From:
deevecchione
Date: 2002-04-05 11:57:00 UTC
Subject: Pred, duck soup & weight gain
Hi FHL,
My 6 y.o sprite, Molly, was just diagnosed with Insulinoma. She hid
it very well until 2 weeks ago, when she started getting very wobbly
in the hind end, lethargic, and then just layed down and rolled onto
her side (the dreaded ferret position). She had been having mucousy
diarrhea and her appetite was poor, too. I suspected Insulinoma, and
a vet exam showed a fasting blood sugar in the 50's. We started her
on pred tabs, .25 mg twice daily, Suprax antibiotic to help with the
IBD, and regular feedings of duck soup (my IBD version of 1/4 can
A/D, 1/2 jar Gerber's lamb or turkey, and a tablespoon of canned
pumpkin-it really helps to add bulk to their stool). I feed her as
much as she wants, 4 x's daily. She won't touch her kibble any more.
I guess I've managed to spoil her. ;-)
It's been about two weeks, her energy level is coming back, her
appetite is great, and her stools are perfect little pumpkin-tinged
ones. She's getting FAT, though. She's up by at least 1 lb, almost
doubling her weight, which has always been about 1.5 lbs. Should I
cut back on quantity of food at each feeding, the number of times I'm
feeding her, or what I'm feeding her?
How can I get her to start eating some kibble? I don't care if I have
to feed her this stuff forever, but I AM concerned about her teeth. I
hate to stress her with brushing them, but I'll do it if I have to. I
also don't want to see her get lethargic from her weight gain either.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Dodie in NJ