>Hi. I posted a question recently and received only two replies (thank >you!), though none from vets. I suspect it's because no one has used >methylprednisolone to treat insulinoma. Nope. I don't like using long acting pred, I like to be able to tweak the dose if need be. >Our vet has suggested it because she has read of evidence that it causes >less secondary effects in humans than other forms of pred. She was >planning on consulting a pharmacist about it, and I said I'd post to this >list. There is a bit of urgency in that I feel I must decide soon about >surgery for one of our ferrets, our sweet Minnie, who is quickly gaining >weight on pediapred, which is not good with her congenital heart condition. What about Proglycem? It's already proven to work in ferrets, and it doesn't have the same side effects. >BACKGROUND: I've personally observed that using pediapred to treat >insulinoma leads to obesity and resultant lack of mobility in ferrets. No question from me, though I find having a younger ferret in the household keeps the activity level up and the rate of weight gain down. Not every one can get there pred-belly ferret a pal, however ;-) >In terms of medical treatment for insulinoma, I'm looking for other >options. I have a seven-year-old locally-bred spayed ferret, an albino, >with insulinoma diagnosed 5/1/02. She also has a congenital heart murmur >rated three on a scale of six; regarding the heart she is symptom free as >of yet, though she is breathing a bit heavier due to, I hope, recent >weight gain; I've observed no coughing. She has been on a small dose of >prediapred for insulinoma for three months (.2 ml 2x/day of 6.75 mg/5ml). >We feed her our version of chicken soup, and try not to overfeed, and she >has quit eating kibble as so often happens. Since onset of treatment >5/1/02 Minnie has gone from 1lb 4oz (she was a runt) to 1lb 10oz! Minnie >has always been extremenly active, and I've worked to ensure she gets >plenty of exercise to keep her heart in good shape. She is less active >now, though still playful (much less so) and still galloping a bit. >Surgery isn't the most attractive option due to her heart condition. >However, we are considering it and may get an ultrasound soon to access >the heart. > > QUESTIONS > 1) Regarding medical treatment, our vet suggested we switch Minnie to > Methylprednisolone because our vet has read of evidence that this drug > causes less side affects in humans than regular pred. Has anyone here > used it to treat insulinoma and, if so, what were the results? If not, > can anyone identify reasons for or against trying it? See above. > 2) Regarding surgery consideration, given a ferret-experienced > radiologist with a ferret-experienced vet attending, how accurate, in > general, is ultrasound is in predicting the safety of proceeding with > surgery in regards to a heart condition? I don't do surgery on heart cases - call me paranoid, but I'd rather have a live fat ferret than a dead one on the table. > 3) Why does pred. cause weight gain and how might one alleviate the > problem? If pred. causes the body to metabolize more fat, as I > understand it does, should the ferret's diet be cut back, or would this > lead to insufficient nutrition due to the increased conversion of fat > (obviously I'm no nutritionist!). It also makes them hungry, so they tend to eat more. I usually counter this by decreasing the caloric level of the food (change to senior diets, use lean chicken baby food, etc). Hope this helps, -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. [Posted in FML issue 3468]