From:
"sukiedaviscrandall"
Date: 2010-03-30 16:02:45 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Insulin level
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Insulinoma is beta cell neoplasia.
Carcinoma can occur in the ferret
pancreas, but is incredibly aggressive
when it is there.
Lymphoma can also occur there and
is between the two for virulence.
(We've encountered all three in
different ferrets.)
Luckily, Carcinoma and Lymphoma
of the pancreas are rare; we've seen
only one of each in 28 years with our
ferrets.
In our experiences the one with
Lymphoma there had her in-house
blood work so "off" that they began
looking at nodes more closely because
her peripheral nodes had not yet
blown way up (though they did later).
The one with carcinoma had her blood
work also very off that for her an
ultrasound guided biopsy was done to
diagnose and it was clear, no question.
Both of those literally had their first
symptoms being starting to die. Both
suddenly and completely collapsed and
both needed gentle cheek-puff artificial
respiration on the way to emergency care.
The one with carcinoma also had her body
temperature fall. Both made it through,
and the one with carcinoma got several
months (which is pretty good when carcinoma
is in the ferret pancreas) while the one with
lymphoma got 9 months.
We found that for both of them it absolutely
was necessary in addition to meds to have
sweetened water available for them on demand
because meds alone simply were not sufficient
with those more serious illnesses, nor did
high protein diet help much at all.
Now, some ferrets (rare but it can happen)
do not respond to Prednisolone well, and there
are FHL members who have had to have Dex
used instead for those individuals.
There also have been at least two FHL members
whose ferrets with insulinoma needed to have
grains or have a little Nutrical each day. The
second was one of Mike Janke's and that individual
got about 2 years (if I recall right) on meds. I
can not recall whose family had another ferret
who was first tried on high protein diet but it
did not work for him so they went back to kibbles
and got better than on the high protein diet --
fewer low glucose periods. So, individuals can
differ and treatment can't be treated like a
"my way or the highway" situation when there are
those few non-standard individuals. Most people
know that, fortunately.
You already know that Prednisolone works
much better that Prednisone for ferrets if there
is any chance that the liver might also be at all
compromised. To use Prednisone the body must
first convert it to Prednisolone. The liver does
that. If the liver is not working well then not all
of the medication will be converted. So, by giving
Prednisolone instead of Prednisone that processing
step is skipped.
Some ferrets will have a very large insulinoma
tumor and sometimes those are less responsive to
meds. Surgery then is the best option and you
hope that the tumor is not in one of the few
locations where other structures can make surgery
impossible or difficult.
There can also be many little tumors in a ferret
who is not very responsive.
Doing a CBC and Chem Panel will give an idea if
other values are so "off" that the problem might
be carcinoma or lymphoma rather than insulinoma.
If elderly then it pays to image the heart and check
it's rhythm before surgery, too.
Other ferrets don't eat very often. Diazoxide can be
a useful medication for smoothing out blood glucose
levels for them. It can also help others, but does not
help all ferrets who use it. For our Hilbert it is the next
thing to a miracle drug. (BTW, Compounding Pharmacies
are much better at getting this med than regular
pharmacies.) Hilbert saved my life once so now we again
get to try to save his after saving him from difficulties
due to two genetic problems as a kit. (BTW, he has surgery
tomorrow morning.)
Now carcinoma in the ***adrenals*** is a different matter.
Although most adrenal growths are benign ones that still
DO need surgery or meds like Lupron Depot or deslorelin
implants (Suprelorin) because if untreated they cause many
problems for ferrets including two complications that can
kill, there are some which are not benign. In the adrenals
lymphoma can be very aggressive, but although carcinoma
in adrenals can be large and certainly more aggressive than
benign growths they usually do not move past the adrenals
(though they can).
Hope that helps!
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
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