to purchase a new baby, and the nearest ferret shelter is too far from me. Jax and Ava have a very deep bond; we know that if Ava passes, Jax will join her, and I will be so devastated, especially after just losing Rikki and Junie so closely apart a few months ago.

The cost of the implant procedure has risen significantly. It is now almost $700.00, and that's including the vet visit. I was floored; in two years, it has more than doubled. Two years ago, I paid $280.00 for the implant procedure. I don’t have the $700.00, and Ava only has a few months, if not weeks left. So, I’m turning to you all, some friends, some acquaintances, and some strangers. Please help me give Ava a couple more years of happy, bouncy days with me and her brother Jax. If you are not subscribed to my Instagram, I’m The Gothic Ferret there, and on TikTok. I plan on sharing more pics and videos of the ferrets. I have slacked off since losing my other girls, but I promise to get my rear in gear and get new stuff out there.

I would like to say thank you in advance. It is not easy for me to ask others for help, and it has taken a lot of pride swallowing to post this, especially since I’ve swallowed that pride in the past to ask for help and came back empty-handed.

Ava, Jax, and I are counting on your generosity. Please save her. Donate to her life-saving fund today. Thank you.

Shelley aka The Gothic Ferret, Ava, and Jax