From:
"Jeff"
Date: 2008-12-28 17:15:26 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Advise please - ferret having seizures
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
It sounds to me as if he has insulinoma, which would account for the seizure and probably the salivating and mouth pawing. The salivating could very well be a 'minor' seizure. There is also a strong possibility that he has ulcers, which are often a secondary result of insulinoma that may be untreated. Undue stresses on the body can cause ulcers.
Did you have his blood glucose tested by the vet? A reading of 70 or below
[The member is in the UK. Does anyone know if they use the
same measurement system for this test since not all nations
do? If not, does anyone have the measurements for the UK?
--Moderator]
is almost certainly an indication of insulinoma in a ferret his age. That is the first thing you need to do, and then probably get him on Prednisolone three times daily if, in fact, his blood glucose level is low. A violent seizure like the one you described puts him at great risk both for his life and for possible brain damage, and you need to do anything you can to avoid them in the future.
You should read these two links immediately, then search the Ferret Health List link below for a ferret-knowledgeable vet in your area.
Your best place to start for info on insulinoma is this article by Dr. Bruce Williams:
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/PDF/insulinoma.pdf
And then here, from Mike Janke's site:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/treatment.htm
And here are a number of links to find recommended ferret vets:
http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/vets.htm
http://www.ferretcongress.org (crit refs but there is a lot more there)
http://www.supportourshelters.org (shelters and the vets they use)
http://www.quincyweb.net/quincy/vet.html
http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
http://www.ferretuniverse.com/index.html
http://www.geocities.com/houseferrets13uk/Vets.html (UK vets)
http://www.ferrets.org/Veterinarian_Listings.htm (British Columbia vets)
http://www.ferretnews.org/clinic.html (California-specific)
http://www.ferretsanonymous.com/medical.html (California)
http://www.vetcontact.com/en/vet.php?k=3D91 (Specialists anywhere)
You can also ask regional clubs, look in magazines, and do Google searches.
[In the UK also try:
http://www.britishferretclub.co.uk/vetlisting.htm
--Mod]
I am going to send you a lot of information on ulcers directly. They would also need to be treated immediately if, after reading the information, you and your vet believe that he does also have them. Ulcers can cause black, tarry diarrhea, acid reflux, and much indigestion and pain, which could also be a cause for the mouth pawing. If an ulcer is untreated and gets bad enough, it will perforate the stomach, causing a terrible death.
Jeff
In Memory of Neo
Caring for Trinny, Morphy, Baby Girl, Luna, and Dozer
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