From:
Pam Sessoms
Date: 2005-04-03 04:09:09 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Mystery cause of seizure-need some input
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com, amandadegraw@hotmail.com
Message-ID: <5c46b4a4050402200968d7383d@mail.gmail.com>
>The prednisolone dosage is 0.5 ml BID of the 1mg/ml solution. <snip>
I brought him in to >the E-clinic to have blood tests ran. They were
not able to get enough 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.
This sounds like a really complicated case, with the neuro signs and
everything, but I wanted to say that I've had numerous ferrets swing
from insulinoma to diabetes on pred. I don't know why my ferrets have
this special talent, but it seems to be a not at all uncommon thing in
my household. So far, they have all returned to having normal blood
sugars by whittling the pred down. How long has Cody been on pred?
(sorry, I have not gone back to read all of the previous posts).
With my guys, what my vet and I would do given Cody's dosing schedule
is something like this, assuming he's been on pred too long to stop
cold turkey. Immediately drop down to pred once a day (0.5ml SID) for
a day or two. Then go to half the dose (ie, 0.25 ml SID) for a day or
two. Monitor blood sugar. After a couple more days, half it again if
the blood sugar is still high, etc.
Mine have all straightened out with this strategy and have not had to
go on insulin, although certainly other people have had ferrets that
did need insulin. Get some urine strips at the drug store to look for
ketones in Cody's urine - if there are ketones in the urine, the
situation is much more dangerous, and you need to seriously think
about starting insulin. Mine have had normal blood sugar for a short
period and then become insulinomic again, at which time pred was added
back, but very conservatively.
I do not know what causes this to happen. Looking at other cases, a
couple of people have had these topsy-turvy insulinomic/diabetic
ferrets turn around on Lupron, making me wonder about insulin
resistance secondary to the hormones from adrenal disease. Another
case or two responded to Baytril, making me wonder about some kind of
bacterial pancreatitis.
Please keep up the supportive care, and let us know how it goes. With
the neurological signs, I just do not know what to think of Cody, but
I am sending all my best wishes and support your way.
-Pam S.