Topic: Newbies Guide to Insulinoma (Read 2,590 times)
K10Widow School of Rock is where I live member is offline
Joined: Jan 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 6,958 Location: Minneapolis, MN
Newbies Guide to Insulinoma « Thread Started on Oct 24, 2005, 7:54am »
Newbies Guide to Insulinoma by Kristen/K10Widow
Insulinoma is pancreatic tumors. They cause large quantities of insulin, which causes very low blood glucose (BG) levels.
Usually insulinoma is found in ferrets over 3 years old, however there are cases at ages as low as year. Personally I have a ferret diagnosed at a year and ˝ old.
**When your ferrets turn 3 years old, please make sure to have your fuzzies tested for insulinoma with a baseline BG test. This will provide you and your vet with the information to try and catch insulinoma before you may even see the below listed symptoms.***
Symptoms: -Hind leg weakness -Lethargic behavior – acting weak and tired -Staring off /Spacing out -Drooling -Twitching and/or head bobbing -Pawing at mouth -Lack of appetite
Severe Symptoms -Seizures -Coma
If you have a ferret with any of these symptoms please visit with your vet and have a blood glucose test done. The test usually cost between $15 and $25 US and you get immediate results
The test You will want to fast your fuzzy for 3 hours, not longer than 4, before testing -Your vet will clean the area to be tested -Some vets will us the blood from a toenail cut through the quick, while others will lance the tip of the tail. -Then a drop off blood will be squeezed onto the BG tester -You should have results with a few seconds -Normal readings for ferrets are between 90 –120.
Diet If your ferret is diagnosed with insulinoma you will need to change his/her diet to help maintain healthy BG levels. This means no sugars, and lower carbohydrates.
-Treats with high sugars to avoid -Yogies -Raisins -Nutrical/Sustical/Ferretvite/Petromalt -Ensure -Pedialyte -dehydrated or fresh fruits -8in1 Ferret Bites (all flavors) -8in1 cakes (all flavors) -Marshall Bandits (all flavors) -Sheppard & Greene Peanut Butter Treats -Any Kaytee Treats (yogurt chips/dips, and treat sticks) -Vitakraft yogurt or fruit drops -Any F.M Brown’s Treats
Treats that are safe -Homemade Duck Soup (as long as none of the above are in your recipe -Meat only baby foods -Cooked, unseasoned meats -Totally Ferret Treats (1 per day)
Foods You will want to choose foods/kibble with higher protein levels and little or no ingredients with sugars. Here are a few examples of some great foods for insulinomic ferrets; Natural Gold Ferret, Innova Evo Feline, The Ferret Store Superior/Natural ferret, and Zupreem Ferret.
Treatment of Insulinoma The best option for a healthy fuzzy is surgery to remove the tumors. The option used for elderly or unhealthy ferret is the medication Pedia Pred. Normal dosage for Pedia Pred is .5 cc twice daily. Note: Pedia Pred must be given with food to help coat their stomach. Pedia Pred on an empty stomach can cause ulcers. The best way to make sure your fuzzy has eaten is to give the medication with duck soup.
Duck Soup Duck soup is also a good stabilizer for insulinoma. Duck soup contains more proteins and less carbs for less sugar highs and lows. It won't prevent insulinoma but it can aid in controlling blood glucose fluxes. It is important for you to feed a ferret with insulinoma duck soup daily.
To use duck soup for medicating Note your fuzzy must first like duck soup enough to eat in on their own before trying this. -Take one frozen duck soup cube and defrost -Put one tablespoon of soupy into a low sided dish -Drip the Pedia Pred on top the small amount of soupy -Then give your ferret -Once the ferret has eaten all of that soupy you can give them the rest of the defrosted cube of soupy
For veterinary treatment please consult your vet. Here are some great articles on insulinoma for further information
Re: Newbies Guide to Insulinoma « Reply #3 on Mar 22, 2007, 12:45pm »
I just switched my girls to the Ferret Store Superior. I'm glad it was recommended on this list. Also, I have been straight feeding her pred. I tried the duck soup in a bowl, in her feeder and by rubbing it on her mouth and she refuses to eat it. I don't want to cause any ulcers, so is there anything else you can recommend? I acquired my girl with Insulinoma from a family who didn't want her. The only thing she was being fed was Special Kitty canned cat food (yuck). I switched her to Eukanuba, it took some time, but she eats it now. However, that is the only thing she will eat now. She doesn't take kindly to anything new. I also tried mashing up stage 2 baby meats and that was a no-go, as was raw chicken. Any suggestions? TIA.
"While you two bite her ankles, I'll get the camera."
K10Widow School of Rock is where I live member is offline
Joined: Jan 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 6,958 Location: Minneapolis, MN
Re: Newbies Guide to Insulinoma « Reply #4 on Apr 9, 2007, 8:25am »
Tia -
I'm happy to hear that you were able to switch her from Special Kitty. Uggg.
I have two boys at home with insulinoma. I personally believe that duck soup saved my Meko's live at least 4 times. So most of my ferrety friends call me the Duck Soup Nazi. hehehe - check my sig line. I just wanted to preface this info - I hope you understand.
When you tried doing the duck soup did you keep your recipe consistantly the same. Trying new recipes makes it difficult for a ferret to imprint on it. This initial process can take some time. It took me 3 months working with my Meko everyday to get him to like it. But now he comes running everytime the microwave beeps.
The 3 words to keep in mind when trying to get a picky ferret to like ducky soup are; persistance, patiences and consistancy.
My suggestion is to not give up on ducky soup, especially since your girl has insulinoma and needs Pred twice a day.
Please feel free to ask any questions. I will do my best to answer.
Re: Newbies Guide to Insulinoma « Reply #5 on Apr 9, 2007, 10:24am »
I have never had to deal with an insulinomic ferret. I feel for all those poor woozels out there with the disease. I am hoping to avoid ever having to deal with this aweful disease because I feed a natural diet. However, just because I feed naturally doesn't mean my kids aren't at risk. Two of them ate kibble until they were 2.5 years old. the other two ate kibble until they were 4 months old and 6 months old. So they still are at risk. Its great to have this info here. I appreciate you taking the time to write it all out. Its very usefull
Joined: Mar 2007 Gender: Female Posts: 840 Location: Arizona
Re: Newbies Guide to Insulinoma « Reply #6 on Apr 9, 2007, 6:21pm »
Thank you so much for this information. It's very easy to read and comprehendable.
Why do they have to use such severe methods of taking blood and how quickly will the wounds heal? I completely understand it's worth it, since insulmnia is so much worse then have your tail cut, but I was just curios.
Re: Newbies Guide to Insulinoma « Reply #7 on Apr 16, 2007, 2:15pm »
I completely forgot I posted here. Good news is that I have her eating a duck soup variety, so no more pred on an empty stomach. She still doesn't like it, but she doesn't have much of a choice. Silly fuzzball also doesn't like ferretone. I think she's just a stubborn mule, maybe one day she realizes I still the yuck down her throat for her own good. She finally quit spitting it back in my face, maybe she is becoming acquired to the taste.
Re: Newbies Guide to Insulinoma « Reply #8 on May 15, 2009, 2:05am »
I have juvenile diabetes so i know how bad a low blood sugar can feel. I was wondering if it might save me a little money to get them tested if they use my meter. i will of course let them do the lancing. test strips for glucose meters typically cost 75 cents a strip so i dont understand why it would cost $15-$20 to have their sugar checked.
Katiebug Alpha Ferret Loving Married Life! member is offline
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Joined: Apr 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 8,196 Location: KG, Virginia
Re: Newbies Guide to Insulinoma « Reply #9 on May 29, 2009, 3:06pm »
Yes, you can test them with your own meter, people here recommend it. If nothing else, it will give you an idea of what level it is. If it seems low, then you can have to vet do a check and decide what to do from there.
I have juvenile diabetes so i know how bad a low blood sugar can feel. I was wondering if it might save me a little money to get them tested if they use my meter. i will of course let them do the lancing. test strips for glucose meters typically cost 75 cents a strip so i dont understand why it would cost $15-$20 to have their sugar checked.
There is one brand of human meter that can esily be calibrated to register well on ferrets- dang but ithe brand escapes me.. anyone remember it?
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I just wanted to preface this info - I hope you understand.![[avatar]](http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b37/AMSbindi/animals/100_4592_1.jpg)
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