From:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 2003-12-16 06:20:35 UTC
Subject: Re: Head Tilting/Loss of Balance
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <87.16c0233.2d0ffe33@aol.com>
Last month, I had a 3 year old sprite with acute onset of right head tilt and
right hemiparesis with circling and disorientation just as you describe. I
knew her to have insulinoma, knew she had gone several hours without eating,
and highly doubted an ear infection. I tested at home and found severely low
glucose, and treated the episode as hypoglycemia, although she had never shown
those symptoms with hypoglycemia prior (previously, she always presented with
caudal paraparesis, disorientation, and hypersalivation). I couldn't find
anyone to confirm head tilt as being BG related, but her vet agreed with the
treatment.
Her symptoms did not immediately cease after raising her BG level (which the
hind-end weakness and salivation always did, within minutes), and the head
tilt lasted through the next day, but then slowly disappeared with an increased
dose of Prednisolone. I never found an explanation for the episode except for
her reaching a pre-seizure state of hypoglycemia. It hasn't repeated and she
continues to be treated for insulinoma.
Your blood chemistry shows normal glucose, but you mention weightloss and
excessive sleeping as often seen with insulinoma. I would be interested to hear
anything you figure out about your girl, good luck to you.
xxxx