Ferret
Information
Insulinoma
in the Ferret
Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians:
aemv.org
Insulinomas (also called functional islet cell tumors or
pancreatic beta cell tumors) are tumors within the pancreas that
produce abnormally high levels of insulin and are one of the most
common diseases affecting ferrets. In many animals, the pancreas
produces a hormone called insulin, which helps keep the body’s
sugar (glucose) levels in balance. Most of us are familiar with
diabetes, which is a medical condition caused by lack of insulin,
or the inability of the body to use insulin.
In uncontrolled diabetes, blood glucose levels are very
high. Insulinoma can
be though of as the opposite
of diabetes where excess insulin produced by tumor results in a low
blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.
Insulinoma typically affects ferrets between 4-5 years of
age, but has been diagnosed in ferrets as young as 2 years old.
Severity can vary greatly, but usually worsens over time. Some
ferrets develop sudden severe hypoglycemia, which causes the
ferret to collapse into a weakened non-responsive state.
More commonly, the onset is gradual and the ferret shows
intermittent signs such as weight loss, periodic inactivity,
depression, rear limb incoordination and drooling and pawing at
the mouth (signs of nausea). If
blood sugar drops too rapidly, the ferret may seizure or go into a
coma.
Diagnosis is confirmed by demonstrating abnormally low
blood sugar levels. Your veterinarian will want to rule out other
less common causes of hypoglycemia as well. A measurement of the
ferret’s serum insulin level may also be recommended to help
with the diagnosis.
If your ferret shows signs of severe hypoglycemia
(weakness, collapse), rub honey or corn syrup onto the gums.
Once the ferret has improved enough to swallow, encourage
him to eat some of his regular diet.
If your ferret is reluctant to eat, hand feed a high
protein food with an eyedropper or syringe.
Good choices include strained meat baby food, or canned cat
or dog food. Schedule
an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Ferrets
that do not respond must be examined immediately.
Long-term treatment includes dietary modification, surgery,
medical therapy, and chemotherapy. Diet
modification is an extremely important first step, and
involves offering frequent, high quality, high protein foods such
as better quality ferret foods, or prescription high protein
diets. Some ferret
will eat enough on their own to help regulate blood sugar, but
some must be hand fed regularly. It is critical to remove all
foods with simple carbohydrates (sugar, fruit, grains) from the
diet. The goal of surgery is to remove visible nodules or even portions of the
pancreas to help decrease the body’s insulin production.
Medical therapy
involves the addition of medications that help the body regulate
blood sugar more efficiently, and may include drugs such as
prednisone and diazoxide. Dosages
of medications must be regulated and adjusted carefully.
A number of limited studies have shown some success with chemotherapy using a drug called doxorubicin. Keep in mind that
regardless of which treatment option is chosen ferrets with
insulinoma cannot be cured, but rather controlled, and that blood
sugar concentrations will need to be checked periodically and
treatment may need periodic adjustment.
With proper treatment, many ferrets enjoy good quality of
life for one or more years.
Produced by the Association of Exotic Mammal
Veterinarians: aemv.org. 2005
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