To Debbie Riccio:
>1) Is it a good idea to use Linatone/Ferretone to aid in medicating ferrets?
>I'm wondering if the oil would inhibit absorption of the medication...
 
No, actually, the absorption of many medications is enhanced by giving with
a high fat diet - however, be sure to check with your vet before
administering any medications with a high-fat substance such as Linatone -
sometimes you don't want to increase the absorption for fear of toxicity....
 
>2) Libby is a 3 1/2 yr old ferret diagnosed with a heart condition and
>insulinoma.  My ex-vet (story on that later) said that the heart condition
>was due to the insulinoma...  evaluation.  She had a normal US, and since
>her insulinoma has been under control, she is no longer on Lasix.  My
>question in about pancreatic surgery.....when do you do it?  When a ferret
>is *first* dx'd with insulinoma, or when it can no longer be controlled by
>pred?  If you operate when insulinoma is first dx'd, is it possible you
>won't find any good sized nodules to take off...
 
Wow - that's multiple questions.  First off, I don't believe that heart
disease and insulinoma are related.  Decreased blood sugar may have a
systemic effect on peripheral nerves and the brain, but not the heart.
 
Next, as far as pancreatic surgery - I recommend that when you have a
positive diagnosis of insulinoma, you go in (as long as the patient is a
surgical candidate.  Very old ferrets may not survive the surgery, so
prednisone is the way to go.  But with all other ferrets, the long you wait,
the larger the neoplasm will become, and the greater the chance of extension
or metastasis.  There is always the chance that you won't find any nodules
if you go in too early, but in my experience, once they have beocme
clinical, there's a visible nodule there - you just may have too look
closely for it.
 
If your ferret has a normal heart X-ray, and is acting normal, I wouldn't
let a heart murmur put off surgery.  Many ferrets have what we call
"physiologic murmurs" - murmurs that are present but don't result in any
clinical impairment.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
[Posted in FML issue 1475]