Message Number: YG10695 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Moxie
Date: 2002-01-14 21:23:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Insulinoma - surgical or medical management??

For those who don't read the FML, I just wanted to let you know my
special little boy, Chance didn't make it after insulinoma surgery. Sad
thing is the surgery worked. His glucose was normal, but he must have
had an underlying kidney problem that didn't show up and he ended up
having kidney failure at the age of 3. My vet had never seen anything
like it; we both stared in shock at the numbers. His BUN was 180. I
brought him home for two days on i.v. fluids, but we checked his blood
again and his numbers did not improve, so I had to let my boy go. He
was the best boy I ever had and not a day will go by that I won't ache
for him. Poor little thing had so much wrong with him at too early of
an age. I would like to thank all of you who helped me with advice
before and after surgery. I thought I made the right decision for
him. Most of you have experienced loss so you understand. After all
this heartbreak, we're getting a breeder ferret who hopefully won't have
the bad genetics that my boy had. Chance will never be replaced but I
need someone to play with and to somewhat fill the empty hole in my
heart.
Moxie always missing Chance

--




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--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Kim V <grferrets@y...>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have 2 ferrets (approximate ages 5 and 6 years)
> recently diagnosed with insulinoma. They seem
> completely healthy otherwise, although one has had a
> previous (single) adrenal surgery.
>
> My question: Which is the better way to treat
> insulinoma? With surgery or Pred? They are both
> currently on Pred twice a day and doing very well -
> all symptoms have decreased or disappeared.
>
> I appreciate any input - especially from the vets.
>


Dear Kim -

It is no secret - at least on this list, that I far prefer
to do
surgery early on, and reserve medical treatment for
non-surgical
candidates.

It is inevitable that these ferrets will become refractory
to the
prednsione over time, and then surgery will be required.
However, at
that point they may have become non-surgical candidates.

Surgery gives a 60% chance of cure if done early, and this
number
decreases over time. The remaining 40% will develop
additional
tumors within the next 10 moths, but that's the equivalent
of a 10
year interval for a human.


With kindest regards,


Bruce Williams, dVM




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