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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 11:11:57 GMT -5
Please help. Im panicking ;(
So I decided I would finally attempt to take the kids BG today. Pixie was first. I believe she ate breakfast approx. 2-4 hours ago. Her BG was 69 ;( does this mean confirmed insulinoma?
She's eating some soup now - should I retest her after food ? How long?
I need to take the others BG to see how they compare. I don't think my monitor is that off though.
Pixie is 2.5 years old ;( what causes a ferret to pass from insulinoma? Seizure? I need to read more up on this. She was only kibble fed for approx. 1-1.5 years. She ate evo, wysong II, vitalin, zupreem.
If she is insulinomic, what can I expect as far as lifespan? Should I get some x rays or ultrasounds done?
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Post by Sherry on Jun 14, 2011 11:16:27 GMT -5
First- how long since she'd last eaten? If she hasn't eaten for a few hours, her by could be lowish as well.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 11:18:26 GMT -5
Longest maybe 4 hours? Possible she ate as soon as 2 hours ago though
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 11:19:07 GMT -5
Thinking about it I fed them at 9:20 AM and it's 12:17 now so 3 hours
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Post by Sherry on Jun 14, 2011 11:26:38 GMT -5
I hate to say it, but you should likely take her in and have a fasting bg done . But- even if it does turn out to be insulinoma, it's JUST begun. Meaning she could be diet controlled for quite a while. Here's hoping it' s just the machine, though. Always possible.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 11:36:48 GMT -5
I am going to test the other two. Will post results when I finish.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 14, 2011 11:38:50 GMT -5
Sounds like a plan. If the readings are low across the board maybe take one in for a test, so you can calibrate your's with the vet's.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 12:04:29 GMT -5
Going to have to wait until later. They are way to squirmy right now. Gonna need two people.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Jun 14, 2011 12:30:11 GMT -5
there are other things that cause low blood glucose and people always blame insulinoma but that is not always the case. but insulinoma usually is the culprit. take her in for a blood test. liver enzymes, kidney function.
Test blood glucose on a 4 hour fast. Anything in the 80's & below is highly suspicious. Although I think anything under 90 is also suspicious. under 70 and i'm pretty darn sure you have a ferret that is producing too much insulin. the thing is, what is "normal" bg for one ferret is not always normal for others. however, IMO a bg of 69 on a 3 hour fast is not normal for any ferret. in a normal healthy ferret, BG should be above 100 on a 4 hour fast. are you seeing any other signs of insulinoma in pixie? sleeping alot, spacing out, wobbly when she first wakes up, drooling? the thing is also, some ferrets never even show signs of insulinoma! one of my ferrets NEVER showed any of the classic signs of insulinoma until one day when i came home and found him on the floor and unable to move. If bg levels (on a four hour fast) are in the 70's or 80's you can try to manage with diet first. you would have to make sure she eats every 5 to 6 hours to maintain bg levels. goal is to keep bg steady and avoid the roller coaster ups & downs. as i have said before, diet only goes so far. The tumors continue to grow and spread throughout the pancreas. the pancreas begins producing even more insulin and lowering bg to the point that you will not be able to manage with diet alone. At this point, you will have to begin meds. as for a timeline. that depends. every ferret is different. i have heard of ferrets going a few years on meds for insulinoma. not the case with everyone. some ferrets seem to get it worse than others and their tumors are more aggressive. once the tumors become unmanageable with diet, you can usually manage them with meds for about 1 year more or less.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 12:32:48 GMT -5
She's more lethargic than the others. Sleeps a bit more. Sometimes she shakes when she wakes up but it goes away quickly.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 12:35:13 GMT -5
So I need to start meds now? I was really hoping I could try to manage it with diet first ;( ;( ;(
I'm really praying my meter is off and even if it's low it's not as bad as it seems. I will be taking everyones BG tonight on a 4 hour fast to see if everyone is reading on the low side or if it's just Pixie.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Jun 14, 2011 12:36:01 GMT -5
my ferret Cosmo was in renal failure and he had low bg from it. he also slept alot and was lethargic around that time. however, i thought it was insulinoma. boy was i wrong! my poor baby. he died young. this is why i suggest a full work up at the vets for Pixie!
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Post by miamiferret2 on Jun 14, 2011 12:37:09 GMT -5
those home meters are usually off and they are usually lower than what they should be. fast her for 4 hours and take her to the vet for a bg test. take your home monitor and take the test at the vets with the same blood he uses. write your number down and when you get the vets number add or subtract the difference that way you can get a more accurate reading at home next time.
i'm not saying you need to start meds now. i guess you have to make a decision as to when you start meds. to me, it was when my ferret was not active & not enjoying his life even with frequent feedings. i would test his bg and it would be in the 60's and he would just sleep and sleep. his bg was so up and down even with wysong arch 1 being fed every 5 hours. i started him on .25 ml of pediapred.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 12:38:10 GMT -5
Gosh this is hitting me so hard right now. ;(
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Post by miamiferret2 on Jun 14, 2011 12:40:57 GMT -5
i know. its depressing. is this your first insulinomic ferret?
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