From:
"marci1111"
Date: 2010-09-02 21:57:59 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Weakness in ferret and 2 other general questions
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
So its been over 2 weeks since Neekay has been alone (his partner Loki was put down on Aug 17). I thought he was doing a little better last week but he is still just not the same and will not eat his normal kibble no matter what I do. He is getting duck soup 3x a day and is eating all that is offered to him. After he eats he goes to bed. That is his life. He has not played since Loki has passed. I have tried to encourage him with toys that used to get him excited but it does nothing now. And now I come home and put up 2 hammocks for him since he loves his hammocks (he is a free roamer so w/o a cage its hard to put them up but managed to under some wire racks in my closet)....and then I showed him...and he couldn't lift his hind end up...he is so weak now. He went to the doctors 2 days ago for an annual and she said he put on almost a pound (weighs 3.03lbs now)...is that too much for him? Do you think if he lost some weight he won't be weak? To me he looks good, but
this is definitely the heaviest he's ever been. He is just so tired all the time though and since Loki passed I've yet to see him with energy. I had a cbc done on him and was just informed everything came back in normal limits...so he is healthy right? The vet said he looks amazing for being 7 but he sure is not acting like he feels great....
Question 1: So could this weakness/tiredness just be from his partner of 6 years passing? Or could it be a weight issue at 3.03lbs?
Question 2: He has insulomia and the regular vet that is local put him on regular prednisone 6 months ago. When I took him to the specialist (2hrs away 3 weeks ago) they put him on prednislone saying prednisone should not have been prescribed. When I took him this week to the regular vet and told her she said that prednisone works better but she would do what the specialist says....I did try reading the difference and the liver don't have to break anything down with prednislone. Does this mean it will be easier on his liver and is one more effective then the other?
Question 3: I am going out of town next week for 4 days and am having a pet sitter come to the house 2x a day. So he will go from eating duck soup from 3x to 2x a day. Would it be beneficial to break up the 1ml of prednislone to giving .50ml in am and .50 in pm to maintain his sugar levels better or would that not help at all?
Question 4: I'm also giving him rescue remedy to help him cope with the loss but no improvement. Has anyone used it with any success?
Thanks,
Marcy
[Prednisolone is more effective than Prednisone.
It typically does not make a difference to the liver
itself, but a liver which might be compromised
(even silently compromised will not convert enough
of the Prednisone into the useable Prednisolone form.
How many times a day is the ferret getting these
steroids? If it is being given only once a day then
he has very poor coverage. Twice a day is better and
works for most. Three times a day is better yet and
is usually done when the insulinoma becomes harder
to control.
If he is only getting his Pred once a day that alone
could explain his lassitude once he is about 8 or 9
hours past the dose.
-- Moderator]
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/