Message Number: SG13320 | New FHL Archives Search
From: amandadegraw@hotmail.com
Date: 2005-04-03 01:14:43 UTC
Subject: Mystery cause of seizure-need some input
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <2839701.1112490883607.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>

This is a long one...sorry!

I recently posted that I thought my ferret Cody had a seizure this morning.=
He was staring off into space when I found him and was not responding to m=
e when I picked him up. I gave him about 3 ccs of Karo syrup over a 30 min =
period. He started to perk up a bit. I also gave him some turkey baby food =
with the prednisolone I have had him on for a week now, because he was show=
ing signs of insulinoma(see previous posts). The prednisolone dosage is 0.5=
ml BID of the 1mg/ml solution. About 5 hours after this incident, Cody was=
still acting very listless and lethargic and not quite with it. I brought =
him in to the E-clinic to have blood tests ran. They were not able to get e=
nough blood to do a full panel, but what they found was normal, except his =
glucose...it was 366. I know this is way too high. The vet didn't know what=
to think or what to do for him. At that time he was more alert, but still =
very lethargic. She wanted to keep him overnight on fluids and do a glucose=
curve, but it would have cost me over 1000$, which I cannnot afford. I bro=
ught cody home for the night to be monitored, and am bringing him back in t=
he morning for another glucose check. Has anyone ever experienced this befo=
re? Is it possible htat he is diabetic, or could it be insulin resistance d=
ue to some other disease? There is a chance that cody has lymphoma, as he d=
oes have enlarged lymphnodes. The vet said there was some suspicious lookin=
g blood cells...I'm not sure how to describe...she said they looked like bl=
ood cells from a ferret with lymphoma...but not as bad as what she normally=
sees with ferts with lymphoma, if that makes sense. Could I have given Cod=
y too much food/karo syrup and caused his glucose to shoot up like that? Do=
es anyone have any advice? I am at a lost, and it seems like the vet is as =
well. I have to add a bit about Cody's history at this time, as it may shed=
some light on this subject to some people...Cody has never been what I cal=
l "right" in the head. He has always seemed odd to me, just not with it com=
pared to the other ferts. He has been off balance for quite some time now, =
he falls over when he shakes. The last vet I saw that it was mor in his hea=
d that from insulinoma because his right side didn't respond normally to th=
e kinds of neurological tests vets do. The vet said to keep an eye on him a=
nd see if when he does tip over, if it is always to one side, based on his =
findings. I have noticed since that appointment a week ago that he does alw=
ays fall to the right. And after his "seizure" this morning, I would let hi=
m down to walk, he would take a few steps, then slowly fall to his right si=
de. So, the e-clinic vet and I are worried this is vesitbularly related. I =
just thought I would add that in. Thank you sooooo much to whom ever take s=
hte time to read this and offer me input. My cody means the world to me, an=
d I will do everything in my power to help him.
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