>From:    Julie Wilson <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Pancreatic Tumor and deaths
>Baby, my ferret that is eight years old, got a pancreatic (stomach) tumor
>last year.  The Vet said he would only live to about september...but he's
>still going strong.  Have any of you had ferrets with this problem?  how
>long did they live after being diagnosed?
 
Pancreatic tumors, or insulinomas, are unfortunately, very common in
ferrets.  But the pancreas and stomach are two different organs, so it's
unclear as to what condition affects Baby.
 
There have been various studies on lifespan after initial diagnosis of
insulinoma.  According to "Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents - Clinical Medicine
and Surgery" - "... the mean survival time of 49 ferrets undergoing surgical
excision of tumor nodules was 462 days (range, 14-1207 days)."
 
My Beasley was diagnosed in March of '98 and I elected to not go with
surgery.  He has been treated with prednisone and a good diet and is still
going strong.  At the same time, Spaz also had a low blood glucose reading
(69 mg/dl) but showed absolutely no symptoms.  To this day he has not
received any special treatment, no drugs, etc., and his blood glucose
constantly hovers around 70 mg/dl.  He's as active as a kit and I still
question whether or not he has insulinoma.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael F. Janke, [log in to unmask]
* Secretary, South Florida Ferret Club & Rescue
* A 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation
*
* Shelter web site:  http://www.miamiferret.org
* Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc
[Posted in FML issue 2917]