Pancreatic Endocrinopathies in Ferrets

Pancreatic endocrinopathies, especially insulinomas, are a common finding in ferrets. Surgical resection remains the treatment of choice for insulinomas because it can provide longer disease-free intervals and survival times. Because of the high rate of metastasis, owners should be advised that treatment is rarely curative and is aimed at controlling the clinical signs of hypoglycemia by stopping or slowing the progression of the insulinoma. Although less common, diabetes mellitus can occur in ferrets, but is often a postsurgical sequela to insulinoma resection. Current advancements in diabetes management can be applied to ferrets with diabetes mellitus.