From:
Pam Sessoms
Date: 2002-11-17 20:50:28 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Ferret hearts w/insulinoma
To: Shelley Knudsen <ferrets@kansas.net>
cc: Ferret Health List <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.A41.4.44+UNC.0211171528460.18674-100000@login7.isis.unc.edu>
> I have posted about this subject before, as I have a ferret, Taz, that
> was diagnosed a year ago with AV node block (heart rate was about 70
> beats per minute), who also had severe insulinoma at the time. At the
> time I was trying to find a link between the insulinoma and the AV node
> block...
<snip>
> So, I am asking again, if anyone on this list (other than Sukie, who I
> know has the same problem with Sevie) has noticed slow heart beats in
> ferrets with insulinoma.
I have definitely seen this as well. I did reply about it previously:
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG11423
To sum up the previous post, I have seen ECG-confirmed Second Degree AV
Block (type one, a type the cardiologists suggest not to treat) in two
ferrets that also had insulinoma. To my layman's ear, it didn't really
sound like a slow heart rate, but rather, like the heart was wildly
irregular and often "missing" beats. Hearts sound like they'd slow down
and speed up, skip beats, etc. I'll bet what I was actually hearing was
the different atrial and ventricular beats being out of sync, like you
explained. They also both had dilated cardiomyopathy.
Now, since then, I have had another one with advanced insulinoma and the
exact same-sounding arrhythmia to my ear. This was with Mojo. We never
had an ECG done on him to follow this arrhythmia for a very interesting
reason. Whenever his blood sugar was not so well-controlled, the
arrhythmia was very noticeable. When his blood sugar was back into the
normal range, with meds adjusted, the arrhythmia went away. His heart was
within normal limits on necropsy (no cardiomyopathy). I'd bet it was AV
block with him, although I understand that other problems can cause that
"missing beats" sound, so without the ECG, I can't say for certain that
was was AV block (pvc's, for instance, sound like missed beats).
I don't know the mechanism behind this of course, but it makes sense to
me, in my very simplistic way of thinking, that there would be a link. AV
block is a problem with electrical impulse conduction; the nerves and
electrical systems run on glucose, so if there's not enough, maybe things
just get wacky.
Very interested to hear other thoughts...
-Pam S.
End of ferrethealth Digest
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