[Setting the stage: our Warp is an 8 year old MF albino who came here at 6
months of age after going back and forth between two abusive owners and a
disease-infested pet store -- which the state forced to clean up its act.
She needed extensive rehab for a long time due to the abuses as well as
treatment for her medical woes then.  Both shoes and oil cloth would throw
her into a complete panic so we let her beat the heck out of them and just
treated her with complete gentleness.  Warp is the one who took years
before she would ever kiss a man, and then for along time would only kiss
Steve while he was asleep.  Now she kisses Steve, and she kisses her
favorite male vet.  She has had an autoimmune disorder that causes a
friable small intestine for many years, then about a year ago she got
insulinoma but she had almost died in two previous surgeries so she is
under care with Pred and Proglycem and now added sugar since it's
advanced.  After that she got a R adrenal growth but that is in the noise
compared to the other things, and she has Lupron for it that controls some
of her symptoms but not fur loss anymore.  Recently, she appears to have
also developed lymphoma (by scent and node appearance since she no one
wants to risk how she responds to anesthesia); we do have a lympho clump
here so that also points in that direction.  The nodes were interfering
with her mobility and Warp loves to run (fast!), wrestle and play, even
at 8 and even this ill.  I had asked about upping her Pred above what is
considered the highest dose for her weight in the vet texts due to it all
being a quality of life thing at this stage for her since she has little
time left in her at these levels of her illnesses.]
 
Dr. Karen replied to me privately due a problem between her server and
Yahoo, and I asked her if I could carry her post over as an FYI since I
found it interesting.  She said, "Yes." so here it is.
 
>As far as I'm concerned, there is no maximum dose in ferrets.  I go up
>as needed, as long as there are no stomach upsets at any time.  To me,
>the quality of life is the important thing.  I have had several patients
>at a higher than normal dose, and have given them quality time to be
>with their people.
>
>Best of luck to you,
>-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.
 
[Later Sukie note: oh, and we have to watch for things like grinding,
going off her food, or vomiting since those could indicate stomach
problems from the high doses.  There are several things to watch for with
Pred that is at unusually large doses, and damage to the stomach is one]
 
[Still later Warp update: after 3 doses Warp's nodes seem slightly reduced
and she is running with improved stability.  Steve and I both find her to
be very happy today.]
[Posted in FML issue 3797]