Hello everyone,
 
I thought I might post an update on my 2 kids, on whose behalf I have
made numerous inquiries over the past few months.  They seem to be well,
but my only other ferret, Pumpkin, is no longer my sole healthy ferret.
She is having problems now as well, but I will get to that shortly.
 
Zoie was diagnosed with lymphoma back in March.  I started her
immediately on essiac and pycnogenol, two alternative remedies reported
to have a beneficial effect.  An ultrasound on her abdomen a couple of
months later (about a month ago) revealed that the abdominal lymph nodes
had grown despite my efforts -- the gastric, portal and mesenteric nodes
were each about 3 cm.  So, with some hesitation, I started Zoie on the
Tufts chemo protocol.  I am continuing the essiac and pycnogenol.  Zoie
is now at week 4, and is behaving regularly.  She requires hand feedings
to keep her weight up, but she accepts the hand feedings without problem.
She also needs the ocassional sub-q fluids, but overall she seems to be
okay.  I'll be surprised if she can take the whole 27 week regimen, but
every week that she can tolerate is (I hope) another set-back to the
lymphoma.  If the chemo gets to be too much, I'll most likely discontinue
and start palliative therapy (and be grateful if the chemo bought us even
a month's extra time together).
 
Valentine has had insulinoma for almost a year and a half.  He was
crashing back in May, but we determined that to be due to the sugars in
his antibiotics (which he was taking for some nasty diarrhea).  Those
amoxy drops are pretty sweet, and so is the Baytril suspension.  Since we
got him through that, his BG has been pretty easy to control with pred
and proglycem.  He isn't as active as he once was, but he trots around
fine when he wants to.  I haven't scheduled the partial pancreactomy due
to having started Zoie's chemo recently (I will have to travel to take
Valentine to the experienced vet surgeon that I found).  I'd like to do
it this month.  Zoie will probably have to come with.
 
Now.....my poor Pumpkin hasn't gotten as much attention the past 6 months
as she used to.  I've noticed that she's been lethargic sometimes, but
once I engaged her in play she would jump about.  She's put on a fair
amount of weight the past year (2 lbs.  8 oz.).  Well, she wasn't much
into playing the past month - and last week she crashed on me.  Very
weak, hyperventilating.  A middle-of-the-night trip to a 24 hr. clinic
showed her BG at 45.  I should have caught onto this sooner.
 
The thing is, she's been on pred (0.5 mg) and proglycem (5 mg) the past
week, and while she hasn't crashed again, she also hasn't perked up much.
An abdominal ultrasound in April didn't show up anything to worry about
(no nodules), but she's so damn chubby it's difficult for the vet to
judge her peripheral nodes.  Still, her appetite is pretty good.  And
her stools look fine.  I sure hope she's not coming down with lymphoma.
 
I wonder if Pumpkin might be having some heart problems, and that this
weight gain is edema in part.  My Nikita had heart problems late in
her life, but she was 8 years old.  Pumpkin is 4.5 .  I wouldn't have
expected this, but any ferret owner should learn to expect the
unexpected.
 
I don't think my regular vet is equipped to do EKGs.  Anyone know of a
service in CT that does?
 
Zoie and Valentine thank everyone for their helpful counsel over the
first half of this year -- it has helped us in many ways.  Pumpkin would
like to be able to offer a similar appreciation for anyone who has an
insight to offer us for her condition.
 
John
[Posted in FML issue 5299]