Message Number: YG12215 | New FHL Archives Search
From: heyjennirwin@aol.com
Date: 2002-04-02 15:03:00 UTC
Subject: Is This Insulinoma?? What do I do??? Please Help!!!

Hello Fellow Ferret Lovers:)

I have had quite a scary evening and I hope that you can all give me some
advice, help, etc. My 3 1/2 year old ferret Badger has been having some odd
things going on and I am thinking about adrenal and insulinoma. I will
describe the symptoms and I hope that you will please write me back with tips
and advice and your own personal experiences dealing with this.

Recently, Badge has been losing weight, pretty quickly in fact. At first I
thought it was just winter weight loss, but he has lost more than the others
and it is starting to worry me. Then tonight, I was in their room playing
with everyone and Badger put his front paws on the edge of a litter box to
look in and he lost his balance and fell over. He laid there for about 2
seconds, like 1 mississippi, 2 mississippi, and while he was laying there he
seemed to be shaking. Not like a violent seizure, just sort of mildly
shivering. It freaked me out so I picked him up and laid him on my lap. He
was sort of standing up but he was holding still (not walking) and sort of
shaking again. He seemed out of it, like how people describe when talking
about Insulinoma. He was not salivating more than normal. He had also just
before that bitten me very hard. He used to be a bad biter and he still can
be every once and awhile, but normally with strangers only. Well he really
got me hard tonight and I had to pry him off my hand. I am going to keep a
very close eye on him and try to call the vet in the morning. There is a vet
that I take my cats to but he is not very experienced with ferrets as he is
fresh out of college. I would like to take them to a vet that I have heard
is very ferret knowledgable that lives about 25-30 minutes away. I will be
trying to find out where he is exactly and make an appointment.

In the mean time, what should I be doing??? I have read about karo syrup or
honey in Ferrets For Dummies. How much should I use?? When should I do
this?? when he seems sort of dazed???

When we do go to the vet, what tests should I make sure are performed and
what should the normal results be?? A blood Glucose test should be
performed right?? What is considered Normal for that??? Anything else I
should make sure is done???

Any other tips would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance, and
please keep my little deaf blaze in your prayers.

Jennifer and Badger