From:
Joanne D'Amico
Date: 2002-09-16 03:43:10 UTC
Subject: RE: insulinoma - multiple surgeries - HELP!!
To: FHL Ferret Health Digest <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <3D85534E.7AFB05FF@bellsouth.net>
Suggestions: I mentioned to my vet that I had read in Ferrets magazine
that Dr. Dutton in NH is using Doxorubicin to treat ferrets with
insulinoma with success. He has "some ferrets still doing well 1.5
years after undergoing Doxorubicin chemotherapy with no other
medications or surgery needed." He says it is a very mild agent for
the most part, has minimal side effects, and is relatively safe for
ferrets. It also doesn't interfere inother treatment methods. My vet
researched it and is starting to try it on some of her fuzzy patients.
In addition, when I had ferrets with insulinoma that could not have
surgery, we treated them with diazoxide. The name brand (Proglycem) was
very expensive ($110-$120 for 30 mL) but my vet found a source for the
generic version and compounded it in Ferretone for around $45-50), which
lasted almost 2 months ... it is nasty stuff, even in Ferretone, so I
mixed it in Duck Soup, and they took it fine - hope this helps.