Yes- Ferrets can have chemotherapy.  My Gizmo (female 5 1/2 yrs old) had
an episode that presented as "insulinoma".  She was running around playing
when I came home from work- as all my fuzz butts do- and then fell over
and acted like a drunk person.  I am a paramedic, so I'm used to seeing
diabetic people like this, so I ran for the Nutrical and gave her some- I
immediately called the vet- had to search for one, since all the other ones
left the vet's office.  I had to find a ferret Dr!!  After blood tests and
an ultrasound my new wonderful ferret vet consulted with other vets and
they pretty much diagnosed mesenteric lymphoma.  A fellow ferreter from
this list, Troy Lynn Eckart, also emailed me amongst numerous other people.
Susan A. Brown, DMV has 2 chemotherapy protocols for lymphoma.  My vet,
Dr. Topor, and I decided to try it.  Gizmo just finished her last
treatment, but is still on pediapred twice a day until we begin to wean
her off of it.  I have been feeding her duck soup for 2 months now- and I
am so excited to announce that she just began to eat on her own today!!
She's done very well, and I even fattened her up while on the chemo- all
the vets at the office were impressed.  The only side effects were a few
days here and there of being lethargic, and most of her little whiskers
fell out- but they are starting to grow back now.  The tests and ultrasound
were the costliest, but the chemo drugs weren't.  "charge it"- she's worth
it!!  I add lecithin and brewer's yeast to my fuzzers food now, and
alternate aloe juice and liquid baby vitamins in their water.  If you'd
like to know more- feel free to email me!
 
Diane L. Hinck & fuzzbutts...
Gizmo ( now that I'm eating on my own will you please let me stay home
when you go to work?),
Nipper ( mommy, I might be showing the beginning of insulinoma), and
Sammy (I'm the big boy that eats everything in site)
 
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[Posted in FML issue 3092]