Friday 8am, I found 5.5yo MF Gina on the kitchen floor in what seemed to be
a mild seizure.  She couldn't stand up, warm, skin showed dehydration at
neck, eyes half closed.
 
I called Dr. Dan Hudson of Cary, NC - out sick :-(.  I called Dr. Dan
Johnson of Raleigh, NC at home as he lives about 3 miles from me.  Dr.
Johnson said he would meet me at his new office in West Raleigh, North
Carolina at 9am.
 
I didn't have any honey or light corn syrup (Karo) on hand.  With my night
shirt still on, I pull on my pants with one hand as I don't want to let go
of Gina.  I swing by the "dining facility" (free roamers) to locate Chipper
and offered Gina some Linatone.  She licked the Linatone from my finger,
but since it is in pump form I decided not to take it in the car, and opted
for the FerretVite (similar to Nutrical).  (Smart absent-minded move on my
part.)
 
Gina layed motionless in my lap wrapped in a baby blanket as I sped down
I-440.  I brought Chipper with us in case Gina was dying.  Chipper crawled
up into my lap and gave Gina lovin'.  I offered Gina the FerretVite...she
took it, wanted more, gave her more.  Chip wanted some too...remember I was
going 70mph in rush hour :-/.
 
I beat Dr. Johnson to his Avian & Exotic AC by 15 minutes.  As I paced,
holding Gina, she indicated she wanted down.  She walked several steps and
began wobbling and back legs not holding up.  I picked her back up so that
she wouldn't use up her energy and gave her more FerretVite, and hand fed
her water from the clinic room sink.
 
With sugar and water in her, she wants back down on the floor.  She starts
tooling around just fine.  Dr. Johnson examined her, diagnosis is suspicion
of insulinoma.  Prescribed pedi-pred (fruit flavor) twice daily at .25cc.
 
I returned home, fed her Bob Church's Chicken Gravy, and started making
phone calls.  Dr. Hudson *did* come into work with an upper respiratory
infection and said he agreed with Johnson and wanted to see Gina at 4:30.
(Hudson knows Gina's history and treated her for rt adrenal gland tumor
and lymphosarcoma.)
 
Hudson and I talked about Gina's future on meds, the gravy, and surgery.
 
With insulinomic ferrets, reduction of sugar is the upmost important.  You
can use honey or Karo syrup if they start crashing.  It is not a permanent
treatment.
 
Pam Sessoms' rushed to the granola-head store and bought a free-range
chicken, whipped up a fresh batch of Bob's Chicken Gravy, minus the
kibble/ferret food (grain/starches=carbohydrates=sugar) AND brought it
over late that night.
 
Saturday, I read up on the latest gravy participant's encouraging news for
insulinomic ferts - good timing and Thank You for posting.  Also, the
recipe was sent to several vets in our area (including Hudson and Johnson).
 
Gina will now be fed the gravy as her main source of food, besides her
Totally Ferret.  A comment in the literature FAQ said the pred upsets their
stomach and can lead to ulcers.  Therefore, I will give her gravy first to
coat/fill the stomach and then her pred.
 
At some point during the week or next Saturday, Hudson will be doing a
blood gluclose test.  I assume surgery is not too far behind.
 
What are good no-sugar treats for insulinomics?
 
Hugs, kisses, moocho thanks to those of you that dealt patiently with me
yesterday!
 
Shari Gunter
Club Contact
Triangle Ferret Lovers club, NC
http://www.trifl.org
[Posted in FML issue 2672]