My ferret Woody is 10 years old, he has had insulinoma for about a year.
For most of that time he has been given pediapred .5 ml twice a day.  For
the longest time it seemed that he was happy just living to eat Bob C's
gravy and then running off to bed ... only waking again to eat some more.
About six weeks ago Woody's hind end weakness got worse and his pred was
increased to 1 ml twice a day.  It seemed to work but was hard to tell
because he would have good and bad days although the bad days came more
and more.  About two weeks ago I decided to try diazoxide .15 mg once a
day compounded with beef flavor.  His weakness not only did not improve
but got worse to the point where he really couldn't walk a lot of the
time, he would fall over or drag is hind end.  His appetite also declined
a lot.  I don't think that the diazoxide made his hind end weakness worse
although I didn't want to keep him on diazoxide if it was going to
interfere with his appetite and if it wasn't working so I had his glucose
checked and it was 101 so I guess it was working but was it worth him not
eating as much???  I didn't give him the diazoxide and then the next day
I had it checked and it was 73.  The vet (not my normal one) said to
keep him on diazoxide because his glucose was just going to continue to
decline.  I asked about upping the pred to take him off the diazoxide
since he was losing so much weight and he said I could up the pred but
keep the diazoxide the same.  Honestly I didn't like that answer and I
didn't give him the diazoxide that day and by that evening he was eating
more then he had in the last two weeks ... so I haven't given it to him
and he has continued to eat more everyday which this is day three.
 
I could have his glucose checked again but at this point I think I'm
dealing with a much more important question then what kind of medicine and
how much to give him.  It's been a week since he has not really been able
to walk ... even when his glucose was 101.  I feel that his quality of
life is very poor and it's so sad when I see him fall over and not be able
to get back up.  He's not even the type of ferret that likes to be held.
It's funny because when I take him out to the vet he will sit there and be
held like he loves it but at home he wants no part of it, he just wants
down.  When he's in his cage he only moves right outside of his fluff to
go to the bathroom even though the litter box is only eight inches away.
I have only put a ferret to sleep before who was suffering and not eating
and I knew would not make in another day.  It's very hard to even think
about it with a ferret that enjoys eating but just can't move.  I'm sure
someone has dealt with this before ... how long do you let this quality
of life continue???
[Posted in FML issue 3730]