Leuprolide acetate treatment of adrenocortical disease in ferrets

Abstract

Objective - To determine the effects of leuprolide acetate, a long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog, in ferrets with adrenocortical diseases. Design - Case series. Animals - 20 ferrets with adrenocortical disease diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs and plasma sex hormone concentrations. Procedure - Ferrets were treated with leuprolide (100 μg, IM, once), and plasma hormone concentrations were measured before and 3 to 6 weeks after treatment. Results - Leuprolide treatment resulted in significant reductions in plasma estradiol, 17 α-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations and eliminated or reduced clinical signs associated with adrenocortical disease. Decreases in vulvar swelling, pruritus, and undesirable sexual behaviors and aggression were evident 14 days after treatment; hair regrowth was evident by 4 weeks after treatment. The response to treatment was transitory, and clinical signs recurred in all ferrets: Mean ± SEM time to recurrence was 3.7 ± 0.4 months (range, 1.5 to 8 months). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance - Results suggest that leuprolide can be safely used to temporarily eliminate clinical signs and reduce sex hormone concentrations in ferrets with adrenocortical diseases. However, the safety of long-term leuprolide use in ferrets has not been investigated, and the long-term effects of leuprolide in ferrets with nodular adrenal gland hyperplasia or adrenal gland tumors are unknown.