From:
Pamela Drazinski
Date: 2001-11-16 18:39:00 UTC
Subject: HELP! Highyly unusual and unlikely medical situation
Hello,
I'm in a difficult and unusual medical situation and hope that someone,
perhaps Dr. Williams, can offer some insight.
I have a 7 year old female ferret, Abby, who was diagnosed with insulinoma
by a knowledgeable ferret vet in May, 2001 and has been on between 0.5-0.8
cc Pred twice a day. She tolerated the therapy well and has had no
hypogylcemic episodes since on pred. She was also diagnosed with Lymphoma
(only on physical exam - no biopsy) by a new vet in August, 2001 and was
maintained on the pred.
Things remained status quo until the past week where she has had a
noticeable increase in water intake, urination, and weight loss. Her
appetite and behavior has remained unchanged. A glucose check and chem
profile done at Antech revealed a glucose of 479 and an elevated protein
level (I don't know the exact number). Pred was decreased to 0.4 cc twice a
day and after 2 1/2 days on the decreased pred her glucose at the vet was
still high at 446. Antech results are pending. Treatment currently is one
unit Ultralente insulin a day as long as the Keto-Diastix glucose and ketone
levels are present in her urine. Blood glucose is to be rechecked in one
week or after three concecutive days of no glucose or ketones in the urine.
I will also continue to taper the pred about every 3 days for now to try and
get the glucose controlled.
I have also been giving Abby 2.5 cc of Essiacs twice a day since July 2000
when she showed signs of right adrenal disease. Her left adrenal was
removed in Feb 1998 and biopsy revealed cortical carcinoma.
So - how does a ferret go from having insulinoma to diabetes? A search of
the medical literature states that non-surgically induced diabetes is very
rare, and I imagine perhaps even unheard of in a ferret previously diagnosed
with insulinoma. I truly appreciate any input as to what's going on here.
Pamela Drazinski
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