Post by K10Widow on Oct 24, 2005 7:54:19 GMT -5
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 ½ 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.
Here is a great recipe with instructions for ferrets with or without insulinoma
everythingfert.proboards36.com/index.cgi?board=kristen&action=display&thread=1130094626
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
miamiferret.org/fhc/insulinoma.htm
miamiferret.org/fhc/prednisone.htm
www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/insulin.html
www.lbah.com/ferrets/insulinoma.htm
miamiferret.org/fhc/treatment.htm
www.msnusers.com/littlenorwayexpansion/insulinomabyterri.msnw
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 ½ 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.
Here is a great recipe with instructions for ferrets with or without insulinoma
everythingfert.proboards36.com/index.cgi?board=kristen&action=display&thread=1130094626
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
miamiferret.org/fhc/insulinoma.htm
miamiferret.org/fhc/prednisone.htm
www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/insulin.html
www.lbah.com/ferrets/insulinoma.htm
miamiferret.org/fhc/treatment.htm
www.msnusers.com/littlenorwayexpansion/insulinomabyterri.msnw