From:
"Sue Liszewski"
Date: 2004-01-01 23:52:51 UTC
Subject: RE: [ferrethealth] Can sulfonylureas (glyburide) be toxic to ferrets?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <Law12-F105g7x75k1ec0000af2e@hotmail.com>
I do use them in cats, yes they can lower blood sugar in animals, but we
don't typiclaly see the side effects of significant drops like with insulin.
It has other side effects as wee. One of my clients cats gets totally
knocked out and found it difficult to wake him, and these were with standard
dosages, and we got the same response with Glucophage. I agree with your
vet in that it typically doesn't work but I have had animals that it does
work in. As to whether it could cause the problems you mentioned don't
know, but the other phase of problems would be what we see in animals that
have a reaction to Sulfa drugs in general with high or chronic use and that
is effects on the eyes such as KCS which causes a condition known as dry
eye, or liver problmes, etc. No way to know for sure if it is the case but
I personally believe it is a possibility. Others may disagree, but its
medicine and we deal with biological organisms and they don't all read the
books or follow the rules. It is likely but may not be the cause with your
ferret. I know this is not exactly what you want to hear but it is my
opinion. Are you certain he got to it? Perhaps it will turn up under the
refrigerator or a table etc, Ferrets don't like many meds and I would think
he might have licked it and walked away rather then eat it. Good Luck.
Dr. Sue
>From: digitalcoyote@comcast.net
>Reply-To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
>To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
>Subject: [ferrethealth] Can sulfonylureas (glyburide) be toxic to ferrets?
>Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2004 21:00:45 +0000 (GMT)
>
>I recently had one of my ferrets who was sick from a virus of some become
>blind and ataxic. I had dropped my diabetic meds (glyburide 5mg) about a
>week before and scrambled to pick them all up. I thought I had got them all
>off the floor but at the end of the bottle I was one pill short (I take
>them in pairs, so there should be no extras unless the pharmacy
>miscounted). I had a vet tell me that sulfonylureas don't lower sugar in
>animals. She said that sulfonylureas were not effective in lowering blood
>sugar levels in animals which is why they weren't used in treating diabetic
>animals.
>
>Can sulfonylureas cause a ferret's blood sugar to go low? I believe my vet
>but I would like some more information. I'm wondering if my guy found that
>lost pill. It's really been bugging me
>
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>--
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