Ferret diet for insulinoma patient

Question
My fuzzy stopped dooking some weeks ago and suddenly became very weak last week, not eating as well over the last few weeks also.  She perked up with a little honey and I got her to my vet right away (that I work for) but he does not normally treat ferrets.  Her blood sugar was low and he suspected insulinoma.  We are waiting for an insulin panel we sent out to confirm.  She is at least 5-6yrs old, maybe older as she appeared adult when she and her cohort were abandoned on our clinic doorstep 4+ yrs ago.  She has always been on the small side and not a hearty eater and we are having trouble getting her to eat anything now. Otherwise she is reasonably normal except underweight, sleeping more and having occasional weak spells.  I have tried a different grain free ferret diet (she has been on Zupreem and I got Evo/mixed in to see if she liked better.  Not so much.  She still loves ferret lax and treats (are feline greenies ok?).  Last night in an effort to get her to eat a more substantial diet I gave her a few pieces of Royal Canin kitten, to 4mos, formula which I have been mixing for an older underweight cat and she LOVED it.  I would like to continue giving her something she likes but worried about whether the protein/fat content 34%/24% respectively could harm her.  Is it okay to continue feeding her this at least in small amounts right now?  Also, any opinion or suggestion on the possibility of surgery if this is pancreatic tumors would be appreciated.  I would gladly pay for it to get her better and take her anywhere to do it; I'm just not convinced that at her age it is something reasonable to put her through.  I am considering an ultrasound soon to try and determine if anything else is going on.  Thank you for your time!  Leslie

Answer
Dear Leslie,
Wow, Fuzzy certainly has a lot going on with her; bless her little heart.  You are very wise to seek expert veterinary help with her. I STRONGLY recommend it.  Wait for her panel to return and then follow instructions to the letter.

Ferrets have a very high metabolism.  That's why it's important to make sure their food dish always has food in it.  Also keep plenty of fresh water available.  I change my Junior's water at least twice a day.

Now, here we go with keeping up that body weight; very important.  I AM NOT A VET, I can only tell you what has worked for me over the years.  I keep a regular ferret diet food in my ferrets bowl at all times.  However because my Junior has a problem holding body weight, each morning he gets a special breakfast.  I put aprox 1 teaspoon of Friskies Chicken Dinner with Gravy (yes, cat food# and aprox 1 teaspoon of Gerber Junior Ham & Gravy #yes, baby food# side by side in a glass bowl.  Microwave only to barely warm #about 6 Seconds#.  Be CERTAIN to test the temp with your fingers - pinch the foods between your fingers to make sure!!  Then add 1/8 teaspoon of FerretVite #Ferret Vitamin - Extremely Important#.  No need to mix all this together.  My Junior seems to like eating first one item and then the other.  Another option is to feed a diet of AD - ask your vet about this #mine recommends it).

In addition, you probably know this but I'll mention it anyway.  Ferrets do get depressed.  It's important Fuzzy gets frequent snuggles with you.  Yes, I know their attention span is small as a blink but believe me, she does appreciate it.  And, she needs to be out of her cage at least a couple of hours each day.  I can help you with Ferret houseproofing if you need suggestions; toys too.

Because there are many types of cancer, I can't offer much advice on it.  However, my little Rosie had cancer and with proper diet, medication and a lot of attention, she lived to almost nine years old.

I sure hope I've been of some help to you.  Best wishes to you and little Fuzzy.  If we can help further, please let us know.

Warm Regards