Message Number: SG13320 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: amandadegraw@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 02:14:43 +0100 (BST)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Subject: Mystery cause of seizure-need some input
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.
=
=
Send comments to Pam at pjdutche@email.unc.edu. Please note that this address is only useful for questions about the FHL archive. Questions about ferret health, or those intended for the FHL, should be sent to the Ferret Health List.