From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-11-04 05:26:20 UTC
Subject: RE: Prednisilone dosage if rear end weakness isn''t better
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <296272.1099545980836.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
For the Diazoxide, just order it from one of teh sompounding pharmacies in a smaller quantity. Many, like the one we use here in NJ, ship, and most have 800 numbers so you can ask those sorts of questions easily.
0.4 mg of 5 mg/ml is 2 mg of the Pred. How many times a day is her getting that dose? Twice? Three times? Ferrets deal well with steroids usually and we've had ones on doses that are quite a bit higher. What does he weigh?
Here's some info I sent to someone else in a few mails today:
Diazoxide can go up to 30 mg/kg of his weight twice a day.
Is it Prednisone or Prednisolone? Prednisolone (which is what Pediapred is) works better for some ferrets.
How many times a day is he getting Pred? The optimal action window for that med is about 9 hours so giving it every 8 hours helps some.
Is he getting Prednisone or Prednislone? (Pediapred is Prednisolone.) The liver converts Prednisone to Prednisolone bu tin some ferrets that liver function is impaired so having Prednisolone can work better.
Some ferrets are more helped by the injectable rather than oral.
Remember that in end stage insulinoma it isn't unusual go above the usual recommended max if the ferret has to counter-indication. After all, if you are between death and trying something...
Sweet liquids around all the time will reduce his nausea in the late stage after meds have been maxed out and will help with his blood glucose. At that point you can use a range of things from the syrup from canned peaches in sugar syrup to Nutrical smooshed into water with forks and the milky looking oil film removed.
The vet of one FHL member will at time do surgeries on ferrets who seem to have just begun end-stage and now or then it gives a good chunk of extra time.
Oh, and one FHL member had a ferret who improved with starch added to the diet at this stage. It lasts longer in the body than sugar.