While we're on the subject...

It is beyond my understanding why a vet would even prescribe prednisone
instead of prednisolone for a ferret. Is there a logical reason for
doing this, other than to save a little money? But why even take the
chance that the sick ferret won't be able to properly metabolize the
prednisone into prednisolone, which is the form of the drug that the
body uses? Some ill ferrets whose livers are compromised cannot make
use of the prednisone, whereas prednisolone is metabolized and used
quite well by the body of those same ferrets.

Perhaps there are just not enough 'really good' ferret vets who
understand this. And, in that same vein, why wouldn't all vets also
prescribe that the prednisolone be given 3 times a day, every 8 hours,
instead of twice a day, every 12 hours? If indeed the prednisolone is
used up by the ferrets body in approximately 9 hours or so, as I have
seen written by some vets, then twice a day your insulinomic ferret has
a 'window' of about 3 hours during which his or her body is really not
being protected, and thus is very much susceptible to seizures.

I have had several ferrets with either insulinoma, or worse, carcinoma
of the pancreas, and NONE ever had a seizure. Not even at the end, when
the dose of prednisolone was very high. I follow two simple rules. I
use liquid prednisolone, NEVER prednisone. And, I always give the dose
every 8 hours, or darn close to it, NOT every 12 hours. So, when I read
that a ferret is having seizures from insulinoma (or from a pancreas
that is compromised by carcinoma or lymphoma), I wonder if those
seizures could really be avoided fairly easily with a little more
knowledge given to the owners.

Jeff
In Loving Memory of Neo, Trinity, Morphy, Baby Girl, Dozer, Possum,
Pip, Pop, Sabrina, Minnie Mouse, Hunny, Misty, Frodo, Baggins, and
Mr. Parker
Caring for Luna, Boomer, and Zoomer 

[Posted in FML 7474]