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Post by fuzzysmama on Jun 23, 2020 1:44:25 GMT -5
Looking for opinions. Here’s what we know:
-something causing low blood sugar...vet said probably insulinoma, but... -can’t do prednisolone, created transient diabetes, plus, she felt awful on it. -vet says she likely also has glycogen tumor on her pancreas, so the 2 tumor types are essentially fighting eachother, making medicine-treated BG regulation complicated. -vet says “debulking” surgery about the only (temporary) “fix”, but vet does not recommend anesthesia for her, so... -haven’t discussed diazoxide, but from what I’m reading, it can be dangerous for her. -1 year and counting off all meds, regulated by diet alone. So far (knock on wood), so good..but she does run low on BG checks regularly.
And now, also: Adrenal. So itchy. Enlarged spleen. -Can’t get the des implant due to BG. -can’t get Lupron as it’s the same med -don’t know about a melatonin implant, so maybe?? -oral melatonin, I can’t seem to find 100% without sugars (even naturally occurring). “Vanilla and raspberry natural flavors” proclaims to be completely sugar free, but I do not want to cause a crash. -homeopathy seems a no-go. Open to it, but there are no decent practitioners I trust in my area anymore.
So....what would you guys do? Thanks in advance for any opinions!
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Post by fuzzysmama on Jun 23, 2020 1:51:31 GMT -5
Also, she’s on moistened, blended in the blender Stella and Chewy’s FDR raw, 100%. Salmon/cod mix and beef “carnivore crunch”. We leave beef baby food available at all times, but it’s extremely rare she goes for it. She’s spoon fed her “mush” 3x per day, on a schedule. Big time chicken allergy. For “treats” (nail trims and general bribery) organic light tasting extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil.
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Post by Corvidophile on Jun 23, 2020 8:07:32 GMT -5
I’ve got an insolinomic ferret who’s just now developing adrenal too and I’m also staying off the suprelorin implant because of the blood sugar issues. I’m not sure what to do either, aside from just hope he self regulates well enough. I can and do use prednisolone, though. From what I understand, melatonin will not help with tumor growth or sex hormones in the system, just helps regrowth of hair. A third blood sugar drug you can try that works in a slightly different way is dexamethasone. Still a steroid.
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Post by unclejoe on Jun 23, 2020 16:43:15 GMT -5
How low is low for BG checks? Corvidophile what effect doe suprelorin have on BG or pancreas? I have not seen it contraindicated in ferrets with insulinoma. Melatonin can help with clinical signs like hair loss and aggression, but it doesn't help with the tumors. Back when we could get it, Moe had 2 lupron 3 month depots and was started on oral melatonin right away. He went from a poodle haircut to full coat in about 5 weeks.
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Post by Corvidophile on Jun 23, 2020 18:00:10 GMT -5
Suprelorin lowers BG by way of slowing down the adrenal glands’ output of cortisol. When the blood sugar starts going low, the adrenal glands try and compensate by pumping out the cortisol, helping stabilize it. This is why adrenal ferrets are often found to have insulinoma too after they go on the implant- the adrenal glands were covering it successfully and can now no longer do it.
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Post by unclejoe on Jun 23, 2020 18:56:00 GMT -5
that makes sense. in he cases where I had comorbidities, the adrenal was last to show up, after lymphoma or insulinoma. At that poiint, it's generally comfor measures and continue the pred
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Post by fuzzysmama on Jun 23, 2020 19:21:07 GMT -5
Unclejoe, her BG’s before pred (in 2018) were via glucometer, not a blood draw, and they read 58 & 59. The 1st vet put her on pred then...and we don’t think she had insulinoma at that point. Signs kind of point toward that being a wrong diagnosis, too. She was on pred for almost a year and it made her miserable.
BG’s while on pred were from 93-529 (not a typo, actually 529)... then after weaning off pred: 60, and using a new system they had (not the usual IDEXX), 39. I don’t exactly trust the 39- other than general lethargy, she doesn’t have typical insulinoma symptoms (again, knock on wood). She hasn’t been tested again since the 39, but once her vet’s office is back to normal, we’re bringing her in again.
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Post by fuzzysmama on Jun 23, 2020 19:23:50 GMT -5
Thank you for the info on the melatonin. I gather that it also wouldn’t help her with the spleen, but how about the itching?
I’m really at a loss with what to do for her. She’s such a unique little one. Medication-induced diabetes is SO rare, if she actually has insulinoma.
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