I tried to get permission from the publisher of Dr. Weiss' insulinoma study to allow us to post the abstract on a web page, but permission was denied. I think the results of this study are VERY important to the ferret community, so I want to spread the word as much as possible. The results are based on 66 ferrets that were treated by Dr. Weiss. This is a post-treatment study, ie, the medical records of the ferrets were examined after treatment. There was no strict control group and experimental group. Treatment for a given ferret was based on the decision of the owners. SUMMARY Of ferrets treated medically only (prednisone and later, diazoxide), the mean survival time was about 6 months. (Longest survival time, 273 days.) Of ferrets treated surgically, those that had nodulectomy (removal of tumorous nodules only), the mean survival time was about 1 1/2 years. (Longest survival time 846 days and still going.) Of those treated surgically with partial pancreatectomies (removal of nodules and 25-50% if the pancreas) the mean survival time was about 2 years. (Longest survival time 1002 days and still going!) These results are unequivocal: Surgery is far better than medical treatment. If your ferret has insulinoma, is a good surgical candidate, and you have access to an experienced ferret vet, your ferret will benefit from the surgery. You can get a copy of the article by calling the Americal Animal Hospital Association at 1-800-883-6301. Get a copy for your vet. Dr. Weiss is always willing to talk to vets about treatment and surgical procedures. His number is (301) 299-4142. The full citation is "Insulinoma in the Ferret: Clinical Findings and Treatment Comparison of 66 cases" J Am Anim Hosp Assoc, 1998; 34:471-5. NOTE: I am not a vet, vet tech or otherwise medically educated. If I have misinterpreted anything in the article, I apologize. I encourage others to read the article for themselves and post if they have corrections or other important comments. Linda Iroff Raisin Retreat Ferret Shelter Oberlin, OH http://www.oberlin.edu/~liroff/ncfs.html [Posted in FML issue 2488]