From:
eander6363@yahoo.ca
Date: 2001-05-23 20:16:00 UTC
Subject: Need Advice Quick!!!
I'll try to make a long story as short as I can. About three weeks
ago our baby Stinky was acting a little lethargic and his back legs
were wobbly. We had taken him to the vet for his vacination and she
said she wanted to test his blood first because of his simptoms. The
test came back with a blood glucose reading of 2. Next she did an
ultrasound because she suspected Insulinoma. There was a large mass
in the pancreas. This was Friday. We put him on Pediapred .25ml
twice a day and he had his exploratory on Monday. He was quite alert
when we brought him home and when she tested his glucose level the
next day it was 3.8. The next day his stomach seemed a little
swollen and he had a fever. He had an ultrasound the next morning
and it was clear, there was no fluid in his abdomen. He was put on
Baytril and the fever cleared up. I should say that when the results
of the operation came back the large mass turned out to be extra
spleen tissue and it was taken from beside the pancrease beside the
intestine. I think I have that right. The biopsy from his pancreas
came back ok. Everything was going fine and this past Monday he was
almost his old self. Then on Tuesday morning he was having trouble
breathing and wouldn't eat ( I have been grinding his food and mixing
it with water and heating it for the past couple of weeks as that's
all he'll eat). I called the vet and they said bring him right in.
My vet wasn't in yet so another one did a blood glucose reading and
it was back down to 2.2. Then they gave his some glucose in a
syringe, just a bit. Then he was hooked up to I.V. My vet came in
then and said the blood test they'd done a few days before had gotten
broken in transit and they'd have to do another one. The only
problem with this is everytime they test his glucose level or take
blood they keep him occupied with Nutrical. Isn't that really
dangerous if he has Insulinoma? Anyway I rushed him home and fed him
right away. I usually feed him every 2-3 hours since he's been
sick. He'll only take water with his food. I have to say my vet has
been trying so hard to find out what's wrong with Stinky, she has
gone out of her way to be there for me also. She conferred with an
expert on ferrets who feels that this has to be Insulinoma but they
just can't find it. Stinky is feeling pretty lethargic today after
all the poking and prodding yesterday. The vet just phoned and said
she wants to do an Insulin test, which means drawing blood again.
She also wants him to fast for 12 hours! I think that's way too long
but she said he will be o.k. I need to know what to do. I guess I
should tell you Stinky found us one freezing winter night about a
year and a half ago and we fell in love with him. The nearest age we
can make him out to be is about five. He also had his left adrenal
gland removed last December. It came back malignent. What I need to
know is should he be fasting that long, and should we be thinking
about putting the little guy through another operation or should he
just be put on Pediapred. We're at wits end and don't want the
little guy to be put through anymore. Does anyone have any advice?
Please Help!!