I've been reading all of the postings about insulinoma with great interest, and just wanted to share a story. My ferret, Squirt, was diagnosed with insulinoma about two years ago. My vet said that my only option was surgery, and that Squirt would die anyway in about a year, because the tumors are usually too small to remove them all. Now, my vet has not seen a lot of ferrets, so I wasn't exactly sure if he knew what he was talking about, but I have since heard the same thing on the list. Squirt had lost approximately 1/2 of his body weight, would vomit everytime he ate, and was generally grouchy and listless. The vet recommended putting him on Pedia-Pred (a type of steroid) to regulate his blood sugar level so that he would gain some weight back before surgery. Once he started taking this medicine (.25 cc daily), he gained back all of the lost weight, plus more! He's fat and happy, dances regularly, and doesn't even act like he's sick. I've had Squirt for five years and he has lived a happy life. He has cataracts, but gets around just fine! Considering all this with the fact that the vet said he would die anyway, I decided against the surgery. After all, why make him suffer through it if it wouldn't really help? I discussed this with the vet, and he said that without the surgery, Squirt would be dead in three months. Well, that was over two years ago, and Squirt is still doing great!! I'm not saying that surgery isn't a good thing; just that you should weigh all of the facts and then make a loving decision. Squirt has lasted much longer than predicted (still taking PediaPred everyday, which much taste great because he thinks it's a treat), and from the way he acts, I believe that he isn't going to leave me anytime soon. Michelle, Squirt, and PB [Posted in FML issue 2113]