We are very busy today, so I am going to raid one of my old posts making
the job a for some useful medication reminders and some tips, but you
will find a bunch more in the FML and FHL Archives.  The address for the
FML Archives is in the header of every day's FML and it easy as pie to
use.  The FHL Archives address is in my signature and it also is easy
enough for everyone to use.  I find that the thing which scares many
people is that they think that they have to be able to fill in all of
the boxes before they can search, but that is not the case.  It also
is good to compare Prednisolone and Prednisone in the archives since
Prednisolone works so much better for a number of ferrets.
 
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG5030
 ...Usually (unless it is an experimental medication) a pharmacist or
compounding pharmacist can look up a med and see which ones should
not be given with what.
 
We've had ones that could not be given with oils, others that could not
be exposed to saliva or water, and some for which either was just fine.
Our only rule of thumb on what to give with a medication is that it pays
first to learn from an expert what a given medication should not be
exposed to.  (I'm a big one for figuring that if people have studied
something intensely for a great many years required by an advanced
degree then they have earned my respect and I'd be silly to not ask
questions.... I figure that it's better to ask... than to risk a
serious error and actually be foolish... ;-)  We've all got room for
learning.)
 
Another useful medication rule of thumb is that if a pill has a line down
it then the ingredients are evenly distributed, but if it doesn't you
have to crush the contents and then mix the powder well and divide it.
 
Yet some more are to find out what meds should be refrigerated, which
ones need to be protected from light, which ones should be given with
foods at the same time, etc...
 
There is a past issue of FERRETS MAGAZINE with an article by Dr. Debbie
Kemmerer Cottrell on medicine giving techniques that is so excellent that
even old hands like Steve and I who have been giving meds to ferrets for
decades found it very useful.  (I really, really wish the assorted
articles by vets that have appeared in the magazine were available
on-line, but only a few are.  I think that everyone should have a copy
of that article.
 
Here are some excellent articles on adrenal disease and insulinoma that
everyone needs to read.  BTW, in some countries Suprelorin is available
instead of Lupron and it should be available here within 2 years if all
continues to go well.
 
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/adrenal.htm
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/basics.htm
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/lupron.htm
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/24hr_lupron.htm
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/murray.htm
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/melatonin.htm
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/addisons.htm
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/PDF/insulinoma.pdf
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/prednisone.htm  (Go w the generic
Diazoxide instead of Proglycem -- a bit cheaper and easier to find,
also test for effectiveness with a small compounded amount first.)
There are more available to help you.
 
-- Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List co-moderator
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives fan
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
replacing
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress advisor
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5089]