ITACHi de HOLISTIC

Using herbs for ferrets

2007-04-06T01:22:00.000+09:00

UNA:
GPT(ALT) is very high.
From last week, we are reducing amount of steroid which is prescribed for her insulinoma.
APOLLO:
BUN and CRE is very high(he only has one kidney).
KOMOMO:
She has been feeling sick since end of last year according to gastritis and sometimes she threw up.

According to these symptom, I decided to use herbs to help them.

for UNA:
Turmeric, milk thistle and dandelion might work well with liver problems.
Licorice might work well with reducing amout of steroid, and increasing glucose in blood.

for APOLLO:
Dandelion might work well with kidney problems.

for KOMOMO:
Fennel might work well with stomach problems.

Using these herbs, UNA and APOLLO will take blood test again at end of this month.
For KOMOMO, veterinarian said what he can only do is to prescribe a medicine which can stop sickness, or to prescribe a medicine which can protect mucous membrane, but cannot do anything for her gastritis itself, but after using fennel, her throwing up frequency became low.

[How to use it?]
1) Put herbs and enzyme in a pan, warm it a little bit until herbs are half digested. Then smash it into power. You can use it as a suppliment or you can give it with food.
2) You can boil herbs like when you are serving herb tea. You can make your ferret drink with syringe driver. Ferrets love its taste.

1) is more recommended because herbs are not effected by heat which breaks vitamins.

UNA's Insulinoma

2007-04-03T16:51:00.000+09:00

UNA is struggling with insulinoma for over 2yrs.
Her glucose level is about 20ml/dl at hunger time, and about 40ml/dl at full time, but does not have any attack of hypoglycemia.

Insulinoma is caused by a tumor of pancreas, and this tumor cannot be taken away with surgery because of the location, so I've decided to take care with dietary therapy, which is reducing carbonhydrates from food.
Carbonhydrate in food manages pracreas to produce insulin to absorb glucose into cells, and causes sudden decreasement of glucose in blood which is an attack of hypoglycemia.
Ferrets and other carnivorous animals does not need carbonhydrates to get glucose, they can create glucose from protein which works more softly for the body.
Glucose rises after feeding, so it is important not to make any hunger time for a ferret who is struggling with insulinoma.

UNA, however, sometimes do hunger strike, but hunger time causes hypoglycemia, and in worst case, it will end up with death.
From about 1 week before, she started hunger strike.
Ferret's digesting time is approximately 3h(using dry food), so I had to feed her every 3h day and night for this week, but this morning, she started to eat by her own!

Hunger strike is gone, and I can sleep well from tonight.
Thank you god!(:

APOLLO'S birthday!

2007-04-03T04:39:00.001+09:00

This april 1st was Apollo's 4th birthday!
We had a little party at home to celebrate.

He is not licking cake, just licking laxatone that I spreaded on the dish to take a good picture.
Cake was eaten all by me(:

Happy Birthday, Apollo!
Wishing you to spend a happy year this year also.

New blog!

2007-04-02T05:15:00.000+09:00

As I decided to start my english website, I thought I have to write blog in english also...

Hello, I'm Chiaki.
I am living with 5 ferrets and I will be writing blog about them.
I am a HOLISTIC CARE COUNSELOR, a BACH FLOWER REMEDY COUNSELOR, and a HOLISTIC MASSAGE COUNSELOR in Japan.

These are my ferrets.
SHONA(hob, 2.5yrs old), UNA(jill, 6.5yrs old), RUBY(hob, 2.5yrs old), APOLLO(hob, 4yrs old), and KOMOMO(jill, 4yrs old).
All of them are early neutered.

In Japan, only feeding dry food is majority, but I have started feeding them frozen meat and suppliments as following the thought of European and US breeders.
I would like to have a connection with those who are breeding ferrets and/or feeding them frozen or live animals.