From:
<caitlyn@mizuhoradio.com>
Date: 2003-12-02 20:18:01 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: pancreatomy advice!
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <4098499.1070391796106.JavaMail.nobody@chromium.smartgroups.com>
Hi, everyone,
> Originally surgeries were performed on my own
> personal ferrets and sometimes shelter ferrets and
> with several different vets, all experienced and I
> never had any success, plus the surgeries were so
> stressful! I decided after losing several of my very
> favorite ferrets at 4-5 years of age after surgery,
> that I would find a way to maintain them medically and
> with that I have had great success.
This is contrary to a lot of my (admittedly limited) experience. Our vet
prefers to go the medical route until a low dosage of pred doesn't work any
more and then does surgery. We've had three surgeries done on ferrets at
ages not quite four, eight, and eight. We've had one ferret treated
strictly medically for two years who is now five and a half.
Ker Avon is our poster child for insulinoma surgery. He wasn't quite four
when the disease struck and it progressed quickly. I rushed him into the
vet one afternoon and when I got there he was spacing out. His blood
glucose was somewhere in the 20s. Our vet had to give him a dextrose
solution IV to snap him out of it. Surgery was done the following week.
It's been more than a year and a half since then: no meds, no symptoms,
normal blood glucose.
Podo is our second insulinoma surgery poster child. Our vet had serious
reservations about surgery on an eight year old but at the dosage he needed
to maintain a reasonable blood glucose (.3ml pediapred at 1ml/mg
concentration twice a day) he had chronic diarrhea. We opted for surgery in
August, 2002. Podo must have had insulinoma for a long time. The surgery
rejuvenated him like nothing else had done. Now nine Podo loves to wrestle
and play and doesn't seem to understand he's supposed to be old. Podo went
ten months without meds. He's back on pred, but so far at only .15ml 2x
daily and is tolerating it well.
Kodo also had surgery because he seemed to reach a point with pred where he
wasn't getting benefit any more. He had surgery just two weeks after Podo.
His time without meds was only four months but he is still on a lower
dosage than before surgery and still is getting benefit from pred. Kodo has
a host of other medical issues and old age is really catching up with him,
but so far he's still happy, affectionate, and somewhat active. I'm
convinced surgery extended his life.
My point: Every ferret is different. What's right for one is not
necessarily right for another. I trust our vet and I go with his advice as
to when and if to do surgery. I certainly wouldn't rule it out.
All the best,
Caity and the exuberant eight