This ferret needs to be checked for (among other things):

Thromboses (thrown clots). These can land anywhere and can present like
that if they wind up in the leg. Thromboses require a rapid talk with
your vet and often an emergency appointment. In a leg they should be
tackled with massage of the leg. I can recall doing shifts to keep
doing gentle massage for one over the space of 24 hours+. The massage
helps break down the clot which not only reduces damage to the leg but
also reduces the risk of a large chunk of the clot dislodging and going
somewhere more dangerous. Thromboses are usually seen in ferrets in
relation to cardiomyopathy but can be caused by other things like
kidney disease or lymphoma. Some have even been seen in relation to
herbals that too badly mess up cardiac function, ex. licorice root.
Treat the underlying cause promptly.

Injury (in foot, ankle, leg, hip, spine)

Diseases that can have neural symptoms (though with only one foot
affected the range of those is reduced.)

 ---

When Dr. Williams says that fasting is controversial it does not
mean that he thinks that it is always safe. Ferrets who have known
insulinoma or may have pronounced insulinoma should not be fasted
because the grande mal convulsions which can result from the brain
no getting enough sugar to power it can do serious levels of damage
to a ferret.

At the glucose levels your ferret had fed (just over 80 on the U.S.
scale) and fasted (38 on the U.S. scale) I think that you need to
consider beginning insulinoma as a real possibility; test regularly,
observe carefully, and carefully control the diet.

The 38 was so extreme that the blood may have gobbled sugar before it
was tested, or there may have been a large amount of insulin produced
recently, or there may be something other than an insulinoma in the
pancreas. If this was one of ours I'd do a full CBC WITH a Chemistry
Panel also done to be safest if that wasn't already done.

 ---

In relation to Chance this vet reply is essential:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/1017

The Pred would NOT help enough with the electrolytes. For that either
Percorten or Fludrocort/Florinef is needed.

BTW, some people later wean their ferrets off these meds. If enough
adrenal tissue remains that is at times a possibility, but it can also
go wrong. Additionally, even for the ferrets for whom weaning does
not go wrong their bodies may not be able to produce enough of the
electrolyte balancing cortical steroids when their bodies are under
stress (similar to those who are life-long on these meds needing more
of the meds when they are under a major stress, esp. a physical one).
There usually is no reason to wean ferrets off these meds.

Chance was okay for his sodium levels but his potassium levels went up
too high for either heart function or basic cellular functions. That
is why his kidney values also got thrown off. His ratio of potassium
to sodium was way, way off, to a point no longer consistent with life.
I am sorry. It is heart breaking.

Sukie (not a vet)
Current FHL address:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth
People can join there or can send a blank mail to the automated
joining address:
[log in to unmask]
and then follow the directions.
(The second is recommended for those having problems with Yahoogroups
web settings, and afterward send a blank mail from your subscribed
address to
[log in to unmask]
to get the digest instead of individual mails. )
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml

[Posted in FML 5500]