From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2002-12-19 15:14:27 UTC
Subject: Pancreatitis
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Cc: larry.mcfarlane@verizon.net
Message-Id: <20021219101427.725c7fd4.whiteweasel@earthlink.net>
Hi, Rebecca, and everyone else,
First, I am very sorry about Gandalf. My heart goes out to you. About
Alix, you wrote:
> She's also developed insulinoma, and he said a touch of pancreatitis.
How did your vet diagnose the pancreatitis? Our vet told us the common
blood test for pancreatitis (I believe it's called a TLI) isn't done for
ferrets. There was one lab that used to do it but they are no longer in
business. All the labs in the U.S. and Canada he tried to contact had
no normal values for a ferret TLI, so any results they could have
produced would not have been meaningful.
Pertwee's diagnosis of pancreatitis was educated guesswork. The fact
that he responded so well to Viokase-V (pancreatic enzyme added to his
food) makes it probable that it was a correct diagnosis on our vet's
part, and we mix a quarter teaspoon of the Viokase into chicken gravy
for him two to three times a day. I am curious how your vet is going to
treat the pancreatitis and I wanted to share what worked for Pertwee,
but more than that, I wanted to know if he's got a real way to confirm
the diagnosis.
All the best,
Caity and the non-stop nine