Sounds like you are using one of the generic liquid preds.  Most of the
generics contain alcohol (about 5%).  It is time to use the brand name
Pediapred (prednisolone).  It is a dye free, sugar free, alcohol free,
raspberry flavored clear liquid.
 
As for diets: the higher the protein and the fat the better.  Low fiber
and low carbohydrates.  Unfortunately your statement about ferrets being
unable to digest corn is not accurate.  Your comments about fish are also
not accurate.  Fish is highly digestable and a high quality protein
source.  It actually has a higher value than chicken!  Plus it contains
the important omega-3 fatty acids.  Yes fish does smell like fish, but it
is a good protein source!  Wheat, Zupreem's main carbohydrate source,
contains about 11.5% protein (actually higher than the protein content
of corn ~9%).  Wheat also has a higher post prandial (after meal) gluose
response than corn.  Better than rice better worse than corn!
 
As for treats: avoid raisins, cereals, bananas, and candy.  Cooked meats,
cooked eggs, Hill's a/d, and Gerber's baby food (chicken and turkey)
provide the high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate profile that we want
in a snack.
 
Unfortunately we still do not have a perfect diet for insulinoma ferrets.
It will probably have to be a canned food, so it can have a low enough
carbohydrate level <10%.
 
Hope that clears up some of the confusion,
Jerry Murray, DVM
 
[Sukie note: As you know, there are multiple hypotheses about insulinoma
and what is best for advanced insulinoma may be different than what is
best for earlier insulinoma, because when it is advanced enough the
insulin is produced mostly by the insulinoma rather than by normal cells
and then independent of blood glucose levels -- so sugar may not pose a
problem for those with advanced insulinoma and may be useful, but for
earlier cases it might be a problem.  Hypotheses abound.  Hey, we're all
always learning; that's why we have to accept that hypotheses are just
hypotheses rather than answers, and why it is important to financially
support further research that will improve ferret veterinary care.  The
concerns over certain seafoods and yellow corn found in text books like
_Biology and Diseases of the Ferret_ apply to problems from large levels
or to ferrets that have specific problems making those poor choices, such
as restricting urine-pH-lowering yellow corn in the diet of a ferret with
bladder stones.]
[Posted in FML issue 3738]