Ferret diagnosed with insulinoma - raw switch?

[racheldaniels]

I'd love some recommendations.. it's been a rough month for our ferret family. Lost beloved to complications of adrenal disease in January and our other ferret has been a bit mopey - eating well and bright, but not as active after loosing his true weasel love. Took him in for routine bloodwork last week and his glucose level was a total shock to us all (35). Later tests confirmed the low levels. Will be starting on pred this week, but watching him carefully and making sure he eats frequent small meals.

Tuckerman will be 6 on Valentine's Day. From a private breeder and a late neuter. Diagnosed with adrenal disease in October, with a deslorelin implant shortly after. Weight is ~3lbs.

His diet has always been the best grain-free kibble that we can find, fed free-choice. He is also offered free-choice chicken gravy - a whole ground chicken (bones, organs, fat) supplemented with extra fat and eggshells as well as some fiber. Cooked lightly and vitamins added. He will slurp the liquid off the top and eat a bit of the solids, but VERY MUCH prefers his kibble. Is mostly free-roam in our house.

So.. we have a treatment plan for his insulinoma, but I was wondering what anyone thinks about trying to move him to a raw diet at this point to try to slow the progress of the disease? I have a frozen ground chicken in the freezer that can be thawed. I can also pick up the recommended ingredients for the recipe listed on these boards if it's preferred.

We're devastated here. It was hard enough on all of us to lose Stout earlier, but Tuck doesn't deserve this on top of his mourning!

Thanks..
Rachel

[Heather]

Raw is indeed doable, you may want to apply for a mentor or post a starting switching thread here. I've had a number of raw switching students who had insulinoma ferrets. I presently have a wee boy who was diagnosed with insulinoma last year at this time. He was already eating raw at this point and is still eating just raw. He gets a soupy twice a day with his pred (the pred is doing horrible things to him but he's doing well despite the pred) and eats whatever everyone else gets throughout the day. He has access to food 24/7 but I find he doesn't eat any more frequently than any of the other fuzzes.
ciao

[Sherry]

Switching an insulinomic ferret is definitely doable Just let us know where you want to start your thread, here or with a mentor

[racheldaniels]

Right! I think I need a lot of hand-holding here.. perhaps a mentor application is in order...

[racheldaniels]

right-o. I've signed up for the mentoring program..

While I'm waiting, I'm getting together everything for his first raw introduction. While I'm happy to assemble the ingredients for the soup recommended here, I also have a whole ground chicken with organs and bones sitting in the freezer. Can I use that, too?

[Sherry]

If they'll take it, definitely! Worth a shot.

[Deleted]

My Leo was just diagnosed in October of last year, same thing though; surprising find on bloodwork! He wasn't showing any signs at all!

[Deleted]

I've helped switch quite a few insulinomic ferrets both inside and outside of this forum. I recommend a switch that includes the freeze-dried raw diets (fed DRY) so you can make healthy food available at all times.

I have not mentored for a couple of years (demanding job ), but I'm willing to make an exception for an insulinoma case now because the job is going more slowly.

My mentoring "profile" focused on difficult cases and sick ferrets. I am more knowledgeable on kibbles, freeze-dried raw, commercial raw, and raw meaty bones/prey model - I'm not a whole prey feeder. However, I can pass you on to prey feeders once we get passed the basics.

If other mentors are not available, I'll be happy to take on the challenge- I miss the mentoring a whole lot.
Please apply for a mentor, and SherryLynne, Heather and I will figure out what might be best for you.

-jennifer

[Sherry]

And take my word for it- Jennifer is an AWESOME mentor

[racheldaniels]

Yay! I'd LOVE to have some help. I *think* I applied.. I have a post on the mentor thread/sticky.

[Sherry]

You did. And Heather's going to get you set up in a day or two

[miamiferret2]

you are making the right decision for him. your insulinomic ferret would probably do much better on a good diet!
I also recommend that you use freeze dried. I used the wysong archetypal 1 for my Lemmy. he was about 6 and 1/2 when he was diagnosed with insulinoma and he did much better on the freeze dried. I was able to keep him off of the insulinoma meds for about a year with just the diet change.

[racheldaniels]

Feb 17, 2012 13:57:33 GMT -5 Sherry said:

You did. And Heather's going to get you set up in a day or two

Whew, glad I did it right! Thanks!