Ferret Insulinoma
Ferret insulinoma is an unfortunately common cancer in middle to late age ferrets. It creates tumors, generally ranging in length from 2mm to 1cm, on the pancreas that secrete excess insulin. It is somewhat like type II diabetes in humans but with a slightly different result long-term. Considering their strictly carnivorous physiology, they are extremely sensitive to sugar, and it is theorized that giving them too much can actually cause ferret insulinoma.
Symptoms may include any of the following: lack of energy, decrease in eating, weight loss, increased salivation, glossy eyes, collapse, and/or seizure. Sometimes these symptoms will be cyclical over months. Other times ferrets will show no outward symptoms. Generally a blood glucose test is the best indicator, and it can be done at home in most situations.
There are both medical and surgical roads for treatment. Generally the surgical road is the best if caught early. The tumors are removed and often no symptoms or any other medication is needed for years.
Should you choose to go the medical route, you should keep in mind that it is not a cure. It generally just helps in managing the symptoms while the cause of the symptoms (the ferret insulinoma) can continue to get worse over time and the treatment will have diminishing effects.
As with any disease you always want to try and catch ferret insuloma early. It can be a scary thing to nurse a ferret through a hypoglycemic seizure. The foaming, twitching, or violent shaking of their ferret can make many people panic and freeze up. It is important that you keep a clear head, and give them honey or karo syrup to get the blood sugar back up. This is best administered with a q-tip to avoid biting, and by wiping it on the gums and inner lips. This should be done every few minutes until your ferret begins to come to. It may take up to a half hour because in many cases the ferret is unable to swallow so only a little will be absorbed at a time.
