In an earlier posting, I mentioned the GLFA Education Committee has been requested to research diabetes in ferrets as it seems to be misdiagnosed by Michigan owners & vets. I'm forwarding an article by Deb Arthur that will be appearing the The Ferret Press which leads to the request. If you can shed some light or direct me toward resources, I'd appreciate it. Dee Beau, Nilla, Hershey & Finnegan )( .. )( ..)( .. )( ..)( ..)( .. )( .. )( ..)( ..)( ..)( ..)( ..)( .. )( )( .. )( ..)( ..)( .. )( ..)( ..)( .. )( ..)( Diabetes? Why should you be concerned with diabetes? After all most vets have never seen diabetes in ferrets and they say it's extremely rare anyway. Well folks we're here to tell you it doesn't seem to be as rare as we thought. We recently lost a ferret that was very near to our hearts. His name was Jasper. We had given him to Tammy Motcheck after her Boo-Boo passed away last year. Jaspers' ordeal ended up teaching us a lot. Tammy took Jasper to the vet for symptoms very similar to an insulinoma. At first glance the vet might have treated Jasper for an insulinoma and we never would have known that he really had diabetes. In this case the vet recommended a full blood work up and x-rays, Tammy agreed. It was a big suprise to the vet that the information came back as diabetes. The animal hospital this vet works for is Lansing's' main ferret hospital and yet they had never before seen a case of diabetes. The only information in the ferret medical books was that it was rare and the books only contained a few paragraphs of material, enough to get started but not enough to continue treatment. When Debi heard this, she immediately got on the phone to anyone that might have some current information. She did find some vets in Michigan that had found and worked on diabetes in ferrets successfully and she conveyed this info to Jaspers' vet. Not content that the info she had was in any way complete, she kept the phone calls going. When she contacted veterinary colleges outside of Michigan she found a whole different attitude. They were suprised that we considered it so rare. They have been dealing with it for some time now. Anyway, Debi collected any information she could find from all around the United States and sent it to Jaspers' vet. The information she collected helped but it was a case of too little to late and Jasper passed away from complications due to diabetes. I'm not sure of the technical terms but basically the ketones (acids?) had built up enough to shut down Jaspers' kidneys and liver. The one recurring bit of information that arose from all of this was that the "symptoms" of diabetes are almost the same as an insulinoma. Unless you do blood test or at least a blood sugar test you could very well be treating the symptoms of diabetes with medicine designed to treat insulinomas. Unfortunately this doesn't work and the ferret passes away, apparently from the insulinoma. If you suspect an insulinoma and or diabetes in your ferret but can't afford a full blood work up, then at least do a blood sugar count. The vets we have talked with say this test only cost about ten dollars. The results of the sugar test can steer you and your vet in the right direction of treatment. In her conversations with veterinarians around the state of Michigan, Debi found a wide difference of opinions. Some vets still consider it rare and not to get exited and others caught themselves wondering if they hadn't misdiagnosed cases in the past. This in no way reflects badly on the veterinarians of Michigan, remember, ferrets are still relatively new here. Other states have been treating ferrets for years uncounted. Also many people don't want to, or can't afford, to have a full blood work up and x-rays done. At this point our vets are stuck treating "symptoms" and they do a wonderful job of it with very little information to go by. The main purpose of this article is to get people thinking. Is it an insulinoma? Is it diabetes? How do I know? The plain truth is, without some kind of urine or blood test and x-rays, you don't know. Why should you be concerned with diabetes? After all most vets have never seen diabetes in ferrets and they say it's extremely rare anyway. Well folks we're here to tell you it did happen. Jasper didn't have a fat belly but he was dehydrated and losing muscle mass at an alarming rate. In an attempt to get you thinking, I'll include the symptoms that Jasper showed before his trip to the hospital. 1-He was sluggish. He responded to a nutrical/water mixture but crashed hard when it wore off. 2-He was eating and drinking well and nothing happened. 3-During the major weather changes, every spring and every fall, shed seasons, he would go through a depression for a couple of weeks. He had been to the vet for this for at least two years but it never occurred to anyone to do a blood test. He always "came out of it" after awhile. 4-His gums were pink but his nose pad was pale. 5-During his play time he would suddenly stop and "gaze at the stars", and then resume as if nothing happened. 6-He had a very dry coat with dandruff. While this list is in no way conclusive, it gives you the basics. It's important to state that we are not veterinarians, just concerned folks trying to help our vets take care of our babies. With this in mind we have asked our Education Committee to amass as much information as possible and compile for future use. It's also important to state that ferrets can and do live good lives with diabetes. The insulin needles are small and the doses are small so there is very little trauma to the ferret and not a large expense to the owner. In ferrets this is a very "livable" disease. Well, has this gotten you thinking? Good, We've accomplished our purpose then. Good luck and good health to all. Steve & Debi Arthur. [Posted in FML issue 3031]