From:
Pam Sessoms
Date: 2003-01-10 19:21:53 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Home Glucose test result - 28!
To: snobound@aol.com
cc: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <Pine.A41.4.44+UNC.0301101411190.43194-100000@login4.isis.unc.edu>
On Fri, 10 Jan 2003 snobound@aol.com wrote:
>
> ***You mean she didn't have any bodily functions, (like she couldn't
> control her bladder)?
What I really meant is that she couldn't get her belly off the floor, and
her hind legs were splayed out to the side, frog-like, and she would
paddle them when pulling herself along with her front legs. It was quite
sad; she broke my heart. I used a belly sling a lot to help her get
around. However, she did have a separate issue with a tumor inside her
vagina (caused bloody urine) and her bladder would get really huge before
she would urinate. Come to think of it, I was expressing her bladder in
her very final days, but I suspect it may have been a separate issue.
> ***This scares me - last night after I fed her I tried to use the
> glucose machine and I got a "LOW!" But she was walking a bit (wobbly
> but she was up - not looking comatose) Are you suggesting I should be
> thinking of putting her to sleep?
Oh NO NO NO I'm not suggesting you put her to sleep at this point! Sorry,
I tend to slip into "story-telling mode" despite my best efforts to stay
on-topic. With Sonic, I did have her put to sleep based on very low,
decreasing blood sugar readings, but at that point she had already:
- had surgery years before,
- been started on meds,
- become an off-and-on diabetic,
- slipped back into insulinoma,
- been on pred and had it maxxed out to around 3 mg/kg twice a day,
- been on Proglycem/diazoxide and had it maxxed out as well.
There was nothing else to do with Sonic at that time. Her glucose
readings told me she was going nowhere but worse - there were no more meds
to add and the increases weren't working anymore anyway - and I didn't
want her to start having seizures. So, I let her go. She also had
cardiomyopathy and kidney disease thrown into the mix. You are not at
that point with Melissa! I'm a surgery advocate with insulinoma. My vet
has a good knack for insulinoma surgery, so I've been fortunate.
> I still have more options even with the low glucose right? Raising her
> pred, trying the Proglycem.
Bingo! And I am sorry I scared you.
> She doesn't look uncomfortable - I mean she has a huge appetite. If she
> couldn't walk AND she had very low glucose maybe, but I'll keep feeding
> her as long as she wants it (and even after). She'll even bite on the
> syringe if she is not getting enough food out.
Those are all great signs! Definitely keep trying to give her what she
needs to fight this...
Best,
-Pam.