From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-03-14 22:53:00 UTC
Subject: Re:Snowy and Missy ferret updates
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., steve austin <kazpat1@j...> wrote:
> After 3 weeks of pred and 2 weeks of epogen she is still sleeping
all
> the time, just gets up to eat, drink, and use the litter box. Normal
> stools. Her blood sugar by glucometer was 76 mg/dl last week, at
night
> before her prednisone. And was 66 this am- just woke her up. If
she
> does walk around she is staying to the sides of the room, and real
slow-
> I do believe she can't see very well- when I put the bottle of
ferretone
> or baby food by her- she doesn't notice unless i touch it to her
nose.
Actually if she is blind, that would also contribute to her lethargy.
> She never seems in pain (except for that damn person sticking her
once a
> week!), no noted staring spells, or seizures.
>
> How long to see a response to the pred? I am giving her 1.25mg
(2mg/kg)
> at night, but someone posted here that twice a day dosing works
better,
> so starting today I will divide the dose to give it twice daily.
> ANy other suggestions? Increase pred, start Proglycem (?sp), or the
> inactivity is from something else??
Usually, the response to pred is evident within the first 48 hours at
the outset. At this point, lets switch it to an AM dosage (ferrets
normally max out their steroid secretion in the AM, and let's bump it
up to 1.5 mg. to start.
> I go back in a month to check the CBC again, and will do the
glucose at
> home once a week- and as needed.
Have you calibarated your glucometer against a normal ferret's blood?
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
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