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Exotics & Lab Animal Medicine > Ferret Medicine > Flashcards

Ferret Medicine Flashcards

1
Q

Where do most ferrets in the US come from?

A

Marshall Farms

  • 1 dot tattoo = neutered/spayed
  • 2 dot tattoo = neutered/spayed + descented
  • illegal to keep as pets in some states (California)
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2
Q

What are the 3 naturally occuring ferret coat colors? What others are recognized?

A
  1. sable/fitch
  2. albino
  3. cinnamon

silver, black-eyed white, chocolate, Siamese

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3
Q

How does molting differ with the season in ferrets?

A
  • SPRING = low body weight, short coat
  • SUMMER = darker coat
  • FALL = high body weight, long coat
  • WINTER = lighter coat
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4
Q

What ferrets tend to have less dramatic molts?

A

spayed/neutered

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5
Q

What are 3 unique aspects of ferret integument?

A
  1. thick skin especially over neck/shoulders - makes injections/IV catheter placement difficult
  2. no sweat glands
  3. active sebaceous glands contribute to their odor and yellow undercoat
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6
Q

What kind of estrous cycle do ferrets have? When are they sexually mature? When do kits wean?

A

seasonally polyestrous, induced ovulators

4.5-6 months

6-8 weeks

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7
Q

What is considered an early gonadectomy in ferrets? What 3 things does this lead to?

A

5-6 weeks

  1. less muscling
  2. faded mask markings
  3. less odor
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8
Q

Why must oral medications be given carefully to ferrets?

A

naturally strong jaw tone

  • not a good indicator of anesthetic depth
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9
Q

Where is the heart found in the ferret? What organ is naturally large?

A

between 6th-8th ribs –> more caudal than most mammals (auscult in normal standing position, lifted can induce murmurs, marked sinus arrhythmia is normal)

spleen - appreciated well on abdominal palpation due to intramedullary hematopoiesis

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10
Q

What can complicate urethral catheterization in male ferrets? Where is the prostate located?

A

J-shaped os penis

at the base of the urinary bladder and completely surrounds urethra

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11
Q

What is the optimal enclosure for a ferret? Temperature? Humidity? Lighting?

A

multi-level, should not be strictly confined, require exercise/play time

40-77 F

40-60%

12-16 hours of daylight

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12
Q

What are some safe options for ferret enrichment? What should be avoided?

A
  • paper bags
  • hard plastic/metal toys
  • cloth toys
  • PVC pipes
  • dryer vent tubing
  • instinctively caches toys

latex and rubber toys

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13
Q

What diet do ferrets have? What is their GI transit time like? When do they typically gain more weight?

A

obligate carnivores

rapid - eat small frequent meals

in the fall

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14
Q

What 2 macronutrients are ferrets unable to utilize? How do ferrets develop a preference?

A

carbohydrates and fiber –> minimal gut flora and few brush border enzymes

4 months - exposure juveniles to a variety of food types

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15
Q

What are the 2 best options for ferret food? What is most commonly offered?

A
  1. whole prey
  2. balanced carnivore diets (Wysong)

dry kibble - 30-35% crude protein, 15-20% fat, low fiber (first 3 ingredients should be meat, low quality plant protein is undigestible and predisposes to insulinoma, urolithiasis, and GI disease)

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16
Q

What are 2 dietary supplements that can be give to ferrets?

A
  1. duck soup - Gerber baby food + Hills a/d + Nutrical used to coax ferrets to eat
  2. human supplements - Ensure, Deliver
17
Q

What are some important considerations for ferret history?

A
  • activity level and mobility
  • exposure to other ferrets and animals
  • molting cycle vs. alopecia
  • urinating/defecating - consistency/color of feces
  • coughing, sneezing, people in the household with the flu
  • diet/appetite
  • vaccination history
18
Q

What are 2 proper options for ferret restraint?

A
  1. grasp under the thorax allowing caudal part of the body to hand free or support with other hand
  2. scruff when necessary - can induce a yawn for oral exams
19
Q

What is a normal physical exam finding around ferret’s ears? Mouth?

A

small amount of brown waxy material - would be excessive with ear mites or MCT

dental tartar

20
Q

What can be used to assess CRT and MM color in ferrets?

A
  • mouth (careful of jaw tone!)
  • foot pads
  • nose
21
Q

What is commonly confused for lymphadenopathy in ferrets?

A

abundant perinodular adipose tissue

22
Q

What are the best options for collecting smaller volumes of blood (+/- IVC placement) in ferrets? Larger volumes?

A

SMALL VOLUMES + IVC - cephalic vein, lateral saphenous vein

LARGE VOLUMES - jugular vein, anterior vena cava

23
Q

What are good options for arterial and IO catheter access in ferrets?

A

ARTERIAL = ventral tail artery

IO = proximal tibia, proximal femur

24
Q

What flavor should be avoided for flavored oral medications in ferrets? How can pills be masked?

A

fish

Ferrotone or Laxatone

25
Q

How does gender and age affect ferret hematology?

A

YOUNG HOBS - lover RBC, PCV, and Hb compared to adults and young jills

JILLS - decreased PCV with age

26
Q

How can drugs affect ferret hematology?

A

inhalants (Sevo, Iso) decreases RBC, Hb, and PCV

  • returns to normal within 45 mins of anesthetic recovery
27
Q

What are common causes of non-regenerative anemia and blood loss in ferrets?

A

NON-REGEN ANEMIA - lymphoma, systemic infection, hyperestrogenism (intact females)

BLOOD LOSS - GI hemorrhage

28
Q

What leukocyte concentrations are normal in ferrets? How does this change with age? Inflammatory disease?

A

neutrophils > lymphocytes

neutrophils increase and lymphocytes decrease

WBC counts are naturally low and left shifts are rare –> unable to develop marked leukocytosis (>20000 unusual)

29
Q

Ferret radiograph, VD:

A
30
Q

Ferret radiograph, lateral:

A
31
Q

What 2 vaccines are given to ferrets?

A
  1. canine distemper - ferret (Canarypox) or puppy (MLV) SQ injection at 8, 11, and 14 weeks, then an annual booster
  2. rabies - MLV, SQ injectionat 3 months, then annumal booster

NO COMBOS RECOMMENDED, if both are due, prefer 2 separate dates

32
Q

What is the first sign of vaccine reactions in ferrets? What else is seen? With what vaccine is this most common?

A

bottle brush tail within 30 mins +/- hematochezia, vomitting

more common with distemper vaccine

33
Q

What 4 treatments are recommended for vaccine reactions in ferrets?

A
  1. diphenhydramine
  2. dexamethasone
  3. epinephrine
  4. supportive care

Exotics & Lab Animal Medicine (20 decks)

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