I have a ferret that I just took in from a friend who no longer wanted him
about a month ago.  He is 6.5 years old.  Male, neutered, Marshall Farms.
When I got him he wanted to sleep all the time and since I have never had
a ferret this old I thought it was just old age.  Then I started noticing
some hind end weakness.  His former owner said that he was always like
that.  Slept alot and walked funny.  I kept an eye on him and decided that
it was time for some testing.  I had not seen him eat but had been giving
him some simple duck soup to suppliment his own food.  He is with several
other ferrets so I am unable to notice any food missing.  I still have not
seen him eat dry kibble on his own.  He only wakes up when I go in to feed
him.  Eats at least 25-30 cc each time.  I vary the soup.  In the morning
he gets egg yolk mixed with water ( enough to moisten the paste), a tbls.
of kibble paste (ground kibble with water that sits in refrig overnight -
the kibble is a mixture of TFand Nutro's Maxi kitten) 1/2 dropper of Ferret
Drops (by Tomlyn), 1/8 tsp brewers yeast and bottled water (enough to make
it soupy) In the afternoon he only gets kibble paste and water with maybe
some ferrivite.  Supper is basically the same as morning.  His before
bedtime food is the paste and water.
 
He was taken to the vet on a Thursday for xrays, blood work, etc.  His xray
showed no abnormalities, his urine test was normal and so was the fecal.
The vet was not able to draw blood no matter how hard he tried.  He said
that they found a few fleas on my boy and he suspected that his blood
pressure was very low due to possible anemia.  I scheduled a blood test for
the following Tuesday.  (That was the soonest I could be able to get him
in) I started him on extra vitamins called Ferret Drops by Tomlyn after the
suspected anemia.  He eats his duck soup very well but never gets up unless
it is to eat.  His back leg weakness is not as bad and he will even play in
some newspapers in a box but then right back to bed.
 
This is how Tuesday went.  He was fed at 5:15 AM and taken to the vet at
7:30.  Due to a surgery the vet had to do he didn't get the blood test
until around 10:30.  So he fasted approx.  5.5 hours.  I called later and
all his levels were good except the glucose which was a very low 75.  His
red blood count showed that new red blood cells had been forming so the vet
thought he had been anemic but was improving.  His liver levels were great.
He also noticed that he wasn't drinking enough water.  I haven't seen him
do that either.  Like I said he only gets up when I wake him.  He weighed
2.3 pounds.  He doesn't have a glassy look and once awakened is alert and
eats eagerly.  He will walk around a small while and then back to sleep.
My ferrets are free roaming but he stays right in the room where his old
cage is.  He usually sleeps in a blanket on the floor for him.  At first I
thought perhaps it was stress from a new home.  He was given Nutro maxi cat
at his old home and sometimes it would get stuck in the roof of his mouth.
I broke it up into little pieces when he first came until he was switched
to the kitten formula.  Now he won't eat anything but the duck soup.
 
Okay, I think I have filled you in hopefully enough.  Oh one thing.  In all
the years he was with the other person, he never went to the vet except
once for fleas.  I vaccinated him about 3 years ago for distemper but that
was the last shot he had gotten until I gave him one about three weeks ago
after he came to live with me.  All my ferrets have been treated for the
flea situation and there are no more fleas on my little boy.  Now, I am
going to give a little more information and I am begging that no one flame
me or make me out to be some kind of horrible ferret mom.  I need all your
help and that is why I have come to you.  I have had a bad experience in
the recent past from another situation and not even on this list but it has
made me very cautious about asking for help.  First of all I do not want
him to have surgery.  I am unable to afford it and with his age am very
scared about doing it.  I have talked to my vet and we are considering non
surgical treatment.  I have a glucometer at my disposal and am going to
test his blood again on this Sunday.  I am going to test it after a three
hour fast and then later after he has already eaten( after an hour later)
What I need everyone's help with is his diet.  I need to know how and what
to feed him to allow him the most benefit that can hold him over during the
day when I am at work and during the night.  I am unable to feed him during
the day (the duck soup) and I have a sleeping disorder myself and if I
keep getting up to feed him, I will get sick and then won't be any use to
anyone.  He always has food and water right near him.  In the room he is
in there are two open cages with two bowls of food and each has a water
bottle.  I can feed him at 7:00 in the morning and then again at 3:30 in
the afternoon.  His last feeding for the night can be 10:00 or 10:30.
Evenings are no problem.  Please don't get upset with me for not getting up
during the night to feed him.  We have 17 ferrets and I love this little
boy already so much.  I want to do the best I can for him.  That is why I
am here asking for some ideas.
 
I have read several things lately on insulinoma and hyperglycemic ferrets
and there seems to be such a controversy over what to do and not do.  Some
say a little honey, some say none at all.  Some say few carbohydrates and
high protein.  The protein part I understand.  Until I can get him started
on treatment and even afterwards I need to know what to feed him.  My vet
is a young man who has been learning from my ferrets and has never treated
an insulinomic ferret.  He is eager to learn and accepts advice readily.
 
I appreciate you taking the time to read this very long post and would also
appreciate if you could email me privately so that I will be sure to get
the information as I don't always have time to read the FML Thank you in
advance for any help and ideas you can offer.
 
A very caring ferret mom
[Posted in FML issue 2877]