Bruce,
 
You remember Mandy - my 7 1/2 yo who had insulinoma surgery a few months ago -
her glucose levels have remained stable at 130 after a 5 hr fast and has not
been on pred for sometime now.
 
I know that pred causes increased thirst, therefore increased drinking and
increased urination.  I expected the increased urination to subside once she
was off the pred, but it hasn't.  I took her in for check up expecting to do
blood for kidney studies, but my vet suggested doing a urine instead.  Her
specific gravity was 1.014 which he thought was low.
 
He wants me to withhold food and water for 10 hours - TEN - to see if her
urine will concentrate.  I'm not too comfortable doing this, although she is
a different ferret since the insulinoma surgery - more active, looks better,
running, playing, etc.  He said this will tell us more than blood tests - that
by the time blood tests show elevation of BUN and Cr, damage has already been
done.
 
If her sp. gr. is higher have the 10 hour fast, then he says it may be just
from drinking so much water (BTW, urine protein and sugar were negative).
(I meant to say if her sp gr is higher AFTER the 10 hour fast, then....) He
gave it a name - insipidous maybe???? Not sure.
 
Do you agree with this protocol and do you have any other suggestions or
comments?
 
(He also said she *is* old - she'll be 8 in October - and that this may be
just normal aging).
 
Thanks for your help -
 
Debbie Riccio
WNYFLFA
Rochester, NY
[Posted in FML issue 1221]