From:
Julie Fossa
Date: 2002-01-14 00:20:00 UTC
Subject: Diabetes?
Please help me with Spike. She has NOT had surgery
for insulinoma, yet has a Multistix Glucose reading of
2000 or more mg/dL, with no ketones, and a Bayer Elite
Glucometer glucose reading of 418 today. Some
background:
Surrendered 4/2/01 Age 6.5 yrs. M.F. origin.
Blind. Adrenal. Wt: 585 gms. Enlarged vulva, with
some hairloss across hips, but soft coat.
Treated with Albon for coccidia and Ivomec for
earmites. (Standard)
Tested for ADV 4/5/01 Negative.
Apparently, there was some reason we tested her BG on
4/24/01...135 on a Bayer Elite Glucometer.
Retested for ADV on 4/25/01 Negative
Surgeries: Bilateral Adrenal 5/6/01 Wt: 700 gms.
Diagnosis: Adrenocortical carcinoma, bilateral.
Comment: ...appeared to be exised with narrow margins
and close observation for recurrence would be prudent.
Fair prognosis... NOTE: it took 5-6 months before
vulvar swelling went away. I wouldn't say it ever
went completely away.
Surgery to remove mast cell tumor from left side of
neck, 9/16/01. No path done. NOTE: incision formed
huge, thick scab, that took several months to clear
and heal.
Vaccination history: Brought current on CDV 7/23/01,
FervacD. Rabies, 7/25/01
Spike did well for quite some time, eating a regular,
dry diet, but in or around Sept/October began to
develop 'banana pudding' stools with a bad odor.
Appetite off, and started on soft food, again.
Since the "Utah Kids" had brought with them coccidia,
I suspected maybe I had carried it in on my
clothes...treated her with Albon for 10 days. No
change. (clean fecal)
11/9/01 thru 11/23/01 Switched to Amoxy. No change.
Stool now had very offensive 'stinky feet' odor.
Noticed that Spike's vulva starting to swell again
(pencil eraser, sized), and she is loosing a lot of
hair, all over. (early Dec.)
12/12/01 All fecals at this point have shown nothing.
Hesitant to biopsy due to slow healing from simple
mast cell removal. Stool looks exactly like the
Gerber food that was fed to her. Opt to try to treat
for EE.
Ivomec inj. 0.03 diluted in ringers, on 12/12/01.
Started 0.75 ml Pediapred 2 X day. Showing some
improvement in the diarrhea, with frequent relapses.
Diet has been thinned Gerber Chicken food with
occasional Ferretvite or Dyne, since September. Was
accepting B.C Chicken Gravy last spring, but stopped.
Second dose of Ivomec, 12/26/01, 0.05 ml diluted in
Ringers. Continued with Pediapred dosing. Stool is
showing greater improvement in color (normal) and is
formed. Occasional 'pudding' stool.
Weight: 1/4/02 800 gms.
1/11/02 Opt to treat a third time with the Ivomec, at
the 0.05 ml dose, and continue the Pediapred for two
more weeks, to see if this takes care of it. Stool
still has a rather offensive odor. Appetite is good,
energy level, fair. Always is 'alert' for the food
bowl! Feel this treatment has brought about some
improvement.
1/12/02 Spike leaves me a perfectly clear puddle.
(She doesn't usually puddle on the floor.) I checked
it with a strip, and found the glucose spilling over
into the urine. BG high on 1/13/02. (See first
paragraph) Weight: 1/13/02 is 1055 gms.
We will start by weaning her off of the Pediapred.
(What is the quickest that can safely be done?)
Questions:
Is this a high enough Pediapred dose to cause this?
Is it likely that simply by removing Pred from her
meds, it will be enough to bring her glucose back into
the normal range?
Other than standard bloodwork, which I will see about
on Monday, what else can we do at this point? Fluids?
She already looks like she could pop! (I figured it
was the pred...)
Is she a candidate for Lupron, with the Lupron
possibly regulating the glucose (Sukie's post re:
Judith's Sabine, June 23, 2001)?
If I add Chromiun to her feedings (which I have
managed to get her to accept diluted Bob's Chicken
Gravy again, as of today), how much, how often? If
this is not the best diet for her, what would be?
Just exactly what does a cortisol producing adrenal
tumor do? Is it possible that she could have that
much adrenal tissue regenerated in less than a year?
(she never needed anything to stabilize her
electrolytes after her bilateral.)
I talked to my vet this afternoon. He asked me if I
could get any suggestions from this group. I have
searched the archives. There isn't a lot on ferrets
with diabetes. (Would this be considered diabetes?)
Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations I
can take to my vet tomorrow or Tuesday? Other than
ketones, is there anything I should be watching for?
Is there anything special I should be doing for her
while we are weaning her off of the Pred? So many
questions.
Thanks,
Julie
=====
Julie Fossa
West Central Ohio Ferret Shelter
419/ 225-8383
"Just A Place To Hang Your Hammock
While You're Looking for A Home!"
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