In Ferret Health List Issue 17, a discussion of when to fast or not fast for blood sugar tests: Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 14:30:36 -0000 From: "Dr. Bruce Williams" <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Checking Blood Glucose Level Dear XXXXXX, That would depend on whether this is a routine screen or if your ferret has already shown signs of insulinoma. As a general rule, it is not terribly helpful to bring a ferret in right after they have eaten - at this time the glucose is at its highest levels and the measured levels may not be representative of what it truly going on. If the ferret has recently shown signs of hypoglycemia, such as trances, drooling, difficulty walking, etc., I discourage doing a fasting blood glucose test. By purposely withholding food, we may precipitate a hypoglycemic attack. Usually, when an animal is showing clinical signglucose , the blood level will show up as low (<60)on a routine screen. My recommendations for fasting blood glucoses are generally limited to those who register as borderline (60 - 80) on a routine screen, or rechecks on animals who have previously had insulinoma, but no clinical signs since surgery. A fasting blood glucose facilitates early detection of insulinoma recurrence in these animals. Anytime that a blood glucose level dips below 60 g/dl, regardless of whether it is a routine screen or a fasting test, insulinoma should be strongly considered. If clinical signs of hypoglycemia are present as well, then your diagnosis is clear. With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, dVM Join the Ferret Health List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list [Posted in FML issue 3343]