From:
ferrets4all.aol.com
Date: 2002-07-01 23:40:20 UTC
Subject: Questions about Mosby
Author wrote:
> Last week, I posted the following on the Yahoo Groups FHL. Unfortunately, it
> received no replies. I am reposting it here, hoping someone can answer at
> least some of my questions.
> 1)Is the diabetes actually caused by the pred? Or is it a further
> malfunction of the pancreas. Do we know why this happens?
We don't really know why it happens. There are several types of diabetes, and prednisone may result in islet exhaustion (with the pancreas striving against the hyperglycemic effects of prednisone). Certainly there are a number of cases in which animals that have been on hyperglycemic agents such as Pred or Proglycem have eventually developed diabetes. This is one of the reasons that I generally counsel surgical intervention for insulinoma rather than rely on long-term medical treatment. However the vast majority of animal on long-term pred simply stop responding to its hyperglycemic effects.
> 2)Could the fever have been related to the diabetic condition, or is
> it likely to be something else? If he had an infection, could it have been
> brewing for a while, and the symptoms have been hidden by the pred?
A sudden fever in a sick animal is often a sign of a developing gastric ulcer - substances from the GI tract which are banne from the bloodstream now have easy access to it. Diabetes is generally not associated with fever.
> 3) Would having a pathologist look at the pancreas provide us with
> additional information that might help us make better decisions in
> the future?
Actually, I am working with Mike Garner on the pathology of diabetes in ferrets, so the info is certainly timely and we hope that it will be useful.
> 4) If pathology work would be advised, are there any other organs
> that should be looked at? I have most of them, except the heart. My vet
> thought the intestine was the most likely source of the infection, and so I
> also have sections of it.
We'll look at all of it, but in a general workup for diabetes, the pancreas is always the most important organ.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM