> When lymphoma (or when carcinoma) is present in the pancreas it can
> suddenly cause a massive blood glucose crash which can be fatal.
> That would fit both symptoms.  In that case it can happen even
> without a fast.  We had to take extreme measures with one ferret,
> Fritter, whose first sign of insulinoma was just such a crash, and
> another, Ashling, whose first sign of carcinoma was such a crash.
 
Fritter had lymphoma in her pancreas, not true beta cell insulinoma
though the symptoms with all of these illnesses based in the pancreas
were insulinoma type symptoms.
 
Like some other I also wondered about insulinoma and the fast length,
but I wondered if the 8 hours was accurate, so I meant to write something
and just forgot.  If a person looks at when we remove food for some
before surgery and then the time of surgery it seems long like that, but
actually, in the meantime the ones suspected of having pancreatic
problems will already be on a drip to keep blood glucose levels up.
 
I'm a bit distracted this week by sadness due to my aunt's death.  Edith
was elderly and more than ready to pass after her long fight with
advanced COPD -- in fact, even though she had not been able to move her
lower body for months Edith managed to get it over to the side of the bed
and unplugged her own equipment that helped her breathe so my cousins
respected her obvious wishes and sat with her as she comfortably faded
away on her own schedule -- which is a far cry better than going during
one of her recent painful edema crises -- but you know how it is so you
know that I am somewhat distracted and will be for a while...
 
I have noticed some extreme inconsistencies in a certain person's recent
posts that go beyond the inconsistencies among her own posts, and the
inconsistencies between her posts and her website, and the obvious (and i
think this is the core of the matter) inconsistency of claiming support
for USDA ferret specific standards while doing everything possible to
dissuade FML members from writing to the USDA's APHIS to get such
standards (not to mention that her own letter on their website speaks
against having such regulations -- oh, wait, I did mention it).  There
are also some recent inconsistencies with apparent reality.
 
Personally, I believe that she said is NOT happening at any inspected
farms.  You can count on it.
 
Just two examples:
 
First off, scalpel handles and disposable scalpel blades are cheap enough
(and have been for at least 20 years), sterile, and much easier to work
with, so no one would choose a tool like a box cutter that would mean
almost certain death over the tool that would actually work best with
least loss of life while being similar in cost.
 
Secondly, ferret kits are still in high enough demand in most of the
nation that farms have not had over-stocks of kits here.  Just look at
the prices -- which are a great indicator of demand since they drop to
about $50 around here when demand is low but are currently about $125 and
have been for years -- and that farms like Kathy Jordan's own farm were
created to meet such added demand.  You don't start a farm if you think
that there is no market; instead then you cull animals with
sterilization.
 
The best way to help ferrets is to get a letter in to the USDA's Animal
and Plant Inspection Service supporting the creation of ferret specific
standards designed by ferret vets: Send your letter (the original and 3
copies -- so just print out 4 copies):
 
Docket No. 04-088-1
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71
4700 River Road Unit 118
Riverdale, MD 20737-1238
 
Let your vet and vet techs know, too!
 
To learn more:
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
and
http://www.ferret.org/
 
-- Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List co-moderator
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives fan
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
replacing
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress advisor
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5030]