From:
"Roger Vaughn"
Date: 2002-08-18 15:27:16 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Is 48 hours too long to fast?
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <2111.192.168.132.34.1029684436.squirrel@webmail.seaconinc.com>
> experienced. They (new vet) called and left message saying she
> needed to fast for 48 hours. O.K for water only. Is this for
> possible adrenal blood work? Surgery?
Are you sure she didn't say 4 to 8 hours? I have *never* heard of 48
hours, not even for a human.
An otherwise healthy ferret can survive without food for 48 hours, but
for a medical fast, that's completely unnecessary. For an insulinomic
ferret, a fast like that is more like a death sentence.
This is probably for bloodwork. Certain values, particularly blood
glucose, need to be taken at fasting levels. On the other hand, a 48
hour fast would probably put the ferret's body into "survival" mode,
which may affect blood values itself. (This is a wild extrapolation -
vets?)
I can't imagine that any vet, particularly an inexperienced one in a
non-emergency situation, would jump right into surgery without
discussing it fully with you first. That's why I suspect this is for
bloodwork.
And then again, there is only one blood test for adrenal disease - the
Tennessee panel - and it is fairly expensive and somewhat inconclusive
(many test come back as "may be adrenal"). Most vets opt to go
straight to surgery instead of doing this test.
Please call your vet and find out what this was for. Confirm that
time again, as well. You should never be in the dark about your pet's
care, or about what your vet plans to do.
I am not a vet.
roger and the six sneaker snatchers
missing bear