From:
"Patricia Kaczorowski"
Date: 2007-02-13 02:54:25 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Comatose Ferret
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
Any blood sugar too low can cause a seizure activity, the brain needs glucose to function -in humans the first signs of a low sugar may be shakiness, unsteadiness, light headed, dizzy, but some that are quickly fallen low may just pass out or go comatose. All of the symptoms from mild to the more severe, are from the lack of glucose to the brain. Glucose is the 'fuel' for the brain and it is dependent upon it.
Plus some people, and I am sure ferrets with history of hypoglycemia can get used the low sugars and not show any signs until so low they don't have enough food for the brain. I had a teenage patient who was hypoglycemic, and he would present every month or so in a seizure, or found unconscious. He just didn't have many symtpoms until it was too late, or was so used to the lower sugars he never realized how low he was and of course, being a teenager was not real compliant with testing.
It is much more dangerous to have too low a sugar than too high, at least for short term bad outcomes. That is why it is important, especially with diabetics, to know what the glucose is before treating when the patient is found out of it or unconscious. And the glucose should be monitored to pick up on the low numbers before symptoms are present ( or shortly thereafter).
The seizure activity can be very subtle, just a little twitching or staring and drooling- plus prolonged seizure activity can cause a secondary low blood sugar- or use up what is left. The lowest I have seen in a human was "0' - that person did survive, took insulin and didnt' eat, but was close call. I don't think it really maters, if the glucose is below 30, it is affecting the brain in some way= seizure activity doesn't have to be present to have damage to the brain or have the brain being adversely affected. The immediate treatment is to raise the blood sugar- IV glucose or is still awake oral glucose, in humans at least.
Here is a quote from a study in humans to explain why there may not be any symptoms before the seizure or brain is affected by the low glucose:
"In addition to adversely affecting cognition, recurrent hypoglycemia may also
impair the body's defense mechanisms against hypoglycemia, creating a vicious
cycle for the patient. Normally, hypoglycemia triggers a series of hormonal
and neural responses designed to restore glucose concentration towards
normal, to maintain brain metabolism. A component of this counterregulatory
response is the secretion of epinephrine, which generates "neurogenic"
symptoms (e.g., palpitations, sweating, anxiety) that serve to warn the
patient of the dropping blood glucose. The patient can then take action
(i.e., eat) to help reverse the hypoglycemia. A major problem in many
individuals with diabetes is a progressive decay in the counterregulatory
response over time, resulting in "hypoglycemia unawareness." Epinephrine
secretion is not triggered by falling blood glucose levels and, therefore, no
neurogenic symptoms occur to warn the patient of a problem. The individual
fails to become aware of hypoglycemia and does not initiate appropriate
responses. This can result in prolonged hypoglycemia, with consequent brain
injury, seizure or loss of consciousness. "
Patty
-----
Sukie, we may be saying basically the same thing. I had read (and I don't remember where it was) that when the insulin doesn't have enough glucose in the blood, then it will go after the glucose supply in the brain as sort of a last resort, thus depleting the brain of the glucose it needs to function normally and causing the seizure. Maybe a vet can tell us more about the cause and effect reaction of low blood glucose and seizures, and what it is that gets a ferret's body to the point of having a seizure, as opposed to the less violent symptoms of hypoglycemia.
Jeff
.
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