Message Number: SG11422 | New FHL Archives Search
From: cyprus4211@aol.com
Date: 2004-11-14 17:10:32 UTC
Subject: Raid Breathing, Not urinating as much
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3639386.1100452232665.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>

Hi, I have posted several times about my insulinomic 6 year old male ferret=
Tibbie. For a few weeks I have had him on a karo syrup and soup diet. His =
prednisolone was not working at all, but the diazoxide does. The karo/soup =
diet works great for hours. He went from having low 40's blood sugars all t=
he time to 100's, 70's lowest. He has been weak from the prolonged pred use=
and has gained a lot of weight.Two vets that saw him thought he may have l=
ymphoma. The x-rays looked like fat though, but all of his lymph nodes are =
large. At that time his blood sugars were always low and I did not want to =
put him through the stress of additional tests, especially if nothing could=
be done. =

He was on .6ml prednisolone- strength 30mg/5ml 2x a day
diazoxide- .5ml 2x a day strength- .25mg/0.25ml
fluromoside (sp?)(otherwise known as lasix)
The lasix is because the vet saw some fluid in his bronchial tubes in the x=
-ray. To make sure he didn't have the startings of congestive heart failure=
we started him on a low dose. =

I cut back the pred. on the 3rd to .45 because he would not eat and had to =
be force fed. His stomach can't handle that. When I cut it back he ate just=
fine. Since then I cut the pred back by .5ml every day. Did I do that too =
fast? Can that do something to him? He was on .30ml and I upped it a little=
yesterday to .35ml to see if that helped any.

I cut the diazoxide back to .4 because it works fine at that dose.

The lasix I change according to how much fluid he looks like he has in him.=
He has trouble getting around, he pees a river and then he can walk around=
better. I am right now giving him .35ml 3 times a day

Two days ago he started taking carafate 1ml 3 times a day. He had been pawi=
ng at him mouth and grinding his teeth a lot. I have not heard him doing th=
at, except right after he gets the carafate to I may reduce that to 2x a da=
y.

About 2 days ago he started breathing faster and and times a little labored=
. He doesn't want to get up and move because that makes him breath harder. =
He was doing so good up till 2 days ago and was much more active. I don't h=
ear fluid in his lungs, they don't sound raspy. He isn't gasping for air, j=
ust breathing a little harder and faster. He has been breathing faster for =
months since he put on so much weight. He also hasn't been peeing much, es=
pecially since he has had more lasix lately. Usually a half hour after he g=
ets his lasix he pees a ton, then he pees every few hours. He only seems to=
go every 4 or 5 hours and it's a small amount. We have cut his food back, =
he only eats soup, but still he should go more. He doesn't seem to be in pa=
in, just uncomfortable. If I hold him so he's on his back he panicks like h=
e can't breath. I don't know if I can get ahold of a vet today is the probl=
em. I know I can tomorrow, I just hope he doesn't get any worse. Any sugges=
tions? sorry for such a long post. He has had surgery once for insulinoma, =
his spleen removed and his left adrenal gland removed. The vet said she cou=
ldn't even find the other adrenal gland. He also has had thinning hair on h=
is head, behind his ears and a little on his shoulders for a while. =

Angelica

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