What to do with insulinoma

[Deleted]

Hi everyone! Have a question and hoping one of you can help, we have a little guy that has Insulinoma. He has had it for a bit now, we give him Prednisone once a day and I give him warm sugar water once a day, I'm sure some of you will be appalled by the sugar water but rest assured I asked our Vet before I started it. It has helped quite a bit with his energy level but I think it is about time we set him free from this horrible disease. This is something we have dealt with before but I forget from one to the next when we decided it is time to end the suffering. This is what I am struggling with, he is starting to lose control of his hind legs. Does anyone know if this is painful for them? It is really hard to tell. I know that the end is near I just don't want unnecessary suffering. Please any suggestion is appreciated. We love him to much to be selfish. Thank you very much! The picture is Waldo, our little sick guy 

[huronna]

I moved you post because it might otherwise get lost.

I have had a few ferrets with insulinoma, I don't think there is any one answer, each ferret it different.
All of them wound up taking pred which I mixed in Baby food.

Rocki was my first ferret with it. It materialized after he had a cancerous kidney removed. He was also adrenal, which we treated with Lupron (this was in 2000 and I brought him with me from Puerto Rico.) He never lost control in his back legs, but his low sugar shocks were getting worse and worse and if we taking longer and longer to pull pull him out of them. It was because of this that we decided to ease his pain and it was about 9 months after he was diagnosed.

Frack shocked me to know end. I thought she was dead, but what it was was her first low sugar shock. Amongst tears I was able to bring her back using honey on her gums and then pred for over two years. She never acted any different, but one day (she was about 7 or 8, adopted) I went to give her her afternoon preg and found her in a big tube, gone.

Two of the ferrets I had, Mac and Frick, did not have insulinoma, but other maladies. Both of them were close to 10. In the beginning I saw they were losing control of their back legs, but it never bothers them. They would skirt along the floor with amazing speed. (all of our floors are tiles) But when it got to them losing their dignity (not being able to get to the papers, and messing all over themselves) is was time to help them across the bridge.

I do not thing that there is any pain involved. If there were he would just stay in one spot and not wander.

I am a firm believer that they will tell you when it is time.
Until that time, give them all they love they need

[Deleted]

Thank you, I am deeply sorry for you're losses, made me cry. We have had 10 ferret's cross the rainbow bridge since we started raising and rescuing them. All but one of them had to be assisted by our Veterinarian, which is absolutely amazing! She talks to them softly as she puts them down as we hold them, I'm not sure why but it brings me some comfort in such a horrific time? Rouge our little anorexic was found in the cage deceased last Christmas eve. Waldo has good day's and bad day's and Kialey our Vet tell's us when the bad days out weigh the good days it is time. For the most part he would rather be left alone or snuggling with Bella, she has been his best friend from the day we brought her home at 6 weeks old, she is now 2. So worried how hard it is going to be on her! We adopted 2 more little guys a week ago and introduced them to only her, we leave her part time in the pen with waldo and part time out with the 2 new guy's. They say ferrets don't remember but I very much disagree with that. When we lost our first one, Stewie our first ferret Loci searched for him for 7 years it was so heartbreaking watching him, he searched until the day we laid him to rest. And the reason I know he was searching for him was because we kept them only in our bedroom, after Stewie passed I was suicidal because I accidentally caused his death so my best friend bought me 2 more to help me with the grieving so we moved them to our living room and every day Loci would go to the bedroom door and relentlessly scratch at the door. Boy I really got way off the subject didn't I? So sorry, I am very grateful for you're response. No matter how many you lose it doesn't get easier!! Here is my little tribute to our lost babies. Thank you again, you are my saving grace, my angel!

[smokeyoshi]

I agree that you will know. For us, it's when they cant get to the litter box anymore and end up covered in waste. Prissy was 9 years old and had dealt with insulinoma for aver a year when she got to that point.. I really don't know that the hind end weakness is painful.

[dookcitygang]

You can have surgery done for insulinoma. They will remove the tumor, but if it's lots of tiny ones, there's not much to be done. They tell you when it's time, you just have to listen.