From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-12-03 10:01:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Crashing after eating
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "sirk6" <sirk6@m...> wrote:
> Hi Folks;
>
> I really need to know what to do right now. Ferret came in to us
after being
> found in the park, so no history. Person said ferret was eating.
Ferret
> walked around and played and ate. Short time later, ferret found on
bottom
> of cage in, what looked to be, an insulinomic episode. She was
laying in a
> puddle of urine. Gave Karo to bring her out of it and fed her
chicken gravy
> with A/D mixed in it. Called vet and was told to follow protocol for
> insulinoma. She is adrenal and on the elderly side. She snapped out
of it
> and seemed ok-until now. She went to her bowl to eat kibble. As she
was
> getting into the pan she collapsed. I grabbed her out and she was
like a
> wet, limp noodle. She had a gurgling in her throat and when I had
her head
> down, clear bubbles came out of her nose. During this time her eyes
become
> very large and she looks afraid. I am at a loss of what to do. We
have a Dr.
> appt set up but I am afraid she will not wait. Emergency vets here
don't
> know anything about ferrets. They would, most likely, put her down.
>
Mary -
Stick with what you are doing - right now it is difficult to tell
what is the cause of the collapse, so all you can do is play the
odds, treat for hypoglycemia, and hope she makes it through the night
so you can get bloodwork done in the monring. In cases like this,
some SQ fluids may be helpful in case the animal is in shock. IV is
always faster, but you'd be surprised how much SQ hydration can help.
I think based on one episode it may be a bit premature to say that
she crashes after she eats, and this bit of history may confuse the
issue (for example - dogs with severe liver failure
characteristically become neurologic after eating due to liberation
of amines from digestion and their effect on the brain). If your
vets are not ferret-knowledgeable, they may seize on this, look at
mildly elevated hepatic enzymes (which are common in ferrets) and
come up with an errant diagnosis.
so let's just say that she has had two episodes in the course of one
night, and not bias the patient evaluation.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM