Ferret Health Care All Creatures an I M a L H O S P I T a L Leading Health Problems in Ferrets
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Ferret Health Care All Creatures An i m a l H o s p i t a l Leading Health Problems in Ferrets Ferrets are increasingly may just quit eating. In- failure. Volume 1, Issue 1 popular as pets in the fections in the stomach, Early detection of prob- Newsletter Date United States. As such, leading to ulcers can oc- lems and prompt care can the need for health care cur secondary to stress or make treatment of these has increased in recent concurrent disease. conditions much more years. The problems en- In mature ferrets, endo- successful than treatment countered in ferrets differ crine tumors and lym- of the seriously affected from the common con- Ferret Care Kit phatic tumors are com- ferret. cerns in traditional pets mon and potentially seri- Ivomec for heartworm such as dogs and cats. In ous health concerns. The prevention the US, the population of clinical signs vary and ferrets is a relatively Allergroom shampoo often these diseases de- small gene pool, with the velop over a long period of Epi-Otic Cleanser majority of pet ferrets time before they exhibit coming from a single clinical signs. There are a Nail trimmer source. Preventative care variety of skin tumors Ferrets cannot be treated such as spaying and neu- Laxatone that ferrets develop com- like miniature cats! They tering, vaccination, and have special problems. monly as well. Some of CET toothpaste and heartworm prevention these are benign, but they brush has reduced the incidence should be carefully of some conditions. watched. In young ferrets, foreign Geriatric ferrets often body ingestion remains a develop weakening heart leading cause of serious muscles, or cardiomyopa- problems. Unlike dogs, Inside this issue: thy. This progressive many ferrets do not vomit change may eventually when this occurs. They Nutrition 2 lead to congestive heart Grooming 2 Vaccination Protocol Parasites 2 Adrenal Disease 3 Vaccinations can help Distemper: Rabies: protect your pet against 6 weeks of age 16 weeks of age infectious diseases. The Insulinoma 3 two primary diseases that 10 weeks of age Annually thereafter we vaccinate ferrets 14 weeks of age against are canine dis- Lymphoma 3 temper and rabies. Ide- Annually thereafter ally the vaccines should Geriatric Health 6 be done on separate days. Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 2 Ferret Nutrition Ferrets are strict carnivores. Their used when ferret diets are not avail- short digestive tract has very little ca- able. pacity to process plant material. They Occasionally ferrets will have dry, brit- require higher protein levels than any tle coats. The addition of additional other domesticated species. They also fatty acids may benefit these ferrets. require a diet with a very high digesti- Linatone or Ferretone can be used for bility. Ferrets also require high fat di- this purpose. ets. Ferrets should be fed free choice. Al- A good quality ferret diet will have 34- Ferret diets are though a ferret may carry a large 40% protein from animal sources. Fat increasingly amount of fat, obesity as a clinically available. content should be about 20%. Digesti- relevant disorder is extremely rare in bility should be around 90% or better. ferrets. High fiber diets intended for Diets specifically formulated for ferrets weight loss in cats should not be used A high quality feline diet are increasingly available. Whenever in ferrets. can be used if a ferret possible these diets should be used. diet is not available. Premium brand kitten diets may be Grooming and Hygiene Ferrets’ skin secretes a substantial able. amount oil. This oil is what accounts Ferret nails grow fast and sharp. For- for the musty odor that is a characteris- “Baths should be no more tunately they are very easy to trim. The tic of ferrets. The amount and the po- frequent than once monthly nails are clear, allowing easy visualiza- tency of the skin oils are much less in unless a specific skin condition is tion of the quick. As long as the quick is neutered ferrets than in sexually intact avoided, nail trimming is safe and ferrets. However, periodic bathing can being treated. painless. further reduce the odor of these pets. Baths should be no more frequent than duced. While bacterial and yeast ear To keep the teeth clean, ferrets should once monthly unless a specific skin infections are uncommon, wax buildup have their teeth brushed every 1-3 condition is being treated. can impact the ear canal. Monthly days. Alternately, feline dental chews cleansing with ear solution is advis- can be used. Likewise, ear wax is abundantly pro- Parasite Prevention In areas where heartworms are a prob- or cats are around. lem, ferrets should receive protection Revolution: from this deadly disease. In ferrets, heartworm is difficult both to detect 1/2 feline dose monthly and to treat. Prevention, however is Ivermectin: very simple. Two to three drops of medication once monthly effectively 2 drops once monthly prevents heartworms from developing for ferrets under 1 kg. into the dangerous life stages. 3 drops once monthly Revolution is effective for preventing Fleas can be a problem in ferrets if dogs for ferrets over 1 kg. both fleas and heartworms. Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3 Adrenal Disease An alarming percentage of pet ferrets There are means of detecting this dis- in the U.S. suffer from endocrine disor- ease early. One involves having blood ders. The most common of these in our levels of sex steroids measured. A blood practice is adrenal endocrinopathy. The sample is sent to University of Tennes- causes of this disorder is unknown. see for this test. The other way is by Contributing factors may include genet- performing an abdominal ultrasound ics, spaying/neutering, especially at a on the ferret. This will determine if an young age, and consistently long light adrenal gland is enlarged, but will also cycles. examine other abdominal organs. This is an excellent way to assess health in In many cases, this disease is not life- ferrets. Our recommendation is to have threatening, but serious complications this done annually after the age of sometimes occur. As with most dis- three. eases, early detection will allow treat- Adrenal disease is the most ment when it has the best chance of Treatment options can be discussed if common cause of hair loss. success. Early signs may include thin- problems are detected. ning hair coat, swollen vulva, urinary straining, or behavior changes. Insulinoma The other common endocrine disease of Fasting blood glucose levels can be used ferrets is insulinoma. These are small to screen for this disease. A maximum tumors in the pancreas that secrete “These are small tumors in the of 4-6 hours of fasting is required. If the excessive levels of insulin. As a result, pancreas that secrete...insulin. blood glucose is low, the level of insulin the blood glucose can become danger- can be checked to confirm the disease. As a result, the blood glucose can ously low. become dangerously low.” If confirmed, our doctors can discuss Affected ferrets often have very slow, treatment options. insidious onset of signs that can go Early recognition and treatment can undetected for a long time. They may result in tremendous improvement in just lose weight or become a little more both the duration and quality of life for sluggish. These signs are often mis- affected ferrets. taken for simple aging. Lymphoma One of the most common cancers of that are affected clinical signs vary other than in determining the diagno- ferrets is lymphoma or lymphosarcoma. considerably. sis. It is almost assuredly present in This is a cancer of the lymphatic cells of multiple tissues at the time of diagno- Physical examination, blood tests, x- the body. These cells reside in the sis. Lymphoma, however, is often re- rays, or ultrasound can all give results lymph nodes, the spleen, the thymus, sponsive to chemotherapy, especially if that may make us suspicious of lym- the bone marrow, and the blood, as well started early in the course of the dis- phoma. Only a cytology or a biopsy can as most other tissues of the body. Can- ease. While cures are uncommon, treat- confirm the diagnosis however. cer of this type is considered “systemic” ment can give better quality of life, and since so many areas are involved. Unlike many types of cancer, surgical increase survival time. removal of a primary mass is unlikely Because of the wide variety of locations to benefit a patient with lymphoma, All Creatures Animal H o s p i t a l 2001 N. Linview Urbana, IL 61801 Our Mission 217-328-4143 All Creatures Animal Hospital is dedi- cated to providing progressive medicine in a caring environment for pets of all spe- Look for us on the Web: www.allcreaturesAH.com cies. Through preventative medicine, cli- ent education, professional development of our staff, and advanced medical and Quality medicine in a caring surgical techniques, we hope to foster a environment. strong and lasting bond with clients and their pets. Optimizing Geriatric Ferret Health While the life expectancy of ferrets is 7- Visit 2: Optional 9 years, the onset of some of the com- Review of Clinical History Dental Prophylaxis mon aging disorders can occur as young as 3 years. For this reason, we recom- Physical Examination Included is a complete scaling, perio- mend increased monitoring starting at dontal examination, and polishing of this age. The protocol listed below has Complete Blood Count the teeth. Dental procedures require been devised to best detect common anesthesia, so your pet will need to be Mini Chemistry Panel clinical syndromes in pet ferrets. Of here for a few hours for recovery.