A ferret's purpose II 繼續與你們相遇: 2016

2016年12月21日星期三

頂樓上的小鳥

Dec. 21, 2016

下午姆姆和小S去頂樓散步
玩著玩著,突然天空飛來兩隻小鳥停在牆壁上看著姆姆,對她叫著...

新增說明文字

這是第一次小朋友在頂樓玩有鳥飛來
好奇妙阿...

小鳥們大概也覺得姆姆很"奇妙"吧
他們看著姆姆和小S很久
咭咭刮刮地叫著不停
一下子又飛的老高
又停了好一會兒

兩隻小鳥聊了好一會兒
後來,終於飛走了

兩隻小鳥到底對姆姆有什麼看法呢?
姆姆和小S沒理小鳥..
她們兩個在公園看小鳥看很多了..
以前在公園,還有隻鳥每次看到阿奇都會啄她的屁股..==

2016年12月18日星期日

Ron Hines DVM PhD

Lots of my articles are plagiarized and altered on the web to market products and services. There are never ads running or anything for sale with my real articles. Try to stay with the ones with http://www.2ndchance.info/ in the URL box or find all my articles at ACC.htm.

Q1: What Is Insulinoma And How Does It Affect My Ferret?

Tumors of the pancreas are more common in ferrets than in any of our other pets. Ferrets over the age of five are the ones most susceptible to these tumors. They are visible as a single nodule or lump within the pancreas or as many small nodules. The arrows in the photo point to two of them.

Your ferret’s pancreas has two functions – the same ones as your pancreas. It supplies some of the enzymes you need to digest food and it supplies the hormone, insulin that regulates your blood sugar level. The portions that malfunction in insulinoma are the ones that produce insulin. They are called the islets.

The groups of cells in the islets that produce insulin are called beta cells. When these cells go out of control, they produce more insulin than your ferret’s body needs or wants. These abnormal beta cells multiply out-of-control to form raised lumps or nodules in your ferret’s pancreas.

Most ferret owners know about insulin because the lack of it, diabetes, is so common in people. In ferret insulinoma, exactly the opposite occurs – instead of not enough insulin, there is too much insulin. This causes blood sugar levels to drop too low (hypoglycemia).

Understanding the effects of insulinomas on your ferret, requires understanding how glucose is burned for energy in the cells of your ferret’s body. All cells run on glucose. In order for glucose to enter cells from the blood stream, insulin is required. When blood sugar level in the blood declines, insulin is released. Insulin alows the blood sugar to enter body cells by fitting like a key into receptors located on the cell's surface.

Q2: What Symptoms Would I See If My Ferret Had Insulinoma?

In the early stages of this disease, the signs are not specific and they are easy to overlook. Periodically, your ferret may look like it is preoccupied or uncharacteristically inactive and deep in thought. Healthy ferrets rarely sit still unless they are asleep. We think this is an early sign of low blood sugar. The Inability to think clearly is one of the first signs of hypoglycemia in people and it may be that something similar happens in ferrets too.

As the pancreas islets become more and more active, these troubling signs become worse. The ferrets become much less active than they should be. They loose their appetite and loose weight. They may vomit or drool and seem uncomfortable about their mouth. With time, it is very common for them to drag their rear legs (there are many other conditions besides insulinoma that also cause rear leg weakness). In advanced cases of insulinoma, the ferret’s blood sugar drops so low that the pet develops twitching and seizures. Left untreated, it will eventually fall into a coma and die.

It is often about the time the ferret has trouble walking that it first brought to a veterinarian. Ferrets age more rapidly than dogs or cats. They are also very prone to having glands, other than the pancreas, go out of whack. So by the time a veterinarian is brought into the picture, your ferret may have several health problems – particularly if it is over 7 years old. These common multiple problems include adrenal gland tumors as well lymphoma, heart and kidney disease.

重點提示:
[初期]:症狀不明顯,很容易被忽視. 阿貂看起來沒有活力,好像在沉思...這是初期低血糖的症狀

[中期]:失去食慾和體重下降. 嘔吐, 流口水,或者表現口腔很不舒服. 這時期通常會出現後腿無力,如果血糖過低還會出現癲癇和抽蓄的現象

[晚期]: 常常出現行走困難現象.到這個時期,你的雪貂通常不會只有insulinoma這個疾病而已,特別是七歲以上的阿貂,通常還伴隨著有腎上腺腫瘤,淋巴瘤,心臟病,腎臟病..

Q3: How Will My Veterinarian Decide If Insulinomas Are The Cause Of My Ferret’s Problem?

The most direct test is to measure your ferrets fasting blood glucose level. That means, the blood must be obtained from your pet 4 + hours after its last meal. There are differences of opinion as to what the normal fasting blood sugar level of ferrets should be. Normal ferrets have a fasting blood glucose level of between 80-120mg/dl. Anything under 60-70 is very likely evidence that the pet has insulinomas. Anything under 85 is suspicious enough to run the test again. Fasting must be done with care and under close veterinary supervision because these pets are frail.

Once abnormally low blood glucose has been documented, your veterinarian will likely order several additional tests. They are included in what is called a blood chemistry panel. The first group of tests is to check the pet’s other organs. These tests are run because, occasionally, liver disease will lower blood glucose level and it is also rare for a ferret to develop insulinomas without having other organ problems as well. The other screening tests are to rule out a severe infection that might also account for low blood glucose.

Depending on the preferences and practice style of your veterinarian, they may also suggest x-rays to evaluate the pet’s heart, a urine examination to evaluate the pet’s kidneys and an ultrasound examination to screen for evidence of cancers. These other tests are a good idea if you or your veterinarian is contemplating a surgical option to deal with the insulinomas. They are less urgent if you are not.

Q4: What Treatment Options Are Available For My Ferret?

Insulinomas are a poorly understood condition in ferrets. It is obvious what is going on – the pet is producing too much insulin. But it is much less obvious what the underlying cause is that drives the ferret’s pancreases to over-produce. When we do not understand the cause of a disease, the solution is unclear as well. Until veterinarians figure out what false-signals are telling the pet’s pancreas to over-work, all we can do is deal with the symptoms – surgically, medically and nutritionally. It is a bit like slowing a speeding car by changing to smaller tires.
For now, there is no absolute or permanent cure for insulinomas. But one or a combination of treatments can often extend your pet’s life for as much as 2-3 years.

I suggest that your veterinarian evaluate your ferret’s current health. But I suggest that you decide what course of treatment is best for you and your pet. Here are the four things you must consider:

1) Can my family financially afford costly, extended treatment for my pet? For most people, there is no getting around asking this question. It is a fact of life you shouldn’t be ashamed of.

2) How many other concurrent diseases does my ferret have. It is rare for a ferret to develop pancreatic insulinomas before serious changes have developed in its other body system. That is why the additional tests are important.

3) How long has this problem been going on and how advanced is the disease. Pets respond best when treatment is begun early.

4) If I choose a surgical option, how likely is my ferret to survive surgery? Does it have heart, liver, adrenal or kidney problems that make it a poor surgical risk?

5) How old is my ferret? Unfortunately, the average life span of a pet ferret is about 8 years and many are not destined to live that long. Before you subject the pet you love to surgery, consider if it is really a kind thing to do.

Q5: If You Decide to have Your Ferret Treated With Surgery:

Most veterinarians have found that ferrets with insulinomas respond best to surgical, rather than medical treatment. Surgery will not cure your ferret entirely. But it should give the pet a reprieve from the problems of insulin over-production.

You veterinarian – or one you are referred to – can remove the visible nodules of over-producing tissue from your pet’s pancreas. At the same time, enough normal-appearing pancreatic tissue can be removed to bring the pet’s insulin production close to normal. Unfortunately, deciding the best amount of tissue to remove is very difficult. Too little, and the problem will not be solved. Too much and the pancreas can no longer do its job. Many of the decisions can only be made by careful inspection during surgery. That is why it is so important to use a veterinary surgeon that performs and follows up on many similar insulinoma cases. It is also quite common for other health problems to be discovered during this surgery. Some of these can be corrected at the same time and some cannot. You and your veterinarian need to discuss what you want done if these concurrent problems are discovered during surgery and how they might affect the outcome and cost of the procedure.

Q6: Is Surgery Always Successful?

No, success rates vary between surgeons. In general, about half the pets will do well for 2-4 additional years, when their long-term diet after surgery is controlled and they are given medications as needed.

Q7: What can I Expect after Surgery?

Most ferrets recover well from surgery. They are usually up and about quite quickly and their blood sugar value usually rises almost immediately. Check its surgical incision frequently to be sure it remains well closed and keep it from burrowing into sheets and bedding so you can closely monitor its condition. Be sure it is eating regularly, pooping and urinating.

An occasional ferret will develop abnormally high post-surgical blood sugar levels but these usually return to normal by themselves. A few others go on to develop diabetes when too much pancreatic tissue had to be removed.
However, it is not uncommon for blood sugar levels to begin to dip again in your ferret in 6-9 months. These ferrets will need their treatment continued medically. A second (or third) surgery is an option – but one I do not often advise.
The best way to monitor your ferret’s long term post-surgical pancreatic health or its health during medical treatment is with periodic blood sugar testing. This is something you can – and should – do at home.

Q8: What If I Decide To Have My Ferret Treated With Medicine?

Depending on the answers to my 5 questions, you may decide to treat your ferret medically, rather than surgically.
Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) is your ferret’s problem, and medicines can raise it - for a while.

There are several medications that help ferrets with insulinoma:

1) Prednisone

Prednisone (or prednisolone) are steroids (corticosteroids) that often raise blood glucose levels. They do this through their affects on the liver. They are inexpensive. Corticosteroids have a number of undesirable side effects. But these side effects tend to be less of a problem in ferrets than in humans or dogs. It is not a very bitter drug, so it can often be given in a small bit of pungent food or in its pediatric liquid form. The correct dose varies between animals and needs to be tailored to your ferret by monitoring its blood glucose level.

2) Diazoxide (Proglycem®)

The oral form of this drug is used to treat hypoglycemia in humans. When it is given by injection in humans, it is used to control high blood pressure. It is a useful drug in ferrets when prednisone alone will no longer keep the pet’s blood sugar level high enough. It is usually given twice a day. Vomiting, poor appetite, diarrhea and listlessness are occasionally caused by this drug. Since ferrets with insulinoma must never go without eating, these can be very serious side effects. The medication has other side effects, so periodic blood testing of the pet is a wise choice when they are receiving diazoxide.

Doxorubicin and octreotide are two other medications that have been tried with mixed results.

Q9: Will It Be Important What My Ferret Eats?

Yes, It will be very important regardless what form of therapy you and your veterinarian choose. Ferrets with insulinoma need to be fed a diet that contains little or no grain, carbohydrate, starch or vegetable ingredients. Their food consumption needs to be closely watched because ferrets with insulinoma must eat frequently.

I do not know of any scientific data that shows that feeding a diet raw is in any way superior to feeding one that has been cooked. However, we do know that the grain products and sugars in many ferret diets and treats are not a normal part of a ferret’s natural diet. Ferret-like animals (mustella) thrive best when feed a diets containing primarily fats and protein. They were not designed to process or metabolize carbohydrates well and we know that carbohydrate levels play an important role in pancreatic health in all animals. They were also not designed to consume large amounts of fiber.

So no more raisins or sweets. Substitute liver, chicken hearts and other organ meats as rewards and treats.

Q10: What Are Some Steps I Can Take To Prevent Insulinoma?

Long before ferrets become ill with insulinoma, they will have abnormalities in their blood sugar level. So having their fasting blood sugar level determined yearly after they reach the age of 3 - 4 is a good idea.

Insulinoma is primarily a metabolic disease not a cancerous disease. It occurs because of the way the ferret’s body utilizes the nutrients in its diet to maintain its body. The most important step you can take to try to prevent this condition is to feed your pet a high quality, meat/poultry-based diet with as few additional plant ingredients as possible. Ferrets are very little animals. So even a few high-carbohydrate snacks and treats are significant.

When you purchase a processed ferret diet, a lot of decisions have gone into its manufacture that do not concern ferret health. One is the binding of ingredients together to form pellets. Carbohydrates aid in this. The other is the availability and cost of ingredients. Products labeled animal byproduct, digest or meal are not what you might think they would be (ref article). Do not feed diets containing these things to your pet.

The intestinal tracts of ferrets are relatively short. They will do better if allowed to munch their food throughout the day – rather than being fed at specific times.
Feeding your ferret “whole prey” is messy, gruesome business. Rodents you obtain that are bred locally often carry diseases much worse than insulinoma that can be a threat to both you and your ferret. That is why I do not suggest it.

Q11: Dealing With The Seizures of Hypoglycemia

Many ferrets with insulinoma never experience a seizure. But if yours does, take it to a veterinarian immediately. If at all possible, take it to a veterinarian experienced in treating ferrets – their blood vessels are hard to locate and their small size makes them easy to over or under-dose.

If there is a delay in reaching the veterinary hospital, give the ferret a dextrose (glucose) – containing product orally. Ferrets that are in the seizures of hypoglycemia can not swallow well. To prevent them from inhaling the sugar, just wipe their mouth with diluted Karo Syrup or Insta-Glucose gel. Do it with a Q-tip so you are not bitten.

Ref:　http://www.2ndchance.info/insulinoma-imageLgfl.htm

2016年12月16日星期五

Drinking water for ferrets

阿貂喝的水

以前住的是三四十年的老公寓,
給阿貂喝的水=我喝的水=過濾過的水再煮沸過後冷卻
一直喝了好幾年都沒有變過

今年十月搬到新家
新家是二年的電梯大樓
剛開始還是按照以往的慣例,給阿貂喝的水=我喝的水=過濾過的水再煮沸過後冷卻
可是
上次去醫院檢查的時候
醫生說:姆姆和小Ｓ的喝水量不夠
所以
上次回來之後就特別盯著這兩個女生的喝水情形都
發現他們真的很少在喝我給他們放在水碗和水管水裡面的水．．
由於腎指數變高
真的很擔心
姆姆偶而還看到他有自己喝幾口水
但是，小Ｓ幾乎就沒看過．．
所以只好趁餵飯飯的時候灌她幾口水，可是這小女生超抗拒喝水的..(又不是毒水..幹嘛這樣子..跺腳)

想不出到底出了啥問題?
只好拿出噴水池,看看能不能引起他們的興趣?
的確有吸引他們來玩水順便喝幾口水
連小S都有來喝幾口
由於噴水池需要的水量大
裝的是自來水(倒是有點擔心這樣的水質合不合是飲用?)
不過
有喝水總比沒喝好

可是噴水器要插電
插電就要擺室內
登登每次都去把噴水池打翻,弄得一地都是水...(超困擾der, 還是要解決阿...)

想來想去
最後決定在浴室內放一水盆裝滿水

偷偷的躲在角落看
登登很愛去玩水盆水,會潛水,潑水,還喝水
姆姆也會去玩水,喝水
小S我今天看到他有去喝幾口水(真棒!!!)

昨兒去回診
醫師說:姆姆沒缺水了，小Ｓ的水跑錯地方了 > <"
我問:自來水阿貂可以喝嗎?
他答: 只要阿貂喜歡就可以
Yeah ho~
以後更方便了,放個大水盆在浴室給他們玩水就可以了

到底是為什麼他們的飲水習慣改變了呢?
以前住的地方的自來水和新家的自來水到底有何不同呢?
只有阿貂才知道 :)

2016年11月29日星期二

點燈燈

Nov. 29, 2016

又到了點燈燈的日子
想到去年拿不到號碼牌白跑一趟...
覺得今年一定是噩夢又來一次
中永和的婆媽真的愈來愈厲害了
都不用睡覺嗎?
都半夜拿小板凳去排隊拿號碼牌嗎...
真的敗給他們了..
可是本姑娘真的需要睡覺阿..

決定了
不管怎樣,我還是要睡覺
睡得飽飽後再去拿號碼牌
反正ㄧ
睡不飽,也可能拿不到號碼牌
睡得飽,也不一定拿不到號碼牌..
可是
睡不飽,我的脾氣就一定很不好..
嗯~

今天早上起床忙完後
快中午了
心中有點慌慌的
打電話去問土地公廟
對方說:還有十張號碼牌,叫我快快去拿~
Yeah ho~
我頭髮也沒吹乾
就快快地出門

沒想到
一到土地公廟,十張號碼牌已經沒了,沒了, 沒了啦...(又跟去年一樣, 跺腳!!)

突然看見有[幸運之神]向我招手,來來來~
我趕快向他跑過去
[幸運之神]對我說:他有多一張號碼牌可以分給我
Yeah hu~~
我真lucky~~~
我今年終於不用跑兩趟了

感謝您,幸運之神
感謝您,好心的婦人

謝謝您這麼大方
謝謝您這麼好心
真的非常感謝您
我們全家都非常感謝您
祝您全家幸福快樂平安~

2016年11月18日星期五

第一次洗陽台

Nov. 18, 2016

登登今天不曉得在生啥悶氣??

昨天不是帶他去公園跑跑了嗎?

他還跑得挺開心的...

怎麼今天就發少爺脾氣了?

愈來愈難伺候了
唉~

一個人躲在陽台的垃圾袋裡睡覺覺..

睡醒了,就去陽台拉屎撒尿
(真可惡,明明廁所就在隔壁阿....)

叫了幾次就是不肯回房間睡覺

到底在氣啥啊?

阿貂的心裡真的難測?
(誰說女人心裡難測? 阿貂才難><")

最後,

只得使出[殺手鐧]

把陽台洗一洗

洗乾淨後

這少爺居然也開心地回房間睡覺了

怪哉,

搞了一下午,是要我洗陽台的意思嗎?
唔? (臭小孩,媽咪做家事,不要你管!)

2016年11月11日星期五

FUJ riverside park on 20161111

Nov. 11, 2016

三寶傍晚去河邊公園跑跑
超乎意料外的開心, 超乎意料外的跑得好快

尤其姆姆和小S,
跑的超開心,
跑的超跳躍
簡直像小兔子一樣蹦蹦跳
幾乎讓人忘了她們倆已經快八歲
幾乎讓人忘了她們倆還有心臟病呢..

登登尾巴稀少的狀況也改善很多
現在邁向[大楷毛筆]的階段邁進了,哈哈~
全身的毛量也變得又膨又軟

三個的毛毛都變得柔柔亮亮
環境對阿貂的改變也很大(好)呢~

2016年10月15日星期六

與寶寶的奇遇?

Oct. 16, 2016

話說上個月9/23那天, 我剛巧去到金寶山
就是鄧麗君墳墓那裏

遇到了一位慈祥的老爺爺
問我:鄧麗君的墓在哪裡?

那時我正在站在鄧麗君的墓入口前不遠的地方
我跟老爺爺指了方向,

他就笑笑離開了

後來不久,那位老爺爺又走回來

還帶了另一位老爺爺來, 想和我聊天...

剛巧, 我先生回來了
我就沒和老爺爺們繼續聊天, 就走了

回家看月曆, 才發現那天是寶寶走了一年的日子

剛巧我那天全身都穿白色的......

寶寶.... 你現在過得好不好?

話說
寶寶走時的年紀應該有七八九歲...
反正是年紀很大的雪貂
換算成人類的年紀,也是老爺爺了

PS. 寶寶的年紀不能確定,都怪他前主人拋棄了他..我們無從得知他真正的出生日期 ==

2016年10月11日星期二

誰最兇? 人類最兇啦!!

Oct. 11, 2016

下午登登在公園散步
有人指著登登問:他兇不兇？

這是一個很常見的問題....
不過
今天我心情好,剛好願意來回答~

我反問他: 何謂"兇"?
他說:就是會咬人啊... (回答得很直接)
我說: 雪貂這種動物是會咬人的
....
....
我心想: 人類還會殺人放火丟炸彈呢....
那人類兇不兇? 人類不僅兇，而且比動物殘忍千萬倍

2016年10月5日星期三

登大爺的下巴別亂摸

Oct. 05, 2016

昨兒在公園抱著登登休息時,順便給登登摸下巴,

登登最愛我幫他摸下巴了, 舒服的瞇著眼在我懷裡睡覺覺~~

旁邊的人小孩看著就問我:他(登登)喜歡人幫他摸下巴嗎?

我回答:對呀,他喜歡我幫他摸下巴 :)

接著,人小孩就說:那我也來幫他摸下巴.

說著就把他的小手伸出來摸登登的毛下巴...

登登感覺有不同味道的手伸過來,

立刻張開大眼,順手伸出他的小胖手,揮掉那隻怪味的小人手

並"嘖"了一聲~ 張口作勢要咬人

"哎喲,我的登登生氣了"

"小朋友們,今天就到此為止了噢~, 解散!"

登登OS: 我登大爺的下巴豈可給你們這些小髒手亂摸, 嘖嘖~~

我登大爺的下巴是專屬我媽咪的!!!!

2016年9月10日星期六

黃粱一夢 ~ 來自M國的雪貂

Sept. 09, 2016

Rainning

剛剛有隻貂一臉哀怨地跑來找我… 我問他怎麼了?

他說:他來自M國, 今年五歲,身體很不舒服,老是昏昏欲睡,身體又脫毛又漏尿der.... 這幾天他的主人帶牠去看醫生,想知道他生什麼病?有沒有辦法可以治好? 但是他聽他主人說: 他看的醫師，不是專門在看雪貂的醫生（因為在當地找不到），更糟糕的是，即使知道他生啥病，在當地也找不到藥物可供他治療之用！！

我說:那不是叫你在那裏等死嗎？

那隻Ｍ國來的雪貂，低頭不語．他表示：牠的主人聽到這個消息很是難過．．．

那隻Ｍ國來的雪貂又悠悠的說了：我們雪貂啊．．．本來是生長在溫寒帶的動物，Ｍ國這種
熱死人的天氣簡直是熱壞我們了，真不知道是哪個死傢伙把我們雪貂進口到這熱死人的Ｍ國來，簡直是想讓我們雪貂去Ｍ國去自殺嘛！！！
而且，在Ｍ國會看雪貂的醫生根本屈指可數，相關的的醫療資訊，人員和設備都還沒有完備的情況下，就大膽大量進口雪貂到M國販賣並且繁殖的傢伙，簡直是讓我們雪貂下地獄！！！

我聽了那隻雪貂說完，心裡很為他難過，更憤怒的是當初進口雪貂到Ｍ國的奸商！！！但是反觀自己本國的環境不也跟M國類似? 中南部也是熱得要死,北部冬天雖然氣溫較低,但是又潮又濕,也不適合雪貂生存, 在這裡的雪貂也不比M國好到哪裡去….

僅為一己之私利，而不顧小動物的性命及未來，就從事買賣進口生意的傢伙，你們的良心去哪裡了????

＂走，我幫你去向那些奸商算帳！＂，我對那隻Ｍ國來的雪貂說．

正要跨出一大步，突然發現我自己從床上跌下....

啊哈！原來是黃粱一夢啊～

雖然是黃粱一夢,但也希望M國的那隻雪貂能夠平安無事

2016年9月9日星期五

遷戶口

Sept. 09, 2016

Rainning

姆姆今天早上咳嗽很嚴重,是那種胸腔起伏很大的那種咳嗽
我聽了很是害怕

吃過了早上的藥後
姆姆就沒有咳嗽了
但是我心裡還是慌慌的

去問胖爺~
胖爺: 如果有持續喘,就要立刻回診

直到下午,都沒有喘的跡象發生
但是我心裡還是有點慌慌的

我想,乾脆帶姆姆去辦戶口遷入新家吧....
希望姆姆早點遷入新戶籍,能沾點喜氣
算是"沖喜"意思

遷戶籍辦得很順利
姆姆一路上眼睛都睜得大大,到處看來看去
後來還下來走一走
都沒有咳嗽也沒有喘
回家洗澡後,吃了一碗雞肉泥,就去呼呼睡了

希望三個小寶貝都能夠平安搬入新家 :)