Rebecca Stout <[log in to unmask]> wrote on 3/8/2006, 4:00 AM:
>Are ferrets prone to blindness when they have seizures or even
>cardiovascular events I wonder?
 
According to my vet, when a ferret has a seizure due to insulinoma, the
brain is starved of food.  Sometimes only part of the brain is starved,
and sometimes most of it is.  One of the areas particularly prone to this
starvation is the part where sight is processed.  So, yes, a ferret can
be blinded by an insulinoma seizure.
 
Usually, this blindness is temporary, and passes soon after the seizure
is over.  But, in an extremely strong seizure, or after repeated bad
seizures, the brain can become scarred, and the blindness can become
permanent.
 
I know this was not explained in completely accurate medical terms, but
hopefully it was explained in a way that people can understand.
Insulinoma seizures can cause temporary or permanent blindness - that is
the bottom line.
 
--
Danee DeVore
International Ferret Congress Health Issues Coordinator
http://www.ferretcongress.org
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit: http://www.ferretadv.com
You can help fight ADV!
Visit: http://help4adv.terrabox.com/
[Posted in FML issue 5176]