[2-part post combined. BIG]
My 6 yo darling Sabine/the Bean/Silver Queen/Queen Bean has diabetes and
receives injections of insulin at fairly regular intervals (varying from
every other day to twice a day). She had one large insulinoma removed
and was put on pred. When she started to seem a little shaky again, I
increased her dosage, thinking that I knew what I was doing after having
3 ferrets with insulinoma. Wrong.
She got weak and sleepy, drank and peed ounces and ounces of water, and
finally began to smell very sweet, especially her breath. (I seem to be
the only one who notices this symptom, but it can be very strongly sweet
to my nose.) Having a niece with juvenile diabetes, a bell went off in my
head and Sabine and I took off for the vet.
The vet got her off prednisone as quickly as possible and called in a
prescription for human DNA insulin Humulin U Ultralente. The 10 ml bottle
lasts for months and months if you keep it refrigerated, don't let it
freeze, and don't let it stay at room temperature for any length of time.
She also prescribed a box of 10 bags of 10 syringes 3/10 cc. They are so
fine it is very easy to give the injection. One unit per injection seems
to work, though this will vary with ferret and diet. If her glucose is
very high, I just test her urine between 6 and 8 hours later to see if
she needs another unit.
My niece and I tried to test Sabine's blood glucose, but those soft little
pads are very tough and I couldn't get a decent drop of blood. I wanted
to be able to do this in an emergency, because the glucose in her urine
actually reflects her condition several hours earlier. I keep a clean,
empty litter box and confine her to a small isolation area once or twice a
day (with food, water and sleep sack). I try to catch her when she's been
sleeping for a while in the hope that she'll pee soon and won't be locked
up too long... she is a little tired of this routine! After the original
good cleaning, I only use hot hot water to rinse out the box for fear that
soap or cleansers will affect the reading on the glucose strips.
I use the Keto-Diastix rather than the Diastix because they have more
gradations and more precise measurements of the amount of glucose in the
urine. Sabine has not registered any ketones since we first got her
under treatment, but I still prefer those strips (the price is the same).
Ketones are BAD... they indicate an outrageous amount of glucose in the
urine. My pharmacist can't believe how high The Bean's urine glucose
levels can go without her going into a coma or something (the top reading
on the sticks is 2000) but I guess ferrets fare better in this than humans.
I'm not sure how blood and urine glucose levels compare, but my niece went
into a coma at a 400 blood glucose level. I only give her insulin if her
urine glucose registers at least in the first green area, never if there
is no glucose in her urine at all.
After at least 6 months, Sabine's glucose levels were way high again, and
even taking her up to 5-7 units of insulin barely controlled it. My vet
figured that she had become resistant to the human DNA insulin and was able
to order pork-based insulin. (Both types are made by Lilly.) The pork
insulin is working well and she is down to one unit/injection again. I
think there may also be a beef-based insulin around. I recommend that your
vet try to get you the pork immediately. I think what they have in stock
is all there is. I don't think they're manufacturing it anymore because
the human DNA works better for humans.
[Continued.... ]
I believe you are fortunate that your vet figured out what was going on.
Three different ferrets I know of all died because their diabetes wasn't
diagnosed in time. There is some speculation that the pred may cause the
problem if the pancreas has totally forgotten how to create insulin while
the insulinoma was creating so much. Some ferrets only become diabetic
for a period of time; then their pancreas gets back to doing its proper
job and they are no longer diabetic.
One side effect for Sabine has been that she refuses to eat TF anymore,
though she ate it happily for 6 years. Now she will only eat cheap Whiskas
catfood from the grocery store. I guess she developed a diabetic sweet
tooth. Her tastes have obviously changed, anyway. She is also now
indifferent to raisins half the time.
To give The Bean her injection, I put a little puddle (one tsp?) of olive
oil in a little dish on the counter, and while she is licking that up, I
pull up the skin behind her shoulder blades, press my finger under the
part I've pinched to make a little tent-dent, and quickly give her the
injection. She almost never seems to notice. Your vet can teach you in
one minute. I still get the willies doing it sometimes, but it is very
easy.
One consequence for you may be that you never feel quite right about
leaving Sonic in someone else's care when you want to go away. You really
must monitor her glucose levels regularly. If you give her more insulin
than she needs, she'll go into a convulsion like a severe insulinoma
hypoglycemic episode and will have to be given Karo or honey on the gums,
followed by a high protein meal. Low glucose is immediately threatening.
However, sustained high glucose is very hard on their systems, too.
Sabine likes to be held and cuddled more these days, anyway! She sleeps a
lot, but she still has to sniff the world and check it all out. She seems
slow, but happy. I carry her upstairs and sometimes down, but that's fine.
Please write if you have any other questions. And anyone else who wants
to trade helpful hints, too. My vet would be very willing to talk with
your vet, I'm sure.
Dr. Anna Edling,
Hickory Veterinary Hospital
2303 Hickory Road
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462
(610) 828-3054
Blessings
Judith
[Posted in FML issue 3259]
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