Message Number: YG1969 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Steve Austin
Date: 2001-04-01 01:50:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Re: Gerber chicken food vs "duck
soup"

<snip>
I am assuming that you feel I should be okay with the baby food at
least for a few months.

Thanks so much for the reply. Double thanks for telling me what I
wanted to hear :)!

Kristy and Mackenzie

It sounds like you are doing everything right, and since you just started
the prednisone, hang in there. The appetite will pick up right away as
soon as the hypoglycemia is controlled by the pred, and the pred will
also increase the appetite. Once the appetitie is increased you can try
to mix in some kibble and eventually the ferret should be eating well
again.
Feeding her "around the clock" for now is a good idea because if she
misses a meal she will become hypoglycemic quickly, keep some glucose
tabs you can dissolve in water or karo syrup around in case of emergency
from the hypoglycemia ( ie, prolonged staring spell, lethargy, excessive
salivation). If you are up to it you can get a cheap glucometer to check
the glucose at home so you can tell if the lethargy and staring is truely
from hypoglycemia, and montior the glucose once a week or so. Or your
vet should check again, no reason to do a fasting one, this isn't a good
idea in insulinoma.

High protein kibble, baby food, is a good idea to keep the sugar
stabilized, avoid any sugary treats and things like ferretvite, the sugar
is metabolized fast and insulin produced to use it, and then a quick fall
in blood sugar soon after it is used. Protein will be eventually used as
a source of energy, but over a longer, more steady period.

Patty

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