From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-08-16 23:03:00 UTC
Subject: Re: questions about proglycem and prednisone
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Lori Crawford <ferret@g...> wrote:
>
> My six-year-old Unagi Inu had surgery for insulinoma in May, and has
> been on prednisone ever since. We've maxed out the dosage and he's
been
> gradually declining-- less and less energy, more and more spaced
out. I
> took him to the most ferret-experienced vet I could find in Western
MA,
> and she said she had never treated a ferret with insulinoma with
> medication-- only surgery and diet. We got a prescription for
proglycem
> and I'd like to try adding that to his treatment, but the vet wasn't
> sure of the details.
>
> Can I give the proglycem at the same time as the prednisone, or
should I
> give it some amount of time before or after? Also, can I mix the
> proglycem with a little mashed-up kibble to help him eat it? Once
he's
> on proglycem twice a day, does he still need the full dose of
> prednisone? Can proglycem work by itself with no prednisone?
>
> As for the vomiting I posted about earlier, the vet suggested
> pepto-bismol. Boy, does Unagi not like the taste of that. But it's
> worth having pink foam in my hair if it keeps him from throwing
up... so
> far, so good.
Dear Lori:
While proglycem is worth a try, it is only as an adjunct to
prednisone, and does not allow you to decrease the prednisone
dosage. You may give it at the same time, and give it with food.
However in this case, if you have maxed out the prednisone dosage, it
is unlikely that adding proglycem will do much - it just doesn't seem
to work all that well.
I know that May was not that long ago, but there are other surgical
options, like a partial pancreatectomy, that are associated with
significantly increase remission times over simple nodulectomy.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams