From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-02-16 15:11:41 UTC
Subject: RE: neurological problem?? WAS:prednisone already? or wait?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <5284147.1108566701095.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
DEFINITELY have the blood glucose levels run to check for insulinoma. Thes=
e growths are often so small that our vets have used microscopes and touch =
to find them -- "like little bits of sand that have to be popped out" is ho=
w one described a common scenario. Prednisolone is the most common medicat=
ion given for insulinoma.
If it is lymphoma then it might be in the pancreas now. If so, the Prednis=
olone is needed even more to get the blood sugar levels out of dangerous ra=
nges. =
Lymphoma or carcinoma in the pancreas will behave much like insulinoma thou=
gh sometimes the attacks will come on suddenly and can even kill -- that al=
most happened with the first signs of each in the two ferrets we had with t=
hose diseases (the first with lymphoma in the pancreas (Fritter) and the se=
cond with carcinoma in the pancreas (Ashling)). For both Prednisone and Di=
azoxide were very important. Both had no signs till they crashed so badly =
that both stopped breathing completely and very gentle cheek puff artifical=
respiration to nose and mouth (like infant AR but smaller gentle amounts) =
became necessary (and also body warming in a bath which temp we took, too,=
for Lingity whose temperature dropped into dangerous levels well below the=
norm for ferrets (101 to 103)). Ashling needed AR almost as soon as we fo=
und her in the crash and also later in the car on the way for car, and Frit=
needed it in the car on the way for help. Ashling went on to have another=
3 months with carcinoma with care (It is a very fast malignancy there and =
we were told that was good amount of time for her), and Fritter had another=
9 months with care, but ferrets vary widely with lympho.
I tried the pressure thing on two known healthy ferrets here at home. The =
first did not nod, but the second nodded and yawned, like they do with neck=
scruffing, so maybe it is a variation and doesn't mean anything, or maybe =
a coincidence that one of our's did it and it is a symptom. Later I'll try=
two more because my curiousity is going. was the ferret scruffed at the t=
ime? Nodding and yawning are common for that.
The thing about Prednisolone is that liver makes Prednisone into Prednisolo=
ne, so by giving Prednisolone the liver processing step is skipped, this me=
ans that those whose livers are at all compromised sometimes wind up not ge=
tting any benefit from Prednisone but Prednisolone will work wonderfully. W=
e find it is usually best to give it twice a day, but have sometimes had on=
es who get better coverage three times as day. Also, we have had some who =
had higher levels than the noted maximums for ferrets and did fine -- when =
we had to choose between trying that or providing a mercy shot -- but ferre=
ts vary in that regard. It is necessary to adjust meds according to the in=
dividual, too. Prednisolone and Prednisone can worsen or sometimes cause u=
lcers in ferrets. If your vet decides to also give Carafate as a stomach b=
andage give it at different times than the Prednisolone.
On page 33 of _Essentials of Ferrets, a guide for practitioners_ Dr. Karen =
Purcell lists =
Prednisone/Prednisolone as =
0.10-2.5 mg/kg q 12-24h PO
Hope that helps.
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