Michele wrote: >Well as I type this its been a very long day for us here..I have been >without sleep for over 24 hours due to some very scary and strange symptoms >with my ferret..Please excuse any typos because I am overtired but really >want some input here as if this has ever happened to anyone.. I will start >by saying my ferret named Bandit age aprox. 6-years old,he was fine >Saturday night until his moans woke me out of bed at 2am..he was breathing >very strange...his mouth was open and he was drooling..He seems very warm >and was listless..I took him out of the cage and examined him closer..He >was not doing anything but drooling and his breathing was labored..... >it was by then 5am and he took it...I wiped my eyes >gave him more and he seemed to be breathing better...he had periods where >he was breathing fine then it became labored again...I fell asleep at 5am >after I saw he looked better.. I woke up at 7am to find him drinking >water on his own from the water bottle I had in a cage that's used for >when I have to clean their cage up fast before work..so I left towels and >a soft blanket in there along with a fresh water bottle and some fresh >food. and let Bandit stay there so the other ferrets wouldn't bother him >..He looked at me,and was no longer drooling at 7am . Michele First off, I'm not a vet - just a shelter operator. Your Bandit is most likely suffering from Insulinoma - and the late night episode that you described is what happens when his blood sugar dropped to a critical level....If you see him exhibiting these symptoms again, try rubbing some Karo syrup or honey on his gums. I would definitely recommend getting Bandit to the vet for the first possible appointment that you can get - a simple blood glucose test should confirm or deny whether or not he is having trouble regulating his blood sugar. Normal ferret blood sugar readings are between 90 and 120. I would hesitate to offer a ferret water when in a seizure - they don't have good motor controls at this point, and he could possibly aspirate the water. Keeping him warm and isolated from the other ferrets does help - they could inadvertently injure him while in a seizure... Insulinoma is a chronic condition - it can be treated surgically by removing part of the pancreas, or medically with prednisone. I prefer to do the surgery first, and medication after. I hope that Bandit is doing much better. Get him to the vet, and have them check his blood sugar - it might not be insulinoma, and a blood test can tell you that too, sometimes. Good luck to you and Bandit. Lisa, Head Ferret The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea" URL: http: www.kozykingdom.com/ferrethaven Want to help The Ferret Haven By-the-Sea? Register at iGive.com by cutting and pasting this link: http://www.iGive.com/html/ssi.cfm?CID=1236&MID=854 [Posted in FML issue 2847]