From:
ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2002-06-12 17:23:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Digest Number 773
In a message dated 06/12/02 11:04:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Ferret-Health-list@yahoogroups.com writes:
The doctor said that she is most likely getting an adrenal tumor
because of too much cortuzol (sp?) from both the possible adrenal
tumor as well as the prednisone. Instead of 0.3 cc's of prednisone
twice a day, the doctor decreased the dosage to 0.15 cc's twice
per
day.
Hmm - is this Pediapred or a similar concentration? Because if so,
I have never seen a ferret on this low a dosage of pred have any
problems, much less signs of adrenal disease. Insulinoma is a more
pressing problem, IMO, and I would probably recommend putting her
back on the 0.3 cc's of pred. Or even higher if need be, because I
suspect that her downswing is related to the lower dose of pred
causing her blood sugar to drop.
She seems really weak, but she has never had any stupor
experiences
nor any seizures. But her body shakes, and she eats only when I
give
her the predisone mixed with Gerber's baby food, or only when I
sit
food right by her nose. She is close to 8 years old, and she does
not
appear to act normal, even less normal when she was doing fine the
past year while taking prednisone.
Have you been checking her blood sugar levels regularly? I find
that most ferrets require increasing doses of pred as the insulinoma
progresses, and she may just need more pred, or possibly proglycem.
I realize that euthanasia may be the better option, but it still
does
not explain why she suddenly took this turn while acting normal
with
the other ferrets just 2 weeks ago. Any insight would be helpful.
This really sounds to me as if her insulinoma is the problem.
Adrenal disease, especially in females, is rarely a sudden problem,
and not life threatening. Of course, there may be other things
going on, but I would, if she were mine, definitely do some
bloodwork, and check to see what was going on. With the lower dose
of pred, and the signs she's exhibiting, that would absolutely be my
first thought.
Dr. Ruth
*****************************************
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