I have some questions concerning a ferret (whose owner is away at college
and the ferrets Grandmother doesn't have access to a computer).
 
The ferret (4 years old/female) quit eating on her own about a month ago,
the ferret won't eat dry food and the Grandma would mix Marshall's food,
baby beef food with a little milk to encourage her to eat.  The ferret's
usual vet did blood tests about two weeks into her not eating on her own
and the only unusual thing was her glucose was fifty something.  The vet
told the Grandma that the problem was that the ferret was insulinomic.
The vet put her on one pill of pred twice a day.  The Grandma called me a
couple days later and told me all of this.  I thought that in addition to
her "possible" insulinoma, she might have a stomach virus of some sort and
that's why she wasn't eating.  I also told her that I thought one whole
pill of pred twice a day was a bit much, but I wasn't sure, I just remember
giving about a quarter to a half a pill depending on the weight of the
ferret.  I told her that she should switch to pedia-pred if she could and
quit using milk (I was afraid the ferret would get dehydrated) and try
making the food a little more tasting with ferretone.  I urge her to see
a well known ferret vet in the area.
 
She went to the ferret vet and a blood test (fasting) was run and her
glucose was 100.  The vet said that she felt a tumor either in/or around
the stomach (the Grandma can't remember).  The vet said that this is why
she isn't eating, that she feels full because of the tumor (which the vet
made a hand gesture) was about the size of a golf ball.  The vet said that
the tumor was inoperable.  This is one of my questions ... Can you tell
by feeling the ferret that a tumor is inoperable?  The vet also said that
the lymph node on the back of the leg was the size of a bee bee.  The vet
suggested taking that lymph node out and biospying it to see if it is
cancer.  This is my second question ...Does the lymph node have anything
to do with the tumor in/around the stomach?  (Basically, can you find out
if the tumor in the stomach is cancerous if the lymph node is?) The vet
reduced the ferret's pred to 1/4 tablet twice a day, in addition the ferret
was put on biomox (.25 twice a day) and was told to get vitamin C (50 mg
twice a day) and get paud'arco (3 to 5 drops twice a day).  Next question,
what is paud'arco used for?  The Grandma asked at the store where she
bought it and they said for yeast infections.  The vet said to come back
in ten days to see if the antibiotics helped ...another question ...I know
that when a ferret gets sick you should give them antibiotics to keep away
a secondary sickness, but what could the vet be looking for the antibiotics
to help in this instance?  The vet said that they could possibly shrink the
tumor but she didn't say how, the Grandma figured chemo.
 
Has anyone had any of the same symptoms/diagnoses?
 
This Lady is watching her daughter's first and only ferret.  She's doing
her best learning what she can about ferret sicknesses, but I have to tell
you she's overwhelmed.  She's upset that the first vet didn't see the
things that the second vet saw and she's afraid that if she gets a third
opinion, it's going to be totally different too.  She's afraid she not
doing everything that she can and/or doing anything right.  I was on the
phone with her last night for almost two hours and she sounds like she at
the end of her rope.  Actually, she almost put me at the end of my rope:)
 
These are questions that I have and maybe through all or your experiences
I can help the Grandma and possibly the ferret feel better.
 
Joy
[Posted in FML issue 3118]