Hi >I have a very old ferret, about 8 years old who is now showing signs of >disease. It appears to be insulinoma. >I am unwilling to put him through surgery and too much probing. I'm so sorry to hear that your little old man has insulinoma. I can certainly understand your wishes to avoid subjecting him to surgery or lots of other heroic medical efforts. There comes a time when you know that these sorts of treatments aren't going to significantly improve the quality or length of your ferret's life. On the other hand, I honestly would recommend a trip to the vet in your case to talk about possible drug treatments for insulinoma. The vet will probably draw a blood sample to check your little guy's glucose level, and he will most likely prescribe prednisone, a fairly inexpensive drug. While the pred won't cure insulinoma, it will help manage the glucose level so that your ferret is less likely to experience seizures and other unpleasant insulinomic symptoms. In other words, with minimal cost and medical intervention, you can help to make your buddy's remaining time more pleasant. : ) For a great collection of insulinoma information, visit http://www.miamiferret.org/FHC/ If you need to find a better ferret vet in your area, contact a local resource to ask for their suggestion. See http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/database.html Best wishes, Gina Hart/Sage Ferrets http://www.geocities.com/sageferrets [Posted in FML issue 3169]