>>I have a question concerning one of my ferrets.  About four years ago, my
>>female ferret was diagnosed with epilepsy.  She suddenly started having
>>seizures, was rushed to the vet, and was tested for everything that could
>>possibily be causing them.  Several vets saw her, and all decided epilepsy
>>was the only diagnosis they could give.  The seizure activity was brought
>>under control with phenobarbitol, and she has been on this drug since.
>>Other than having to take her medicine every morning, she is a healthy,
>>active, and normal ferret.  I have been unable to find any information on
>>this subject, other than epilepsy in ferrets is very rare.  Is it possible
>>that she could have been misdiagnosed?  Is her life expectancy shortened
>>by daily phenobarbitol use?  Any information on this subject would be
>>greatly appreciated.
 
>There is very little information on epilepsy in ferrets.  In other species,
>epilepsy is a diagnosis of exclusion- when you've ruled out toxins, liver
>shunts, tumors - must be epilepsy.  While phenobarbitol over time can cause
>an increase in liver values in dogs, there has been no research done (to
>my knowledge) on ferrets.  I hope someone else may have more info,
>
>-Dr. Karen
>
>DISCLAIMER:
>This e-mail is provided for general informational purposes only.  It is
>in no way intended as a replacement for a consultation with a qualified
>licensed veterinarian.  If you are concerned about your pet's health, you
>should seek the advice of your regular veterinarian as soon as possible.
 
[Sukie note: owner later posted about the extensive testing that had been
done and that the ferret had been controlled this way for years, but was
curious about long term use of the med, so we all got to learn yet more.
You can see details on this extremely rare problem in ferrets at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list .  As we all know, the
most common cause of seizures in ferrets is insulinoma.  ]
[Posted in FML issue 3470]