From:
"ncferretmom"
Date: 2007-08-31 00:52:37 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re:Safety of sugar substitues
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Val, while I am sure that a vet can explain it to you, maybe this will help. Insulinoma in
ferrets creates hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. This same condition occurs in humans.
When given sugar, the blood glucose level rises artificially. If this artificial increase is not
maintained, it can make an even greater drop. There is evidence that the increased sugar
will also cause an increase in insulin production and that some people who become
diabetic were once hypoglycemic.
So, while it is not the same disease process, the goal is the same - to maintain normal
blood glucose levels. I am hypoglycemic and I can tell you that when the levels drop, all
you care about is getting them up. This is exactly what my diabetic friends tell me. And,
even though you know that the OJ or chocolate square you just ate WILL get it up, you feel
like you don't want to stop eating until the symptoms subside. But, due to the amt. of
sugar you ingested, it may go much higher and then fall again. When I was diagnosed, I
was also told that some people have hypoglycemic tendencies and for them, the sugar
may help. true hypoglycemics do better by maintaining a sugar free diet.
Finally, even diabetics are able to have a certain amt. of sugar, based on recent findings. I
hope this is what you wanted and it is helpful.
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, tansy <tansyhl@...> wrote:
> In
> fact, maybe one of the vets can explain to me why so
> many people treat insulinomic ferrets like diabetic
> ones when it's such a different disease. I understand
> you would not want to give MASSIVE amounts of sugar to
> an insulimomic ferret, but I've never understood why
> they need significantly more sugar restriction than a
> regular ferret.
> Val
>
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