From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000 4:07 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Cc: faiml@miamiferret.org Subject: FAIML #379; Jan. 28, 2000 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #379; Jan. 28, 2000 1. adrenal list 2. Nibble didn't make it (re:Vet in TN) 3. Bobbie, Jackie, Andy 4. duck soup with insulinoma 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. adrenal list From: "Heidi Lepak" Date sent: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 13:56:50 -0800 I was sent you e-mail address since I have two ferrets with adrenal problems. this is what has happened so far. A while ago I posted the demise of Rocki's hair loss. Confirmed Adrenal disease. So that makes two, Rocki and Silveretta, both. Since most of you know that we live in Puerto Rico, and that surgery is out of the question, the next option was Lupron injection. The meds arrived yesterday afternoon and this morning was injected SQ into both Rocki and Silveretta. I hope everyone will say a little prayer for my little ones. And I will keep you updated It's been 24 hours since my babies received their Lupron shot. They slept quite a bit yesterday, but that's not unusual lately. No irritation where the injection was done, so I don't have to worry about their scraching and possible infection. Today they have been bouncing around like they haven't in months. Don't know if that is my imagination, since I'm sure it doesn't work that fast. I'm taken some "hair-less" pics and hopefully in a few weeks will be able to get come "hairy" ones to post. Rocki & Silveretta thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. And I thank you also. As I was petting Rocki this morning,( 5 days after Lupron injection) I felt this little stubble. Yes, it's new hair coming in. So I started checking all over. The hair on his hips has lots of new stubbilies, plus there are a few hairs coming in on his sides. Then I decided to check Silveretta, but alas, not one new hair, but she has become so active I can hardly keep up with her. Is this the Lupron acting so rapidly? It hasn't even been a week since the injection. Well, what ever it is, we are all thankful. Guess now I don't have to knit Rocki a sweater. Better still continue on Silveretta's though. We survived the Petsburgh Critique www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Zoo/3133 http://communities.msn.com/Ferret I ICQ# 33966544 Defending those who cannot defend themselves! http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Haven/2303 2. Nibble didn't make it (re:Vet in TN) From: Cathy.Pardue@cnalife.com Date sent: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 17:25:57 -0600 Just thought I would let everyone know, Nibble didn't make it through her surgery. Just after they got her under anesthesia and were shaving her belly, they lost her. They tried CPR and gave her a shot of something to try to restart her heart, but it didn't work. The vet went ahead and checked her out so I could at least know what had happened. She had the biggest adrenal tumor the vet had ever seen, maybe three times as big as usual. She also had lesions on her kidneys, liver and lungs. Her spleen was enlarged and she had fluid around her heart. Even if she had made it through the surgery, it would only have bought her a couple more months. I will miss her so much, my heart is just broken, and now I am trying to figure out what to do with my other ferret, Boston. We got him as a baby when Nibble was about four months old, so he has never been without her. I am giving him as much attention as possible, and introducing him to the cats (he likes them fine, they don't know what to think about him yet). Sometimes I think he looks for Nibble, though. Does anyone know how cage mates generally do when one dies? 3. Bobbie, Jackie, Andy From: teckart@oznet.ksu.edu Date sent: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 09:10:38 -0600 The end of December Bobbie had surgery. She had her spleen and left adrenal removed. A few hours after surgery she died. I had just stopped in to check on her and she was moaning when she heard me and I gently rubbed her head. Larry said she was so weak he didn't want to give her pain medication. We left for lunch and a few minutes later she died. She had become extremely anemic and I had gotten her up a bit before surgery. I was afraid to wait too long for surgery since her color was not good. After surgery, with 3 cc's of blood added, she was gray. Another one of those times when I wonder if my decision for surgery was right. If I had waited another weak perhaps she would have survived. Jackie was scheduled for adrenal/insulinoma surgery. He also has lympho. Larry (vet) and I talked about the surgery and decided not to go through with it as it might hinder what time Jackie has left. Jackie is doing well, he eats well (actually he is a little tubby - fat not pediapred bloat), plays a little (too fat to get too feisty), and generally enjoys life. He looks a little odd loosing the hair down the middle of his back and with the two large lumps on the side of his neck but other than that he is happy and comfortable. Andy had surgery last Tuesday. Both adrenals were removed with some tissue left on the right. Andy is older and quite fat (which Larry made sure I knew), he loves our recipe. Saturday he was in the kitchen stealing a piece of dog food and I found him downstairs when it was time for supper recipe. He's still sleeping a lot but he's moved out of the living room (sick room) so that is a good sign. Whenever anyone is sick I move them to the livingroom so I can monitor them more closely and when they are feeling better they move themselves into other rooms. That leaves us with two adrenal ferrets, Dancer (may not be a good surgical candidate) and Spook (he's on Casodex), at this time. A new addition to the family - Swiffer. Swiffer has a crushed pelvis that has healed but left him unable to lift his lower back area and he cannot urinate on his own. I express him and he is so good he helps to push. His bladder was huge when he came to us and he was leaking. He was turned into animal control as a stray. No one claimed him so he came to us. Hugs to all. tle Troy Lynn Eckart Ferret Family Services http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~sprite/ffs.html http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Haven/5481/ Please sign up to support our charity http://www.iGive.com/html/ssi.cfm?cid=46&mid=58395 4. duck soup with insulinoma From: "kelly grannis" Date sent: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 13:54:53 PST I have two underweight ferrets with insulinoma. I am giving them duck soup to try and keep some weight on them, but I've read not to give them additional sugary foods because it stimulates insulin secretion which leads to a hypoglycemic episode. Is it all right that I am giving them duck soup (ingredients: totally ferret, eukanuba max calorie canned, eukanuba max calorie dry, yogurt, chicken baby food, hi-calorie ensure, an egg, and some ferretvite/nutrical)? Can I give them straight ferretvite to get the prednisone down them? I don't want to undo what the prednisone is supposed to be regulating. Thanks! ----------------------- End of FAIML #379 -------------------------