From:
"Jeff"
Date: 2011-07-13 00:30:08 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Ferret diagnosis
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
Hopefully it is not carcinoma of the pancreas, and if you change his diet and the frequency of his prednisolone, to 3 times daily, it will help. However, if it is a carcinoma, then, from my experience with two ferrets that had this, his prognosis is not good. From what I've experienced, a carcinoma of the pancreas acts like a very accelerated case of insulinoma, and can barely be managed for even a few months with diligent feedings and prednisolone dosing. In one case, the carcinoma was surgically removed, but I still lost the ferret less than 2 months later, presumably because it regrew. In the other case, my girl Minnie Mouse first showed signs of insulinoma and low blood glucose in August, and when she did not respond ânormallyâ to the prednisolone, even higher doses, we had to conclude that it was a carcinoma. I had to put her to sleep just 2-1/2 months after the first signs.
The dose that you say you are giving, 2.5 mg. of prednisolone daily, is about average, and gives you room to increase over time. Once you get around 4.0 mg daily, for a ferret in the area of one kg, then you might need to consider adding diazoxide, as the dose of pred is getting high. Also, be sure that it is prednisolone, and not prednisone, that you are using, as some ferrets cannot metabolize the prednisone well, and thus would not get the full benefits of it.
I believe that a pancreatic carcinoma outside of the pancreas would appear on an ultrasound, but I don't know for sure. Ultrasounds that Iâve had done on other ferrets have measured even small adrenal tumors. The fact that your vet couldn't find anything is probably a good sign. However, carcinomas can also grow very fast, so an ultrasound that's even a few weeks old might not have detected one, where now there may be one.
Jeff
In Loving Memory of Neo, Trinity, Morphy, Possum, Pip, Pop, Sabrina, Minnie Mouse, Hunny, Misty, Frodo, Baggins, and Mr. Parker
Caring for Luna, Baby Girl, Dozer, Boomer, and Zoomer
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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