From:
Jean@ferretlovers.com
Date: 2001-06-17 18:13:00 UTC
Subject: Vets please help, insulinoma/diabetic ferret
Hi again everyone, Sorry if this ends up being long!
I am writing about Scoots again. Thank you to Dr. Murray for replying
to my last post about how much insulin to give him. In between my
visits on Tuesday and Thursday, my doctor did some research of his
own and his plan was close to your suggestion. So now, the continuing
story... Please, if anyone has any advice or experience with this
kind of thing, or even just prayers, I could really use them right
now...
Scoots stayed at the hospital all day Thursday to get a glucose curve
done. By the end of the day his lowest glucose had been around 230,
and when I picked him up he was in the high 200's. My doctor
suggested I give him 3 units of insulin (I mix 18 cc's of saline with
2 cc's of insulin to dilute it, mix it, then squeeze out all but 3
units) once a day, and we would check him again Sunday. We did 3
units because we figured he still had a bit of a way to go to get
back to normal. Well, today his glucose was 57! I guess this was what
Dr. Murray meant when he said this is hard to regulate!
Since we still do not know what is going on, my doctor does not want
to stop insulin altogether, so he suggested we cut back to 2 units a
day. I have stopped giving him fluids (they showed me how to do it at
home, and I was giving him fluids once or twice a day when his sugar
was high), and am trying to make sure he eats. I feed him baby food 4
times a day, and a couple of times in the last couple of days I have
seen him eating on his own (I was so happy!!!!!)
I think my vet and I are doing the right thing with this, but I
wanted to see if anyone else could offer any suggestions! We have
felt at times that we are pushing too hard and maybe we should just
let him go. But when he gets up and eats on his own, or tries to run
from me after I give him fluids, I think he wants us to fight for him
still. I am not sure what information I should be writing here, or if
anyone can help me. I guess I am just looking for confirmation that
we are doing the right thing, and trying to learn if there is
anything else we can try. Except I am afraid to try too much of
anything, since I do not know what is up with his blood sugar... I am
afraid to try Brewer's Yeast, because I am never sure if I need to
raise or lower his blood sugar!
I am sorry this is so muddled... I haven't slept much this week, and
I am very stressed about this. Any help that anyone could offer would
be so much appreciated! Thanks in advance.
-Jean