Do you know that in one of the most affluent areas in Illinois over 50% of
people only brush their teeth once a day, and proclaim that it is because
they are too busy??  Too busy to spend 3 minutes to save their teeth for
a life time by brushing twice a day: that seems to be much of our society
today.
 
When a ferret gets insulinoma, you will need more than 3 extra minutes.
The animal will tend to slink off to be alone.  It may need coaxing to eat.
Or a friendly lap.  You may need to syringe feed the duck soup.  And you
are certainly going to have to consistently give the ferret its medication.
 
Simple helpful hint #1: Be prepared to get up 30 minutes earlier than usual
for your companion.  You do not know what state he will be in.  He needs
reassurance and your touch.  He especially needs coaxing to gently play and
explore that new box or paper towel roll in the bath tub, or bath towels
hanging over the chair for that new cave.
 
It is snowing here.  I am up an hour early to shovel and get my car ready
and to allow for more time to get to work.  Another 30 minutes earlier is
for Little-my insulinoma ferret.  I am SO tired when I wake up.  I am still
feeding the birds-digging out an area for them, and also saving another
feral cat.  Lots to do.
 
I hate the first half hour of my morning life.  I hate that alarm and the
dark cold exhaustion.  But I get up that 30 minutes early-same as I would
for a son or daughter or best friend.  How can I be too busy to care for
one I love?
 
2. After tearing out my rugs for a cleanable tile floor, I have discovered
that Little cannot walk on the tile floors because of the rear leg weakness
which is due to insulinoma.  Home Depot has 6 foot long runners they will
cut for you-name the width.  Cost me about $6.oo.  I could not find a
better deal anywhere else.
 
3. Now that you have all those rugs back down and are vacuuming up kitty
litter again-if your vacuum cleaner self destructs-my new one lasted 4
months-get it at Best Buy and get an extended warranty on a vacuum that is
"DIVA." This means that instead of waiting months for repair-you just get a
brand new vacuum instead.  Just got mine.  :-)
 
4. Honey should be on hand to rub on the gums.  Don't freak out too badly
when he seizures.  Rub the honey on the gums.  Clean up the mess.  Mine
pours out urine on one end and drool pours out the other.  I hold mine and
keep him warm until he revives while heating up Bob C.  Chicken soup.  As
soon as he comes out of his coma like state, he cannot walk.  But he can
lick off of my finger.  I get soup and medicine in him when he is
conscious.  Be careful with his head and neck.
 
I write this because I kept rushing to emergency right after rubbing honey
on Little's gums.  But there I am with no medicine or nutrients usually
still driving the 45 minute drive.  And Little is awake.  When I have made
it to emergency-the emergency people look at me like I am a drug addict or
lunatic.  Now I wait, and do as I have written.
 
5. The Bob C. chicken soup and medicine are keeping him alive far beyond
what I can believe.  We have doubled the dose of the medicine, and I have
a pet sitter coming in once a day.  Little is sick and the under dog now.
The others eat and gently push him out of the way.  He will not eat any
food in a cage with the other ferrets.  Neither would my others when they
were dying.  You need to be sure your insulinoma ferret is eating more than
twice a day to keep the strength up in my experience.
 
Actually, mine will not eat in the same room with the other ferrets.  I
feed him first and close the door.  I syringe up his medicine and squirt
that slowly in when he is half done eating.  He hates the taste of the
medicine.  After the syringing, he eagerly licks up more food to get rid
of the taste of the medicine.
 
Hope these few hints help
Lisette
[Posted in FML issue 3286]