My little girl was just diagnosed with insulinoma, she is seven years old. Does anyone have any tips to help me keep her healthy? 


I also am wondering, how long do they normally live with this disease? (Not that I really want to know, but I just want to try to be prepared.)

http://forum.ferret.com/tm.aspx?high=&m=245897&mpage=1#245897
This is another thread here on the forum. Another member just had her little girl diagnosed with insulinoma. I think this thread might help you. Did your vet put your baby on prednisolone?

 
Fuzzbutts Rule!

The other thread was helpful. My vet did put her on prednisolone.

If you can like I mentioned in my post, I divide the doses and give am and pm so it's continually in their system.

 
Fuzzbutts Rule!

As long as you manage the pred dosage and have regular BG checks, your fuzz should be able to live out a normal lifespan.  7 is already doing pretty well.  High protein diet can also help manage glucose levels.

You can get a glucose meter, like a Tru2Go, at walgreen for $10 and it comes with 10 test strips.  50 strips is aaround $35 at walmart, but once the bottle is opened they're supposedly only good for 3 months.  It's pretty simmple to get enough blood for a test.  Our problem guy, Jaffa, however, doesn't bleed well so it takes several sticks to get a test.  He doesn't seem to mind it as long as he's distracted with ferretone.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

Keep us updated on how your baby is doing.

 
Fuzzbutts Rule!

The vet prescribed the Pred to be given to her morning and night. After being on it for a couple days she is looking more alert and is acting more like her old self. How ever she is having troubles getting her back legs moving when she wakes up.



I will keep you guys posted on how my Jazzy baby is doing.

Sounds like it's working  

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

How's your little one doing?

 
Fuzzbutts Rule!

Jazzy is running around more and eating more. Her stregnth is building up again so she's not having troubles walking as much.

You're so very lucky....I wish I could say the same for my Hope...she's not pulling out of this even with multiple force feedings of high protein each day and kayro syrup and they had even increased her prednisolone to 2/8 a 5 mg tablet twice per day...I fear I'm fighting a loosing battle and will have to take her in to be set free of her ordeal....

I'm sorry to hear that. It's hard to watch them suffer

dobiqueenx1


You're so very lucky....I wish I could say the same for my Hope...she's not pulling out of this even with multiple force feedings of high protein each day and kayro syrup and they had even increased her prednisolone to 2/8 a 5 mg tablet twice per day...I fear I'm fighting a loosing battle and will have to take her in to be set free of her ordeal....

You can probably increase the pred dosage.  You're at about 1.25 mg bid, and you could go as high as 2.0 mg.  This is from the Merck veterinary manual...


http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/exotic_and_laboratory_animals/ferrets/endocrine_disorders_of_ferrets.html?qt=insulinoma%20ferret&alt=sh

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD

I took Jazmine to the vet for a checkup visit Friday. The vet said she is doing so much better than she was. She has als aind weight and is up to a pound again.

I'm glad to see Hope is doing better.  What is her glucose level?  
I saw recently that someone is getting diazoxide for her ferret.  It's the next step after pred starts to lose effectiveness.  It used to cost around $130/month but she said it was around $30.  Maybe you should ask your vet about it.

THE DOOKS OF HAZARD