From: Lynn McIntosh [faiml@uswest.net] Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 2:35 AM To: FAIMLanon; FAIML Subject: FAIML #497; Jan. 7, 2001 Ferret Adrenal/Insulinoma Mailing List (FAIML) #497; Jan. 7, 2001 There are nine messages in today's list: Fasting before surgery Infected prostate/bladder and antibiotic questions Odo's Hand Feeding Barry Made it for Now Re: FAIML #496; Jan. 5, 2001 Udder cream and bag balm Udder Cream Udder Cream For Anonymous: Udder Cream FERRET ADRENAL/INSULINOMA MAILING LIST (FAIML) is a list featuring support and information about adrenal and insulinoma diseases. It comes out in digest format three to six times per week, depending on the urgency and number of posts. It is the opinion, only, of subscribers, and is not intended as 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 exhibiting signs of illness please take him or her to the most ferret-experienced vet you can find. A ferret-experienced vet is one of the most important services you can provide for your ferret. TO POST: Write POST at the end of your subject heading and send to . Remember: the more specific you can be in your subject heading the greater the chance someone will be able to find your important info when searching the archives. 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 get it; then I'll 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 and FAIML ARCHIVES/PHOTOS: For more info, check out Michael Janke's adrenal/insulinoma web site: . Past FAIMLs are archived there, with a search feature, and Michael is kindly posting pictures of FAIML subscribers and their ferrets in a FAIML Album. FERRET CENTRAL WEBSITE and PAM GREENE's FERRET FAQs: Ferret Central Website is the grand intersection of ferret websites, at . You can also find the Ferret FAQs there, which include invaluable FAQs on insulinoma and adrenal diseases. I forward these two FAQs to all new subscribers, and will gladly send them upon request. I also send new subscribers the "Disease Package", a file that tells how to get all six of Pamela Greene's FAQs on ferret diseases. Pam has also compiled excellent FAQ's about general ferret care. 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. Plus, it comes out daily. I encourage people to cross post on the FML and FAIML to get the most possible exposure and feedback. Visit FERRET CENTRAL website (you can find its address in the 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. Date sent: Sun, 7 Jan 2001 16:56:04 EST From: KFor651676@aol.com Subject: Fasting before surgery We have been through adrenal surgery twice before and I'm embarrassed to admit that I can't remember how long to fast our baby? The directions said 12hrs. I know I went through this before. I'm sure that's too long. I was thinking around 5 or 6? This vet has done two other surgeries for us, but I realize he is not the most knowledgeable. Unfortunately he is our best option. I really hate going through this again! I'm hoping we will be able to bring our baby home the same day because I know she will get more care home with me. It is too noisy, cold, etc., and I know they don't usually have someone paying attention to them overnight unless they are really sick. Any advice to us would be appreciated. It has been a number of years since we have had to go through a surgery and we are sad. Our baby is only around yrs and healthy so I think she will pull through O.K. Thanks Kelly & Sean & our 4 fuzzbutts! Date sent: Sun, 7 Jan 2001 16:53:56 -0500 From: miralia@juno.com Subject: Infected prostate/bladder and antibiotic questions Hi all- I've written about Benny before... he has a urinary stoma ("He pees like a girl") after having emergency surgery for a blocked bladder two and half years ago. He is eight years old, and had his LAST surgeries for adrenal tumors and insulinoma last year. He has had constant urinary infections and problems since this past summer... right now we are wrestling with a very nasty infection. I have had to catheterize him two or three times a day for the past week and a half, although I have had to catheterize him occasionally in the past (since the summer.) He is on Lupron, as well as a small dose of Pred (which I am reducing to nothing since it weakens the immune system and makes infections harder to fight), Diazoxide/Proglycem, and has been on Amoxycillin and Batyril for the last week to combat his current nasty infection... his BUN and Creatinine values are a bit above normal (33 and 2.8?). We have tried Casodex and Arrimidex and Saw Palmetto to shrink his prostate, without a lot of success. We're waiting for some Flutamide to arrive... I hope that will work. Is there ANYTHING else we can be doing to make him more comfortable? I'm thinking about putting him back on the ketoconazale, in case yeast is a problem (it was a problem back in the summer.) For some reason, he gets very nauseated by the meds now, and won't touch gravy or baby formula if I hide his meds in it. He hates diazoxide, even if its compounded into different flavors. The only way I can get him to do meds now is to simply force him, and then follow up with forced gravy or baby formula to get rid of the bad taste. I don't *think* he has an ulcer, because his appetite is still fine and he still likes eating kibble. He doesn't feel very good this week, but when he's not fighting an infection he still has a good quality of life and still likes to explore and sniff. I realize Benny is nearing the end of his life, but my vet says that we don't need to give up "yet". Are there other antibiotics I can try?? Does Mylanta prevent the absorption of antibiotics? What if I space out the Mylanta so that it's 6 hours after I give the antibiotics? Any advice is welcome. -Andrea (and Benny) Date sent: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 18:02:38 -0500 From: "Dale Nupp" Subject: Odo's Hand Feeding Hello All: Thanks to all who responded to my questions both on and off the list about hand feeding Odo. My biggest concern was actually causing harm to my fuzzy which appears to not be the case. Of course, I never thought to add some kibble to the A/D and baby food. So, that will go into the mix tonight as well. Once again, thanks. Dale Date sent: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 09:58:12 -0700 From: "James and Cindi Darr" Subject: Barry Made it for Now Thanks to all who wrote with encouragement. Barry had been very ill with a bacterial diarrhea, we nearly lost him Thursday night. He has gotten a bit stronger every day, and is still getting dropper feeds, amoxicillin, Imodium, and "tuna soup".  Our ferrets love tuna, so when Barry was unable to eat, I put 2 TB tuna into theblender, 1 TB olive oil, one soft boiled egg and water to process into a thin soup. He loved it. He has also been getting Nutri- Cal which he consumes with relish.  He still is not a candidate for the adrenal surgery for his underlying disease, but he had the first injection of Lupron, and hopefully with fully recover from this bacterial infection (he had gushing green diarrhea) and go on to spend a few more ferret months with his Mom & Dad.  Thanks to all who wrote!  Cindi ----------------------------------------------------- Click here for Free Video!! http://www.gohip.com/free_video/ Date sent: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 14:09:33 -0500 From: "Bruce Williams, DVM" Subject: Re: FAIML #496; Jan. 5, 2001 Dear Stacy and Bandit: >I have two questions, one I have not given him any >medication (for insulinoma) since he has not shown ANY signs of it at >all. I was wondering if this is a bad thing and he should be on them, but >if he isnt showing any signs I was thinking if he was taking the medicine >and then the signs showed up, he might have grown a tolerance for the >meds and they would not be effective. Also he has started grown little >patched of hair all over his body. He has never had a Lupron shot? Is >this normal for them to get there hair back after adrenal surgery. No if he isn't showing any signs of hypoglycemia and his hair is growing back, I wouldn't recommend any additional treatment. I would recommend a monthly blood draw for gluose levels for the first three months after surgery and then every three months after that in the absence of clinical signs, to see where the glucose is. You often can see a dip in the glucose before clinical signs become evident. Remember, 60% of ferrets after insulinoma surgery need no follow-up treatment, and 85% of adrenal ferrets need no followup. With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, DVM Date sent: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 14:05:56 -0500 From: "Bruce Williams, DVM" Subject: Udder cream and bag balm Two different owners using udder cream and bag balm in the same FAIML - now that's unusual. Both are safe for ferrets, but can be a little greasy (if they don't mind, I don't). For Buddy, who is getting the bag balm because of diaper rash, a little 0.5% hydrocortixone cream applied to the area will help lessen the inflamation. As you won't be using it all the time, you don't need to worry about any systemic reactions (not that there would be any, anyway). However, baldness and pruritus are a bad mix in adrenal ferrets - for example Christy's ferret who also has the insulinoma. My suggestion would be surgery if possible to try to take care of at least one of the problems. If she can't handle the surgery, let's consider at least Lupron injections for the adrenal - it will cause hair regrowth, and will at least yield her some protection - I don't know if anyone has looked at whether it will help with the itching - itchiness in ferrets is such a difficult syndrome to quantify anyhow. With kindest regards, Bruce Williams, DVM Date sent: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 11:05:18 EST From: JANETDEBRA@cs.com Subject: Udder Cream Dear anonymous, I use Desitin. It is safe for human babies so it will be safe for you babies. It also last much longer than an hour. It seems to last until they are healed. Janet, family of nine Date sent: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 14:13:32 -0500 (EST) From: "ferret" Subject: Udder cream I made a calendula cream with wheat germ oil to use on my Scooter when he was bald from adrenal. It also had some Cortaid in it, to relieve itchiness. My vet. said it was fine to use on him .. and it seemed to help a lot. :-> - ELa (000)___(000) Ela Heyn / @ @ \ ferret@panix.com | | ======@====== http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/5483 Date sent: Sat, 6 Jan 2001 14:41:01 EST From: WGHOL@aol.com Subject: For Anonymous: Udder Cream I have been using Udder Cream on his back and shoulders where he has scratched himself raw. Why not use a nice Collodial Oatmeal bath instead, available from the drug store? Are you planning a treatment course? W ---------------------- End of FAIML #497 ------------------------