>From:    Sunshine <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Insulmina Symptoms
>I have been hearing tons of symptoms of Insulmina and people not knowing
>what is wrong with their ferret.  So I ask people who have gone thru this
>to please post the symptoms so we all can learn.  Then I can also help
>people know about this since I go to many sites.  There are a few things
>I know about this myself and all came from reading.
 
I found out about Cully's insulinoma indirectly-- he was having some
litterbox trouble, so I brought him into the vet.  During the exam, she
found his spleen was enlarged, so we had an ultrasound done (which also
revealed an enlarged adrenal).  She also had a blood test done, and it was
low, 70.  So, while doing the adrenal surgery, his pancreas was biopsied
and there indeed were the islet cell tumors that cause insulinoma.
 
I knew that insulinoma was a possibility down the road for Cully, because
he's twice had the drooling, glassy-eyed look of a ferret with too much
insulin in his system.  Both times, however, his blood work came back in
normal levels, so the vet I had at the time didn't feel we should start
treating him at the time.  I had also asked on the FML a few days ago about
a ferret making vomiting motions without producing anything as a possible
sign of insulinoma, and it turns out that it can be a sign of the ferret
reacting to too much insulin in its body-- it makes the ferret nauseous.
 
hope that was helpful,
Regina
 
"I'm grazing with the dinosaurs and the dear old horses..."
                                                -- Nick Cave
Regina Harrison
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http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/1083
[Posted in FML issue 2795]