ferret illness

Question
Hi, I wonder if you could help me. I have 3 ferrets, Jeremy is approx 6 yrs old. He has recently started having seizures. When I first discovered this I rushed him to the vet who told me that when a ferret is this age he would start to have trouble with his brain. He gave me vitamins (collovet)and told me to give him a lot of love & basically wait for his time to come. His symptoms are that he sleeps almost constantly (which is quite normal) but when awake he becomes dazed & dosent knw where he is - or who i am, his eyes glaze over and he clamps his mouth shut, lots of spit dribbles out of his mouth, he expels his bowels (urine only)and sometimes has quite violent seizures though most of the time he just lays very still and ticks occasionally. His heart rate goes wild and after a while he comes round and eats like a trooper before going to bed and sleeping some more. I understand he is an old chap & have seen this behaviour in a previous ferret, who subsequently had a huge seizure and passed away. What I could like to confirm with you - is whether you agree when the vet says that in aged ferrets, either their brains become ill (and seizures occur) or their liver&kidneys fail as in cats & dogs. The reason I ask this is because I have just been reading about insuloma and am now wondering if this is Jeremy's problem & would welcome your opinion before taking him to a different vet. He has been like this for 2 months now & is getting worse each day - he eats and drinks well still & is still active & noses about when he has had a good sleep. If I have a chance of saving him I will do anything I can, it really is heartbreaking to see him having seizures and Iam so worried they may be hurting him - although he dosent make any sound when in a 'fit'.
Many thanks
Helen

Answer
Hello Helen,

Insulinoma was the first thing to come to mind, especially if he seems dazed or confused before the seizure.  However, older ferrets are susceptible to all sorts of diseases: brain tumors, metabolic disorders, etc.  Any of these can cause similar symptoms and seizures.  

The symptoms of Insulinoma are caused by tumors on the pancreas which causes blood glucose levels to drop dramatically.  This is very dangerous since the brain needs glucose to function properly!  If you notice he seems "dazed" or "lost", it could be due to low blood sugar.  Try placing a small amount of honey or ferret-tone/nutrical in his mouth and see if that snaps him out of it.  Then, bring him to your vet ASAP.  DO NOT use ANY sugary foods with ferrets at any other time.  It is thought that such things cause insulinoma.  

I would bring little Jeremy in for a second opinion. Here are a list of ferret friendly veterinarians from around the country.  Since I am not sure where you are from, Canada and the UK are included.  

VETS CANADA:   
* http://www.ferretrescue.ca/start.php
* http://tinylink.com/?TlVyYKa6e0
* http://www.ferrets.org/Veterinarian_Listings.htm   (British Columbia)
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html

VETS USA:
* http://www.quincyweb.net/quincy/vet.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
* http://www.ferret-universe.com/vets/vetlist.asp
* http://www.ferretsanctuary.com/vets.shtml
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/

VETS  UK & IRELAND:  
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/vetlist.htm

VET INFO/ LIST OF FERRET GROUPS/ CONTACTS IN UK, ITALY, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, NETHERLANDS, GERMANY & DENMARK:       
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-overseas.html (scroll down page to find the one you are looking for)   

What food are you feeding?  Since Insulinoma IS a possibility I would like to mention that diet is extremely important to these guys. It is thought that sugary foods and treats bring on the disease, so proper nutrition is a key factor in keeping your ferrets healthy. Please refer to the link below for more information:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ferrets-2277/2008/9/Best-types-ferret-food.htm

I wish the best for poor Jeremy.  If any of his seizures last more than a minute, bring him to your vet ASAP.  One of the most dangerous parts of seizures is the sudden spike in body temperature.  If they go on for too long, the brain is put at a very high risk.  Only a veterinarian has the medication that is needed to stop seizures.  

It is difficult to say if Jeremy has Insulinoma or some other condition that is causing the seizures.  You have done your research on Insulinoma, which IS a possibility.  Since your veterinarian seems unsure, you should follow up with another and seek a second opinion.  He or she might shed a bit more light onto the situation and give a diagnosis and treatment plan.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  

-Cindy P.