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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 11:27:53 GMT -5
Rikku has had insulinoma for several months now. He was doing fine on meds but has slowly been getting worse. Last night I was holding him and when I put him back in the cage he just stayed where I put him. Didn't even burrow in the fabric so I had to cover him. He wasn't drooling or anything so I just thought he was tired. This morning he was in the exact same spot. He didn't even get up to poop. He just went where he was. He was also twitching. I thought that might be the start of a seizure so I gave him corn syrup and them some A/D canned food after. I called the vet to see if we can increase meds and am waiting for her to call me back but I don't even know if I should try. Even before today He hasn't been completely normal. All he does is sleep. I don't know what to do. I have never had a ferret with insulinoma before and I have no idea when its time to call it quits.
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Post by racheld on May 18, 2015 11:31:17 GMT -5
What med and what dose is he on now?
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 11:34:41 GMT -5
Hes getting .33ml of prednisone twice a day. Its 15mg per 5ml. Is this a lower dose? Vet still hasn't called me back to see if we can increase.
EDIT: Its actually prednisolone.
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Post by racheld on May 18, 2015 11:41:03 GMT -5
That is a fairly low dose. You can gradually increase it to match the progression of the insu and when it stops being enough there is another med you can add called diazoxide. It also helps a lot if you're able to hand feed small meals throughout the day and split his Pred into three doses. It sounds like he has a lot of time left, it's just a matter of getting a dose that works for him.  My Remus was diagnosed a year ago and we've had some hiccups but getting his BG checked every few weeks (which can be done at home if you get a BG meter, I just haven't had luck with mine) and adjusting his meds accordingly he's still doing well. |
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 11:47:06 GMT -5
For whatever reason I though we were at a higher dose. I will increase his dose when the vet calls back and I will switch to 3 times a day with more frequent meals. Hopefully he does better. I will keep a close eye on him for now.
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Post by unclejoe on May 18, 2015 12:33:04 GMT -5
You may also be able to add diazoxide as a treatment. You need to do something quickly before he declines too far. I would call this an emergency. When my ferrets can no longer get themselves to the litter box, I consider it the end. Best wishes.
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 12:35:20 GMT -5
The vet called and said to increase to .5ml 3 times a day so I gave him a bit more already and fed him again. He's eating on his own now (earlier today I had to spoon feed and he didn't eat much) but hes more excited about the food again. I will still keep a close eye on him over the next several days to see if he does better.
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Post by bitbyter on May 18, 2015 12:50:02 GMT -5
I'd say you still have quite a bit of room to play with med dosages. The end with insolinoma is generally when the meds are no longer controlling the symptoms. I think you've still got a ways to go yet  |
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2015 21:21:35 GMT -5
I spoke too soon. Hes not very interested in food. When I put him in front of the food he takes a few licks and goes back to bed. This is the first time hes walked away from A/D canned. He loves the stuff. Hopefully hes back to normal tomorrow.
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Post by acodlin on May 18, 2015 23:57:14 GMT -5
When their BG is low they get nauseated and won't eat. You absolutely cannot let him refuse to eat. If he doesn't eat he will bottom out. Try some chicken baby food or something high in protein..
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2015 3:08:42 GMT -5
You have to force feed him in order to spike him back up. Make a meat soupie or chicken baby food and syringe it to him, if he won't take from the spoon. He absolutely must eat every 3-4 hours in order to keep the BG stable. Even if he doesn't want to. Usually after a high protein meal he will spike up and if you keep feeding him throughout the day, he should recover. Just don't let him refuse food no matter what. Insulinoma in manageable with proper medication and proper diet from months to years, so I'd say don't give up on him yet, je's a strong fella
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Post by miamiferret2 on May 19, 2015 7:06:46 GMT -5
You are coating his stomach with food before meds right? Sounds like you need to increase meds.
If your insulinoma ferret is not eating, you must syringe feed minimum of 20 ml of pureed food at least every 4 to 6 hours. When they don't eat, the insulinoma gets worse.
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Post by miamiferret2 on May 19, 2015 7:07:38 GMT -5
Call your vet and report activity levels and lack of appetite. Ask vet whether you can increase med dose. Do you have a gome BG meter?
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2015 8:07:51 GMT -5
I did make sure he ate a decent amount before I went to bed last night. This morning he ate more on his own but I had to rotate the plate otherwise when the spot in front of him was empty he would lay down and give up. He also had to take breaks to rest his head and hes not standing to eat anymore. When he was done eating he stayed in the same spot so I moved him back to his bed and covered him. Is it normal for them to be so tired or is this due to his age (hes about 8-9 years).
I will make sure he gets meals every 4 hours. Is this also throughout the night?
I have been giving meds right before feeding him. Should I be doing it the other way around? Meds were increased. We went from .33ml twice a day to .5ml 3 times a day. This started yesterday. Do I need to increase again right away?
I do not have a BG meter.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2015 8:31:29 GMT -5
I did some googleing and it looks like adrenal disease can cause lethargy. He was diagnosed a few months ago. We decided not to treat because at the time there was only hair loss. I am thinking about treating now but my mom doesn't think I should considering his age and the insulinoma. Should I make him an appointment to start treatment?
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