Insulinoma in Ferrets

Insulinoma is one of the most common neoplastic diseases affecting ferrets. It's caused by tumors in the pancreas which produce excess insulin.

Some of the symptoms to look out for are:

Staring into space

Seizures

Pawing at the mouth

Episodes of drooling

Occasional inactivity

Extreme weakness

Lethargy

Difficulty walking, especially in the rear limbs

Should the blood sugar drop very rapidly, it could cause tremors or seizures. In severe cases, the ferret could go into a coma due to lack of glucose in the brain.

If your ferret show signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), rub some honey or Karo (corn) syrup on its gums.

Once it improves, give it some regular food and then get it to the vet immediately.

There are various options for a ferret with insulinoma but be aware that a ferret with insulinoma cannot be cured. The disease can be controlled and hopefully will give your pet a good quality of life for as long as possible.

The Miami Ferret site also has advice about what to do if your ferret suffers a seizure, as well as information on what to feed your ferret if he's got insulinoma, which is really helpful.

Dr Heidi Hoefler also has an article on insulinoma where she talks about the treatment, as well as giving some suggestions about the diet, and there are several articles written by vets in Ferret Central's Ferret Insulinoma FAQ.

There's also an article about hypoglycemia by Dr Judith Bell on the PetEducation website.

There is some very interesting information about Devil's Club, a natural remedy, being beneficial for ferrets with insulinoma. For those of you who want to explore this further, check out The New Rainbow Bridge's article on Devil's Club.

A reader from Texas wrote about his experiences when he discovered his ferret had insulinoma. It's always good to have other people's firsthand experiences to help you if you find that your ferret has come down with the same disease.

For more, read Boe's Story.

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