Ferrets - from pink book Flashcards
When do permanent teeth erupt in ferrets?
between 7-11 weeks (50-74 days)
What is the adult dental formula of ferrets?
34 teeth (16 up, 18 down): I 33, C11, P33, M12
How many pairs of salivary glands to ferrets have and what are they called
5 pairs; parotid, mandib, sublingual, molar, zygomatic
What type of muscle is the esophagus
all striated; no gastroesophageal sphincter (?)
GI transit time of ferrets?
3-4 hours
what are the parts of the ferret small intestine?
Duodenum has 3 short sections:
shorter sigmoid cranial
descending then hairpin turn to ascending
then a “jejunoileum”
no distinct ICJ, and no cecum or ileocecal valve, no appendix
how does the jejunoileal mucosa look different than the colonic mucosa and why does this matter?
there’s no ICJ (just the arterial overlap region) so they’re a little hard to tell apart in surgery. The JI mucosa is flat, the colonic mucosa is in longitudinal folds
where do ferret anal glands sit and what are they
about like dog ones, 8 & 4 o’clock. usually removed at time of spneuter. each has a muscular sphincter. most scent is from the sebaceous glands but they are removed by Marshall Farms regardless. can’t spray like a skunk
what is the most common ferret endoparasite?
Coccidiosis (isospora spp). oocysts mostly shed between 6-16 wks old.
symptoms of isospora in ferrets?
ranges from subclinical to hematochezia, mild to severe illness. most likely to arise at store age (6-16 wks old)
how is isospora usually treated in ferrets?
2+ wk course of coccidiostats + supportive care
what species of giardia do ferrets get?
not super common but occas Giardia duodenalis. test & tx like dog
acid fast testing in a ferret fecal….why?
cryptosporidium parvum is a rare but possible parasite. not zoonotic (or low risk). often subclinical unless immunocompromsed. can see oocysts in fresh stool with acid-fast. OR do PCR
Ferret salivary mucoceles, fun facts: go
secondary to trauma?
aka “adenitis”
can form salivary “microliths” (Ow)
can cause swelling in weird places on the head, ferrets have a lot of salivary glands
How are mucoceles best treated?
excision. medical management usually leads to recurrence.
Possible causes of oral ulceration?
vomiting (on own or from hypoglycemia)
gastric reflux
gastric ulcers, helicobacter etc
can form oronasal fistulas if advanced
how would you treat megaesophagus in a ferret?
basically supportive for the ulcers etc. metoclopramide & cisapride do not work. unknown etiology so no definitive tx
what does DIM stand for and what is it?
Disseminated Idiopathic Myofasciitis - causes many systemic signs, has its own section, but because the esophagus is striated muscle, that suppurative/pyogranulomatous inflammation hits the esophagus too
Underlying causes for stomach ulcers?
SUPER COMMON IN FERRETS toxins Helicobacter mustelae Neoplasia NSAIDs (but not steroids usually) Azotemia
common clinical signs of stomach ulcers in ferrets?
not usually vomiting. More often cough or gag.
also melena, anorexia, lethargy, weight loss
hypersalivation, bruxism
How to work up poss ulcers?
Fast for 4-6h, then take whole body rads (primarily to r/o foreign body)
helicobacter is often a diagnosis of exclusion
bloodwork etc but if has compatible signs & rads are normal likely stomach ulcers
check for subclinical insulinomas!!
treatment for stomach ulcers
pay close attention to melena, can be life-threatening
cerenia, reglan, zofran, pepto, sucralfate
helicobacter is opportunistic: t/f
yes/no. all ferrets in US are exposed @ weaning. flares up when stressed or ill, esp in older ferrets
what part of the stomach is helicobacter usually in?
antrum of the stomach, and pyloric area of duodenum
besides bleeding etc, what diseases can helicobacter predispose ferrets to?
MALT-associated lymphoma, possibly gastric adenocarcinoma
how do you diagnose Helicobacter?
history and clinical signs;
can be confirmed with a biopsy (use silver stain)
can also send gastric mucosa or fecal samples for PCR
for treating helicobacter, besides general therapy for ulcers, what should you do?
“Triple therapy” - Bismuth salicylate, Amoxi & metro
OR
“Double therapy” Clarithromycin + omeprazole
OR
Enrofloxacin + “colloidal bismuth subcitrate”
Treat for 21+ days!!
fun notes re: FB ferrets
- vomiting less common
- make sure rads include esophagus
- collect biopsies during surgery of older ferrets
- look @ adrenals & panc during sx of older ferrets
Gastric distension in ferrets will present how
big stomach, shocky ferret
Gastric distension in ferrets can be secondary to:
1) FB (duh)
2) pyloric stenosis from neoplasia
3) muscular hypertrophy of the pylorus (?)
How do you class ferret diarrhea into SB vs LB
psych, you don’t
just ask re: onset, duration, severity, color
How would you treat rectal prolapse in a ferret?
kaopectate loperamide metronidazole Prep H very rare to need the purse string (also, they suck)
What are some general forms of ferret lymphoma?
Rare: pure intestinal (in the MALT)
Common: Visceral
Also common: peripheral+/-visceral
which lymph nodes should be biopsied to help determine IBD vs lymphoma?
NOT THE ABDOMINAL LN - will look the same
basically any other LN that seems a bit enlarged?
common findings with visceral lymphoma?
abdominal lymphadenopathy
Peritoneal effusion
splenomegaly
What do splenic aspirates usually show in lymphoma OR IBD ferrets?
EMH secondary to the chronic GI inflammation
splenic lymphoma is also a thing
grading of lymphoma in ferrets?
it’s a bit of an emerging art
of the aggressive ones - B cell a bit better, but still only 9 mo with chemo
there is an indolent/small cell lymphoma that’s like in cats
treatment of lymphoma?
lots of options - full body radiation
injectable chemo
oral-only protocol
make sure good plane of nutrition
