>From:    Sunshine <[log in to unmask]>
>Can someone tell me the reason why hind leg weakness happens?  Would like
>to know why this happens.
 
One common reason for it to happen is insulinoma.  The ferret becomes
hypoglycemic, and the back end gets wobbly periodically.
 
>Also, I posted about Predisone and what it does to humans and only heard
>two responses.  Was wondering with all the ferret's on Predisone why I
>only saw two responses?  Would people not be concerned of the side effects
>of this dangerous drug?  I know it helps ferret's, but in humans it does
>terrible things if taken too long and high dosage.  Come on, isn't anyone
>concerned?
 
If this was a list about human medicines, I'm sure there'd be lots of
discussion.  But it's not.  You yourself said it helps ferrets.  You also
admit that it can potentially cause problems in humans if taken *too long*
and in *too high* a dosage.  If taken for short periods and at a proper
dosage, it can really help in certain situations, as I pointed out before.
Heck, aspirin could be a "dangerous drug" if you take too much of it.  If
you're trying to say that since it can be dangerous to humans (if taken
incorrectly or for too long), that it therefore is dangerous to ferrets,
that argument won't necessarily wash.  Maybe someone on the list has an
anecdote about how pred did terrible things to their ferret.  That would be
a shame if it has actually happened, but in most cases pred does help, and
doesn't seem to have the same problems with long term use that are seen in
people.  Maybe a vet on the list should chime in at the this point to help
put our minds at ease on the topic.
 
Karen
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====================================================================
"The snake is an animal. It has a backbone and heart. It has red blood and
drinks water and eats food. It breathes air and feels fear, just like every
other animal in the world. And it's in a body that is the hardest thing for
the average person to understand."
                -- Dave Barker, herpetologist
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If you love ferrets, check out:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~crassi/index.html
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[Posted in FML issue 2826]