From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2004-07-15 16:40:51 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Another sick ferret
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3794357.1089911193346.JavaMail.nobody@chromium.smartgroups.com>
Hi, Robyn, and everyone else.
It sounds like it could be insulinoma. Has your vet
checked Georgie's blood glucose? If it's low our vet
would opt for medication (pediapred) to bring the
blood glucose up. If that doesn't work and if Georgie
is a strong and healthy eight year old he'd probably
consider surgery. Our Kodo had insulinoma surgery at
age eight and went on to live for another year and a
half. Having said that, NOT doing surgery is what our
vet would strongly prefer if a low to moderate dosage
of pediapred (prednisolone) would work to maintain
blood glucose in a ferret that age.
If you hadn't mentioned hind end weakness and were
just talking about lethargy I'd have thought of plain,
ordinary depression at the loss of a lifelong
companion. That could still be a part of it. There
isn't much you can do about that except to give her
lots of love and attention. Even if she has
insulinoma that certainly wouldn't hurt :)
If it does turn out to be insulinoma you may want to
supplement her diet with Bob Church's Chicken Gravy
(see: http://www.trifl.org/gravy ) It's believed to
help ferrets with insulinoma and our vet has become
quite the believer in it for ferrets who are in any
way compromised.
I'd certainly have her glucose checked as the first
step.
Good luck,
Caity and the stupendous six