>From:    Erin Simkins <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Devastating news... Cardiomyopathy
>...I found my ferret Tigger last Saturday (the 18th) in his cage
>breathing rapidly, drooling VERY heavily, unresponsive, cold and pale.
>After talking with a very ferret-knowledgeable friend, she said try
>Karo to bring him around.
 
First of all, the disclaimer.  I'm not a vet.
 
This sounds more like a hypoglycemic seizure rather than something brought
on as a result of cardiomyopathy.  Particularly since it's so sudden with
(I'm guess here) no previous symptoms.
 
As per Dr. Birk, a board certified radiologist that has done hundreds
of sonograms on ferret hearts (100+ in our shelter in one fell swoop
specificially for the purpose of developing a guideline on heart sizes)
says that enlarged hearts in older male ferrets is not that unusual and
not necessarily a problem.  I don't know that 2 years would be considered
an older ferret, but I'm sure there's room for debate on ages.
 
A simple fasting blood glucose test will tell you whether or not there's
a possibility of insulinoma.  One of mine developed the first signs of
insulinoma at 2.5 years, and had a blood glucose of 45mg/dl.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael F. Janke, [log in to unmask]
* South Florida Ferret Help Line, 305-752-7040
*
* Website:  http://www.miamiferret.org
* Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc
[Posted in FML issue 3253]