To Ann Charbonneau:
 
>Dr Williams, you wrote me that liver neoplasia is a rare condition for ferret.
 
>1) What else can it be???
 
    Well- we should have the histology report back tomorrow.  Rather than
guess as to what it MIGHT be - we should wsit and see what the report says it
is.
 
>2) if it's a neoplasia, what will be the symptoms that I should be aware of?
 
    Same as before - lethargy, stupor, etc.
 
>3) Can the hypoglycemia be caused by the tumor in the liver?
 
    Certainly could.  I'm hoping the vet took a piece of the liver mass to
see what it is.  However, there are a lot of non-cancerous lesions in the liver
which look like tumors, but are absolutely harmless.
 
>4) Should we put him on prednisone?
If you are still seeing signs of hypoglycemia, then yes.  Prednisone will
help to bring the blood sugar levels back into the normal range.
 
>5) What else can be done?  The first step is to get the pathology report back.
 Everything I tell you in advance is supposition and theory, but with pathology
on the wait - it is far better to wait the 24 hours.
 
> And a last question:
> 6) what should be the "normal" food intake/day?
Victor actually eat (with my help) 1/2 to 3/4 of a 5 1/2 ounces can of cd
science diet.
 
   Normal food intake differes between ferrets.  The idea is that Victor
should eat several meals a day to keep his blood sugar up and at a fairly
constant level.  It is when he is not eating that he will go into his
hypoglycemic states....
 
I'll be out of town Fri-Sun - but I'd like to hear the results when I get
back...
 
--
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Department of Veterinary Pathology
[log in to unmask]               Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]             Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
(202) 782-2600/2602
[Posted in FML issue 1185]