>My older ferret (Tasha) had to be put to sleep this past weekend.  It
>was a several week battle trying to get her well but it didn't work.  I
>recently brought in a new ferret to the home and am pretty certain that
>the new ferret (Nibbles) brought in a virus.  Tasha was doing well up
>until a couple of weeks after Nibbles came in then I noticed the weight
>loss.  My question is would the virus speed up the insulanoma (sry if my
>spelling is wrong)?  Tasha was over 5 and was doing great until the new
>one came in...but she went down hill quickly...her blood sugars were very
>low each time they were taken...between 30-60 and at one point she went
>on antibiotics and acted like she was feeling better (and poops looked
>better) but still didn't eat or drink much.
 
You mentioned that the poops looked better after some antibiotics -
does that mean that she had diarrhea after the new kit was introduced?
 
While what the kit may or may not have brought in is not clear, it is
well known that in animals, diseases may be cumulative.  The most common
diarrheal disease of ferrets, ECE, is far more lethal when it infects
older animals with other diseases.
 
Animals often outwardly don't show the severity of their illness.  In the
wild, when animals exhibit signs of being seriously ill, they are more
ripe for killing than any other animal - a cruel fact of life.  Animals
are well programmed to be stoic - and so we often miss early signs of
illness or when the illness becomes serious.
 
Eating and drinking are also key in recovery.  If we are unable to get
adequate nutrients into a sick ferret, they often cannot make it up on
their own.  Ferrets with hypoglycemia are especially susceptible to
nutritional deficits and require careful monitoring and feeding in times
of illness.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list/
[Posted in FML issue 3765]