Message Number: SG3881 | New FHL Archives Search
From: whiteweasel@earthlink.net
Date: 2003-04-02 17:46:03 UTC
Subject: re: ferret with insulinoma
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3E8ADB8B.25674.8D59C52@localhost>

On 1 Apr 2003 at 20:10, nieta1985@msn.com wrote:

> Have a ferret just diagnosed with Insulinoma. she was put on predisone today.
> How long does it usually take to take any kind of effect?

I agree with Pam :) You should see some improvement in a few hours. After a
2-3 days you'll know how she's doing on that dosage. Checking her glucose again after
that is a good idea so that your vet can adjust the dosage as needed.

The only exception I've seen (and I've seen it twice) is a ferret who either responds to
prednisone poorly or not at all. It is entirely possible to see no improvement at all, which
may mean a bigger dosage or a different medication is in order. Where we've had
ferrets not do as well as expected on a moderate dosage of prednisone our vet opted to
go straight to surgery, all with really good results.

The usual disclaimer applies: I am not a vet, but four of our ferrets have/had
insulinoma. The good news: all of them are still here. Three are doing brilliantly, and
the fourth is doing OK but is just plain old and has other issues.

All the best,
Caity and the non-stop nine