Message Number: FHL7368 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Ferretwise
Date: 2009-01-04 21:14:03 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: Kidney disease or another opinion
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com

At 03:09 PM 1/4/2009, you wrote:

>I didn't worry too much about the low glucose because they pulled the
>blood at 1:30 on a Saturday afternoon. She had never really showed any
>signs of insulinoma before this, no staring, no lethargy, no foaming at
>the mouth etc. I just assumed as Suki did that the blood had sat around
>and the Glucose had been eaten up. She was much to alert to have had an
>actual 23 BG



MaryJo,

After caring for hundreds and hundreds of ferrets over the past 14
years I am tending to agree that your ferret has severe insulinoma
which cold end up with the ferret i a coma and perhaps
irreversible. Each ferret displays insulinoma symptoms
differently,,,BUT the most important thing to understand is that if
the blood read 23 that is very very very bad. Our lowest BG was 28
the ferret only lived 2 mos after trying everything to bring it back.

What we need to understand about insulinmoma is that as the ferrets
body digests and processes kibbles which have corn, rice & other
carbs in it the blood sugar levels peak, so the pancreas does it's
job to put insulin into the system to keep the BG levels
healthy. The problem is that year after year of insulin production
to maintain BG at safe levels the pancreas develops islet cell
tumors and there is the potential of a more invasive pancreatic
tumor. We do not see the symptoms when it first develops as the
ferret - with it's instinctive ways of concealing illness- does not
allow us to see the effects of this condition. We usually find out
when the condition is so bad they can no longer mask it.

So getting definitive dx of insulinoma and aggressive therapy is
paramount to save your ferrets life. Ignoring this is lie a death sentence.

Just some cautionary words meant to help you understand.

Alicia , a shelter Mom






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