>Hi. I posted a question recently and received only two replies (thank
>you!), though none from vets. I suspect it's because no one has used
>methylprednisolone to treat insulinoma.
Nope. I don't like using long acting pred, I like to be able to tweak the
dose if need be.
>Our vet has suggested it because she has read of evidence that it causes
>less secondary effects in humans than other forms of pred. She was
>planning on consulting a pharmacist about it, and I said I'd post to this
>list. There is a bit of urgency in that I feel I must decide soon about
>surgery for one of our ferrets, our sweet Minnie, who is quickly gaining
>weight on pediapred, which is not good with her congenital heart condition.
What about Proglycem? It's already proven to work in ferrets, and it
doesn't have the same side effects.
>BACKGROUND: I've personally observed that using pediapred to treat
>insulinoma leads to obesity and resultant lack of mobility in ferrets.
No question from me, though I find having a younger ferret in the household
keeps the activity level up and the rate of weight gain down. Not every
one can get there pred-belly ferret a pal, however ;-)
>In terms of medical treatment for insulinoma, I'm looking for other
>options. I have a seven-year-old locally-bred spayed ferret, an albino,
>with insulinoma diagnosed 5/1/02. She also has a congenital heart murmur
>rated three on a scale of six; regarding the heart she is symptom free as
>of yet, though she is breathing a bit heavier due to, I hope, recent
>weight gain; I've observed no coughing. She has been on a small dose of
>prediapred for insulinoma for three months (.2 ml 2x/day of 6.75 mg/5ml).
>We feed her our version of chicken soup, and try not to overfeed, and she
>has quit eating kibble as so often happens. Since onset of treatment
>5/1/02 Minnie has gone from 1lb 4oz (she was a runt) to 1lb 10oz! Minnie
>has always been extremenly active, and I've worked to ensure she gets
>plenty of exercise to keep her heart in good shape. She is less active
>now, though still playful (much less so) and still galloping a bit.
>Surgery isn't the most attractive option due to her heart condition.
>However, we are considering it and may get an ultrasound soon to access
>the heart.
>
> QUESTIONS
> 1) Regarding medical treatment, our vet suggested we switch Minnie to
> Methylprednisolone because our vet has read of evidence that this drug
> causes less side affects in humans than regular pred. Has anyone here
> used it to treat insulinoma and, if so, what were the results? If not,
> can anyone identify reasons for or against trying it?
See above.
> 2) Regarding surgery consideration, given a ferret-experienced
> radiologist with a ferret-experienced vet attending, how accurate, in
> general, is ultrasound is in predicting the safety of proceeding with
> surgery in regards to a heart condition?
I don't do surgery on heart cases - call me paranoid, but I'd rather have
a live fat ferret than a dead one on the table.
> 3) Why does pred. cause weight gain and how might one alleviate the
> problem? If pred. causes the body to metabolize more fat, as I
> understand it does, should the ferret's diet be cut back, or would this
> lead to insufficient nutrition due to the increased conversion of fat
> (obviously I'm no nutritionist!).
It also makes them hungry, so they tend to eat more. I usually counter
this by decreasing the caloric level of the food (change to senior diets,
use lean chicken baby food, etc).
Hope this helps,
-Dr. Karen
DISCLAIMER:
This e-mail is provided for general informational purposes only. It is
in no way intended as a replacement for a consultation with a qualified
licensed veterinarian. If you are concerned about your pet's health, you
should seek the advice of your regular veterinarian as soon as possible.
[Posted in FML issue 3468]
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