From:
maja.conc@volja.net
Date: 2004-12-27 12:36:05 UTC
Subject: another insulinoma question
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <100041.1104150965661.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
My ferret is assumed to have insulinoma. She is a 3,5 castrated girl. In september her weight has dropped pretty much from 850 to 700. She gained some in this time - we are now circling around 750 and were up to 770g.
Her blood glucose has been tested and first reading was 61.3 (mid of November), the second was 90 (two days after first reding) and the last (past Friday) was horribly low - 36. The blood sample was pretty small and the result is not 100% accurate (this were the lab technician words). we'll be doing it again tomorrow and also a CBC and chemistry pannel will be done.
beside being really skinny she is doing ok (I guess). no exces salivation, no seizures, no mouth pawing... Maybee she sleeps a bit more, but when she is awake she is playfull as normal. she has days when she doesn't eat enough and I have to force her with hand feeding.
I have two different questions:
Fist - is betters to imediatly start her on cortisones (prednisone) or is better to first schedule an operation. US was allready done, but no tumors were seen on pancreas. Other internal organs were b.p.
Second - I was wanting to add another ferret (beside her we have onother girl and on boy). He is an abandoned senior male - he is around 7 or 8 years. would another ferret be to big shcok for her - I belive that stresfull life makes it even worse, because of glucose level hopping up and down?
any help would be appreaciated.
maja