From:
TANSY
Date: 2001-05-08 06:42:00 UTC
Subject: RE: [Ferret-Health-list] RE: Devil's Club Supreme AGAIN!
, since Dr. Williams said it was not recommended, and I
respect his opinion more than any other!!!!! Does anyone
else have good results with it?
[TANSY] Unfortunately I missed Dr. Williams post when my
computer was down, and I also have the highest respect for
Dr. Williams, this is one issue I will go the carpet with
him on. I do know that one of the difficulties in using
herbal or homeopathic compounds is that any research done on
them has been done has been directed towards humans. In
humans the problem is generally hyperglycemia not
hypoglycemia. In the article Dr Williams links to it states
that Devil's Club caused hypoglycemia in rats, but
unfortunately does not cite the actual study, so he have no
idea if these rats were hyperglycemic at the initiation of
the study. In any case, I can only speak from a "clinical"
perspective.
I have had ferrets since 1986. I currently have
approximately 25. I am not sure how many cases of
insulinoma in ferrets I've had but it is probably in the
double digits. I have gone through all the accepted
protocols: surgery, steroids, diet supplementation,
proglycem. I used to consider insulinoma to basically be a
death sentence, since despite all the above interventions
the ferret would invariably die within a relatively short
period. Thank God, my perspective has completely changed. I
now do surgery, followed by Devils Club in meat twice a day.
The last ferret I did this for lived for an additional 4
years (from 4 to 8) and died from a heart attack.
I certainly can't argue that Devil's Club causes
hypogylcemia in rats, especially since the protocol was not
provided. But, I AM willing to take anyone on who says that
it does not stabilize blood sugar levels in ferrets. Do I
know how it works? Unfortunately, not. There are even cases
I have heard from others who use it consistently that it
doesn't always work, and I am happy to concede that. But,
please Dr. Williams, don't dismiss this compound based on
one article on the internet that doesn't even back up it's
statement with the research behind it, when those of us "in
the trenches" are having such consistently good results with
it. There are many people who view your opinions as gospel,
and in this case you may be condemning a lot of ferrets to
not receive a very efficacious, inexpensive product, that
they could use with their veterinarians in controlling this
common disease in ferrets.
thank you
tansy