http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL5007 >You have a good question about whether melatonin will cause an >insulinoma ferret to become a diabetic ferret. Yes, ferrets can go >from having insulinoma to having diabetes, but no, melatonin should >not cause that. Some vets worry that melatonin may lower the cortisol >level and thus lower the glucose level in insulinoma ferrets. That has >not been my experience with the melatonin implants over the last 6+ >years, and the U of Wisconsin oral melatonin study also reported that >cortisol levels were nor significantly changed by melatonin. > >To update the my old reply that Sukie posted: In ferrets use PZI or >Glargine insulin. Unfortunately Idexx has decided to stop making PZI >insulin, so Glargine will soon be the only choice. Still use the 1 to >3 units 2 times a day for PZI or Glargine insulin. > >Hope that helps, >Jerry Murray, DVM http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL3683 >If you are looking for a vet in upstate NY then you might want to go >to Cornell's vet school (Ithaca, NY, Dr James Morrisey). Likewise the >vet school in Guelph, Ontario, Canada is another option. > >Now for the treatment of Walter there are a few things we need to >know. > >When was the surgery done? Most cases that have an elevated glucose >level after surgery resolve on their own after 1 to 2 weeks. How high >was the glucose? If it was <300 then there is not much to worry about. >Maintain hydration with oral fluids (water bowl) and SQ fluids if he >gets dehydrated. If it is above 300 then dehydration is more likely >and oral and SQ fluids may be needed. Insulin is not needed in most >cases unless the dehydration cannot be solved. If it has been more >than 2 weeks since the surgery then insulin should be used. PZI or >Glargine insulin seem to work best in ferrets. Most ferrets require >high dose of insulin (1 to 3 units, 2 times a day). > >Hope that helps, >Jerry Murray, DVM >BTW diabetes is very common in cats and dogs, so most small animal ets >are very knowledgeable about it! Insulinoma is a very rare disease in >dogs and cats, so some vets that do not work with ferrets are not >familiar with it. http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG6592 >You have asked some good questions about how to treat your ferret >with diabetes. I will try to answer them. > >1) What type of insulin to use? This is a very good question. >The short answer is PZI VET insulin from Idexx. NPH is an >intermediated-acting insulin, and it is the best insulin for dogs. >Ultralente insulin is a long acting insulin, and it is the second >choice for cats and ferrets. The PZI VET insulin is a beef insulin >product that is the first choice for cats and ferrets. Interestingly >there has been very little work done with ferret insulin. Cat insulin >is very close to cow insulin. That is why PZI works well in cats. I >have asked Dr James Fox (the lab vet at MIT) about which insulin is >closet to ferret insulin, but that research just has not been done. >However in my experience the PZI VET insulin works best, so perhaps >ferret insulin is close to cat (and cow) insulin. I would recommend >starting at 1 Unit/ferret 2 times a day of the PZI VET insulin. PZI >is a 40 unit per ml (U-40) product, so you will need U-40 syringes. >2) What diet should I use? The "ideal diet" for diabetic ferrest would >have a high protein content 50-60%, high fat 30-40%, with a very low >carbohydrate content only 1-5%, vitamins/minerals/etc. Thus Gerber's >baby food, Hill's a/d, and the new Pretty Bird ferret food should be >used as a supplement or as the main diet. Also treats need to be low >carbohydrate such as cooked meats, cooked eggs, canned >tuna/chicken/salmon, baby food, a/d. The new Hill's canned m/d or >Purina canned DM may also be good options. >3) What about chromium? Chromium or brewer's yeast has insulin like >activity and can help lower the glucose level. A suggested dose of >chromium is 20-200 mcg/ day, divided and mixed in with the food. >4) What about Lupron? If your ferret is showing signs of adrenal gland >disease then I would recommend Lupron (or surgery when you get the >glucose regulated). A small percent (~5%) of ferrets with adrenal >gland disease will overproduce cortisol. Cortisol will elevate the >glucose level and may cause diabetes. >Hope that helps, >Jerry Murray, DVM Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 6155]