From:
jaime_wolf@rocketmail.com
Date: 2002-12-19 06:50:11 UTC
Subject: Prednisone for Insulinoma- the rest of his life??
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <13996778.1040280611109.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Hi- I wrote in last week about our oldest male, Freddy, having surgery for insulinoma among other things. They caught it early- he had no symptoms at all, so the blood sugar level was a surprise and it was lucky they did a test. The vet prescribed prednisone and says he'll have to take it for the rest of his life (he's 5- anyone want to weigh in on lifespan of ferrets? I've heard everything from 6-10 yrs...). Is this true?
I'd like to know:
- what exactly does prednisone do for him? Prevent tumor growth? keep his blood sugar in balance??
- should we change his diet in any way? The vet said "more frequent feedings" but we free feed and Freddy is a good eater. While he was recovering from surgery the vet had us give him Karo (corn) syrup every 2 hrs but only for a few days. Should we pick it up again?
- does he really have to take pred forever? I'm having a hard time with the concept of giving him meds twice a day forever- it's hard enough for a week... What happens if he doesn't take it?
- can anyone tell me of a source, maybe online, where they can get less expensive prednisone? The first bottle for us was about $32, but I know it will add up. Are there any discount sources?
thanks,
Jaime