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Y4 - Small Animals > Ferret Medicine > Flashcards

Ferret Medicine Flashcards

1
Q

What are key points of ferret medicine?

A
  • Mustelids
  • Hypercarnivore diet
  • Femlaes (jills) = induced ovulators
  • Sexual dimorphism (males>females)
  • high incidence of endocrine problems
  • Sensitive to several viral infections
  • Lifespan 6-8yr
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2
Q

What is distemper? Transmission?

A
  • Morbillivirus
  • Almost always fatal in ferrets
  • Transmission - aerosols, direct contact with urine, faeces, skin, other secretion
  • Unvaccinated ferrets
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3
Q

CS of distemper?

A
  1. Non-specific – lethargy, anorexia, fever
  2. Cutaneous – erythema, hyperkeratosis and crusts (foot pads, face)
  3. Respiratory – dyspnea, tachypnoea, cough. Complicated with 2ary bacterial infections
  4. Ocular – muco-purulent conjunctivitis
  5. Neurological – paresis, ataxia, seizures
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4
Q

How is distemper Diagnosed? Tx?

A
  • Dx = unvaccinated ferrets, combination of signs, swab for PCR Ag detection, PM + histo
  • Tx = Euthanasia
    -Supportive care (NSAIDs, Ab)
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5
Q

How can you prevent distemper?

A
  • Vaccinate - start at 12 wks, yearly booster
    -can get vaccine reactions
  • Hygiene, routine cleaning
  • Avoid contact with unvaccinated ferrets / dogs
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6
Q

What is a differential for distemper that owners are most common source of infection?

A
  • Influenza
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7
Q

How is influenza diagnosed?

A
  • CS = Fever, URT signs, Conjunctivitis, Occasionally affects other organs
  • Exposure to human with flu
  • Ag detection
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8
Q

How is influenza managed?

A
  • Self-limiting (5-7)
  • General supportive care (fluids, feeding)
  • NSAIDs - meloxicam
  • Antivirals
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9
Q

What is Aleutian disease? Transmission? Signs?

A
  • Parvovirus
  • Immunocomplex-mediated disease
  • Older ferrets (+minks)
  • Transmission by aerosol, direct contact with any body fluids
  • CS = death without any signs, chronic wasting disease, Neuro signs (tremors, ataxia, paresis, seizures), Other (organ enlargement, anaemia, melena, dyspnoea)
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10
Q

How is aleutian disease diagnosed? Tx?

A
  • Dx =
    -plasma electrophoresis (low albumin / high gamma-globulin)
    -Haematology - low PCV
    -Biochem - depends on affected organ
    -PCR
    -Positive serum antibody titers
  • Tx = Supportive care
    -No Tx
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11
Q

What tumours affect ferrets ?

A
  • Lymphoma (T / B- cell, cutaneous epitheliotrophic, gastric lymphomas) - signs depend of organ affected
  • insulinoma - pancreatic B-cells, benign
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12
Q

How would you diagnose lymphoma in ferrets?

A
  • Haematology - Anaemia, Leukaemias are NOT a consistent finding
  • Biochemistry - Hypoalbuminemia + Hyperproteinemia + Hyperglobulinemia, Hypercalcemia uncommon
  • Ultrasound
  • Cytology – can be almost fully diagnostic for lymphoma
  • Biopsy samples – allow grading and phenotyping
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13
Q

How can you treat lymphoma in ferrets?

A
  • Chemotherapy - prenisolone - COP/CHOP
  • Radiation therapy
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14
Q

What are clinical signs of insulinoma?

A
  • Hypoglycaemia
  • Nausea / ptyalism
  • Lethargy / weakness
  • Ataxia
  • Seizures
  • Resolve after being offered food
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15
Q

How is insulinoma diagnosed?

A
  • Blood glucose <3.3 mmol/L after 4h starving
  • Plasma insulin concentration
  • Abdominal ultrasound
  • Advanced imaging
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16
Q

How is insulinoma treated?

A
  • Nodulectomy
  • Partial pancreaectomy
  • Average survival time 1yr
  • New masses tend to appear

Medical management =
* Acute / emergeny - IV bolus dextrose, fluids, midazolam
* chronic - prednisolone, diazoxide

17
Q

What is adrenal gland disease that ferrets get? What are the causes?

A
  • Hyperadrenocorticism =
    -hyperaldosteronism (mineralocorticoids)
    -hyperadrenocorticism (endogenous steroids)
    -Hyperandrogenism (androgens = androstenedione, estradiol)
  • Causes =
    -Surgical neuter (remove negative feedback)
    -Abnormal photoperiod / circadian rhythms
    -Genetics
18
Q

What are clinical signs of adrenal disease in ferrets?

A
  • Progressive symmetrical alopecia (usually starts at tail)
  • Pruritus (1/3 cases)
  • Spayed females – vulvar enlargement
  • Males =
    -sexual behaviuor + typical odour
    -Urinary blockage (prostate enlargement)
19
Q

How is adrenal disease diagnosed?

A
  • Abdominal ultrasound - adrenal gland enlargement + other organs (prostate)
  • serum / plasma hormones - estradiol
20
Q

What is treatment of adrenal disease? Risks?

A
  • Adrenalectomy - L adrenal = easy
    -R adrenal = close to caudal V. cava + liver
  • Delorelin implants (GnRH-agonists)
  • Risks =
    -Anaesthesia complications
    -bleeding
    -Addison’s
    -
21
Q

What are signs of gastritis? what tests should be done?

A
  • CS / Hx = vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, melena (GI ulceration)
  • Approach =
    1. Complete Hx
    2. Full exam
    3. Supportive care
    4. Imaging + bloods
    5. Further tests = GIT biopsies, culture + specificity
22
Q

What can cause gastritis in ferrets?

A
  • Foreign bodies
  • Toxin ingestion
  • NSAID treatment
  • Helicobacter mustelae infections
  • Neoplasia (incl. extra GIT) - lymphoma
  • Azotemia/renal disease
  • Other diseases can also cause nausea
23
Q

What is supportive care of gastritis?

A
  • Fluids
  • Anti-emetics (maropitant, ranitidine)
  • Feeding (frequent, small meals, high protein)
24
Q

What is Helicobacter mustelae?

A
  • Causes chronic gastritis + mucosal ulceration
  • Can progress to gastric adenocarcinoma / lymphoma
  • leads to = melena, severe anaemia + shock
  • Dx = gastric wall biopsies +/- PCR
25
Q

How can you manage helicobacter mustelae infection?

A
  • Ab = amoxicillin + metronidazole
  • Bismuth citrate
  • Sucralfate
  • Famotidine
  • Omeprazole
26
Q

What are common causes for diarrhoea in ferrets?

A
  • Bacterial infection = salmonella + campylobacter
  • Viral = ferret coronavirus (adults), Rotavirus (kits), distemper + flu
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Neoplasia
27
Q

What is seen with ferret coronavirus?

A
  • ADULTS
  • Enteric form = epizootic catarrhal enteritis
    -green profuse diarrhoea, (chronic) Tx = Tylosin
  • Systemic form = similar to FIP (dry form)
    -progressive pyogranulomatous inflammation, weight loss, abdominal masses, diarrhoea
    -NO Tx
28
Q

What is seen with rotavirus?

A
  • Affects young
  • High morbidity + mortality
  • Outbreaks
  • Confirm w PCR
  • Supportive care
29
Q

What is IBD? Dx? Tx?

A
  • Lymphoplasmocytic infiltration of intestinal wall
  • Dx = abdominal US (increased thickness) Intestinal wall biopsies
  • Tx = diet, prednisolone, azathioprine
30
Q

What causes proliferative bowel disease? what does it effect? Dx? Tx?

A
  • Lawsonia intracellularis
  • Affects young ferrets + colon
  • Dx = intestinal wall biopsies (histology +/- PCR)
  • Tx = chloramphenicol
31
Q

What are signs seen in ferrets with cardiac disease?

A

◦ Lethargy, exercise intolerance, weight loss
◦ Coughing, dyspnea
◦ Ascites, organ enlargement
◦ Heart murmur, muffled heart sounds, arrhythmias
◦ Hind limb weakness (not related to thromboembolism)
◦ Pulse deficits
◦ Hypothermia

32
Q

what is Tx of acute / emergency heart problems?

A
  • Supply O2
  • Sedation
  • Furosemide
  • If effusion - consider
33
Q

What should be done if approaching chronic / progressive heart problems?

A
  • Full bloods +/- urinalysis
  • Radiography
  • Heart scan
  • ECG
  • Heartworm testing
  • Cardiac troponin
34
Q

What are the main heart disease problems?

A
  1. Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
  2. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
  3. Valvular heart disease – most common aortic valve regurgitation
  4. Myocarditis
  5. Neoplasia
  6. Heartworm (only in endemic areas)
35
Q

What can be used to treat heart disease?

A
  • Reach a diagnosis
  • Furosemide
  • ACE-inhibitors
  • Pimobendan
36
Q
A

Y4 - Small Animals (105 decks)

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