From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Friday, November 19, 1999 11:17 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Cc: faiml Subject: FAIML #354; Nov. 19, 1999 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #354; Nov. 19, 1999 The FERRET ADRENAL/INSULINOMA MAILING LIST (FAIML) is a group that's come together to share support and information about adrenal and insulinoma diseases. FAIML comes out in digest format three to six times per week, depending on the number of posts sent, and their surgency. FAIML information is the opinion, only, of subscribers, mostly ferret caretakers. It is not medical advice, comes with no guarantee of accuracy, and is not meant to replace the examination and medical oversight of a qualified veterinarian. If your ferret is sick or exhibiting signs of illness take your fur kid to the most ferret- experienced vet you can find! A ferret- experienced vet is one of the most important services you can provide to your ferret. TO POST: Write POST at the end of your subject heading (the more specific you can be in your subject heading, the better) and send to . URGENT POSTS: If you feel the message is urgent please mark it POST URGENT and I'll send it out to subscribers as soon as I can, then include the message in the next list. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: Please write POST ANONYMOUS after your subject heading if you don't want your address or last name published. SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE: Just use the one address for posts, subscription questions, requests, cancellations, comments, etc. The list is run by hand so just send me an email. ADRENAL/INSULINOMA WEBSITE: FAIML ARCHIVES/PHOTOS: Past FAIMLs are being archived, with a search feature, on Michael Janke's adrenal/insulinoma web site: . Michael is also kindly posting pictures of FAIML subscribers and the ferrets at this site in the FAIML Album. Check out his site for more info. PAM GREENE's FERRET FAQs: I suggest people read (and reread) Pamela Greene's Disease FAQ's on Insulin and Adrenal diseases, as they offer a good background. I forward them to all new subscribers, and will gladly send them upon request. I also send the "Disease Package", a file that tells how to get all six of Pamela Greene's FAQs on ferret diseases. Pam also has excellent FAQ's about general ferret care as well, and a link to these may be found on the FERRET CENTRAL web site: . THE FERRET MAILING LIST (FML): The FML has 3,000+ ferret-loving subscribers and the topic is simply ferrets, ferrets, and more ferrets. Moderated by Mr. Bill Gruber, it's a great source of ferret entertainment and information. Visit FERRET CENTRAL on the web (see paragraph above) for more info on the FML. To subscribe to the FML, send email to its moderator, Bill Gruber, at and ask to be added. You can also try subscribing automatically by sending email to with the command SUBSCRIBE FERRET in the body of the email. 1. update on Scamper;return of adrenal? 2. addition to earler post/ it's over 3. hairloss 4. Bandit an update and good news 5. Winnie Update 6. Just want to introduce myself.... 7. Seizures 1. update on Scamper;return of adrenal? From: "Steve and Becky McMall" Date sent: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 22:17:29 -0600 It has been a month since Scamper started getting really sick and we started her on prednisone and antibiotics. A sonagram had shown three lesions on her pancreas. When I started her on the prednisone, it upset her ulcers something terrible and I posted asking about prednisone poopies. With regular doses of antibiotics, pepto, and pepcid ac, her ulcers seem to be improving somewhat finally; she does not grind her teeth as much and her poops are not as dark. However, she still seems to be going downhill. I feel that the lesions have probably brought on insulinoma. (I have taken her to the local vet a few times and have spoken to Dr. Kendrick in Arlington at least once a week for updates. We have recently upped her prednisone and antibiotic dosage and try to give her more carafate to help prevent the ulcers from being aggravated). She has a lot of trouble walking. Will stumble a foot or so and collapse. We even have to help her go potty. But until she is stronger, we can't even consider surgery to remove the tumors and/or the ulcers if they are not healing. It is heartbreaking to watch her and she has gone into what I can only assume is a semi-coma a couple of times. We won't give up on her as long as she still fights to live. On another note: I wonder if Bear isn't having problems with his remaining right adrenal. His left was removed in July, along with about a dozen small lesions on his pancreas. He has recently started being very anti-social and agressive towards the other ferrets. He grinds his teeth again while eating and will often hide in the bedroom. He seems depressed and lethargic. I wonder if this isn't a sign that he is starting to have insulinomic problems. ECE seems to hang in there forever, doesn't it? After Bear's tragic experience back in April-June, I still see signs from most of the six babies, including the strings and sometimes seeds in Scampers poop, as well as the others. I know this is long. Thank you for reading. And to those of you nursing sick ones (which, on this list, are most of us)........hang in there and know there are plenty of people who care, even if we only read the posts and emphathize without having time to respond. Becky and six furry faces 2. addition to earler post/ it's over From: "Steve and Becky McMall" Date sent: Fri, 19 Nov 1999 04:27:47 -0600 Scamper died at 3:47 am today. I had fed her, got her to take some electrolyte solution and use the potty. But she just wouldn't settle down and was trying frantically to "go somewhere". Her little tail was bushed out as if she were afraid. I had decided that she would settle down and go to sleep when she was ready, when something made me check on her again. She was not breathing and had only a faint pulse. When I picked her up, her little head gave a couple of jerks. I ran for the karo syrup, but it was too late. She was our first ferret, along with Bear. We will miss her. I know you aren't supposed to have a favorite, but she was my little princess. I already know that Snowball and Bear will be searching for her tomorrow. Becky 3. hairloss Date sent: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 00:56:53 -0800 From: Sunshine I have not gone thru this yet, but. If you catch Adrenal Disease early, how much hairloss and vulva swolleness will there be? My son and I have seen both, but can't say at what stage we saw these ferret's. My last swollen vulva I saw, I was abit shocked to see and didn't know what it was.... Debbie 4. Bandit an update and good news From: "Michele" Date sent: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 08:14:33 -0500 Hi again I just wanted to let all of you to know that it has been almost two whole weeks and Bandit has NOT had another seizure..I am so glad that my new vet knew what to test for even though he did diagnose Bandit with insulinoma..Bandit is now on prednisone .3 for one more day then he will receive .4 and I will still be neurotic and watch Bandit for signs of a seizure..After all we have been thru I will never forget how awful it was to see my Bandit having a bad seizure...all because my old vet said he did not have insulinoma despite the blood glucose of 68..I am happy to report that bandit is eating as usual like there is no tomorrow but I want to thank all of you for sending me the duck soup recipies..I printed them out in case I find I need them..I am just excited that Bandit is feeling like his old self once more and even though he has insulinoma he can still have a happy life with me.. Thank all of you for being here when I felt I was so alone..I cannot begin to decribe how wonderful all of your support and kind words helped me being new and all on here.. Michele and her Bandit :>) "Without love our life is... a ship without a rudder... like a body without a soul." 5. Winnie Update From: EquineAmy@aol.com Date sent: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 10:05:09 EST well, so far so good. I got Winnie's second bloodtest back yesterday. Her glucose is at 79 after a 4 hour fast (it was 85 last time, but only a 2.5 h r fast). Also her white blood cells went back down to a normal range so we are just finishing off the antibiotics. Then in a month the vet wants to do one more glucose - she says taht if she gets 3 good in a row, she will be satisfied. So, we are doing okay for now - Thank god!!!! Amy and her 3 cuties 6. Just want to introduce myself.... From: "thone ." Date sent: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 08:31:55 CET Hi there! I am a Norwegian ferret lover. I got two babies right now; Mercedes probably soon 1 year and a half old. She was found left out in the snow last X-mas, close to a highway. She was then just a very small skinny baby....now I think she can become Miss Ferret of the World any day, she is the best, and so is our next little girl Josefine, she is born i May. But our first meeting with ferrets took place in a pet shop almost three years ago. There in a cage we met the sad eyes belonging to a little fellow called Porche, I don,t know what happened but we left with a ferret....we knew nothing about animals like this. They told he was two years old, the vet. we found, after in a long time trying to find one who took in ferrets, said he was real old...6 to 8 years. He was sick too. not much fur on his tail and soon loosing more on his body...................... I am so sorry he didn't get a surgery, our vet just gave him some medication and told us to keep him on a diet with low sugar, we found recipe on the duck soup and used it and he ate iams kitten in good periods. He had real good weeks and months and bad ones. He got so much love the two years he stayed with us that I really think he wanted to live. He died in my daughters arms this summer, and I guess it is no need to tell you he was covered with our tears. Well, for now my ferrets are not sick, but I hope I know more if they do get sick than I did when I got poor Porche. Do you want to see some Norwegian ferrets go to this address: http./www.ilder.no/ click on these words: "bilder" and "medlemsbilder". Then you will see photos from our fall meeting, and from the summer too. It is NIF, Norsk Ilder Forrenings page. Ilder¨= ferret. I am so happy to tell that The article of Pamela L. Green is translated into Norwegian with her permission. Hope this is not to boring, I am going to read and learn, not write to much I promise. Just want to tell you we got snow tonight, so when I am back home from work, I'll take my little ones out, they LOVE to play in the snow, specially digging tunnels.... Take care of all your precious little ones! Thone 7. Seizures From: "Dale Nupp" Date sent: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 02:24:09 -0500 Greetings Ferreteers: I sent in the original post about possible seizures. I received 28 responses but only one actually made it to the FAIML. The unanimous response was that my ferret was dreaming and not having a seizure from insulinoma. So crisis over, back to lurking mode until one of the other fuzzies has some minor malfunction then, back to crisis mode. Dale --------------------- End of FAIML #354 ------------------------