From:
"Tressie"
Date: 2011-05-19 23:25:00 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Roo - My sickly Ferret
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Kathryn,
You already have been given a definitive diagnosis - insulinoma. Your vet most likely took a drop of her blood and tested it with a glucometer to determine her blood glucose level.
Insulinoma is a beta cell tumor of the pancreas, an illness ferrets are prone to, especially as they age. It essentially causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which causes the ferret to feel nauseous, very tired, mentally dull, lose weight, hind-end wobbliness and a number of other symptoms. Without treatment the ferret can become seriously ill and will die. The steroid your bf got from the vet is a treatment, it must be given as prescribed, and given on after eating on a regular schedule.. The dosage will be on the bottle.
ECE is caused by a coronavirus and causes severe, green diarrhea. Insulinoma doesn't cause diarrhea.
Not sure what symptoms you are referring to that are the same in both conditions??? Fatigue??
They are two totally different illnesses caused by different things. Although it is possible for a ferret to have both much like a person can have cancer and the flu at the same time.
Your ferret is at least 5 1/2 - 6 years old, given the time you've had her.
The steroid treatment you have for her is either prednisone or prednisolone and does not cost a lot of money but she must be on it for the rest of her life.
Here are a couple of links as starters for information about insulinoma:
http://www.miamiferret.org/insulinoma.htm
http://www.heidihoefer.com/pages/ferrets/ferret_insulinoma.htm
Tressie
>
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