Adrenal disease affects the majority of ferrets in North America due to early neutering practices, representing a preventable welfare problem.
Adrenal disease in ferrets is largely a human-caused welfare problem. The American practice of early neutering before sexual maturity, implemented for population control, removes the endocrine signals that regulate adrenal gland development. The resulting adrenal hyperplasia causes a slow deterioration in quality of life. Hair loss, itching, and in males the swelling of the prostate gland causing urinary obstruction cause prolonged suffering. The deslorelin implant provides effective hormonal management but must be renewed regularly. The preventive solution — avoiding early neutering or using a hormonal implant instead — is practiced routinely in Europe but has not been adopted widely in North America.