Ferret Facts

Ferrets are rapidly becoming the third most popular house pet in America, after dogs and cats. Their small size, lack of noise, and the fact that they are generally caged when the owners aren't home make them an ideal pet for the urban lifestyle.

They are very personable, loving, and entertaining, and make a wonderful pet, which is attested to by their skyrocketing popularity. They do require veterinary care, and there are important husbandry facts that all owners should know. I will try to cover some of these issues in this article.

Ferrets are members of the family Mustelidae, which includes ferrets, minks, weasels, and skunks. By contrast, dogs are Canidae and cats are in the family Felidae. Ferrets naturally have a strong odor produced by their anal, or musk glands, which must be surgically removed to make the ferret a household pet. Fortunately, the vast majority of ferrets sold at pet stores have been descented and spayed or neutered by the time they are shipped to the pet stores at six weeks of age. If you somehow acquire a non-neutered, non-descented ferret, you should have a vet perform these surgeries as soon as possible.

Ferrets are carnivores, and require a high-protein meat-based diet. They can be fed high-quality cat foods, but now there are several excellent commercial ferret foods available, which are preferable to cat food. Ferrets can get canine distemper and rabies, and we recommend yearly vaccinations for these diseases. They also can get heartworms, which are spread by mosquitoes, so we recommend that any ferrets that go outside be put on heartworm preventative, just like dogs and cats. Ferrets do get fleas, but because of their small size are more prone to toxicity problems with flea treatments. Owners should consult their vet before applying any flea product to a ferret.

Ferrets, like cats, can get hairballs, so we recommend giving them a hairball remedy such as Ferotone or Laxatone several times weekly. Because of their small size and desire to eat everything in sight, it is best to keep them caged when you are not home, for their own protection. Many owners end up getting two or more ferrets, because they play so well together.

On average, ferrets only live about seven years, so they start having age related problems as early as three years of age. We recommend veterinary check-ups of ferrets every six months after three years of age so we can detect problems early, and we will often recommend blood work and X-rays to more accurately diagnose problems.

Ferrets can succumb to digestive problems, heart disease, respiratory disease, and problems of the urinary tract, as well as ingestion of foreign bodies. Ferrets seem to be more prone to cancer than dogs and cats. It has been estimated that over 50% of ferrets will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. They can develop various sorts of skin cancer, so any new or unusual skin lesion should be brought to a vet's attention. Ferrets can also get lympho sarcoma, which is a cancer of the lymphatic system. This cancer can often be detected by blood work or palpation of the lymph organs.

Ferrets also frequently develop insulinomas, which are insulin secreting tumors of the pancreas. An overproduction of insulin tends to lower the ferret's blood glucose, often to dangerous levels. Ferrets with this condition often stare into space, drool excessively, and show signs that include extreme lethargy, seizures, coma/and death. Insulinomas can be treated medically or by surgical removal of the tumor.

Adrenal gland cancer is very common in older ferrets. The adrenals are tiny glands near the kidneys that normally produce corticosteroid hormones as well as adrenalin. When these glands become cancerous, they tend to produce excessive corticosteroids and estrogens. The most common sign of adrenal gland cancer is hair loss over part or all of the body. In spayed females the vulva can enlarge and in neutered males, the prostate can enlarge, contributing to urinary tract problems. Other signs can include itching, dry, brittle hair coat, thin skin, hind limb weakness, increase in body odor, lethargy, pot belly, drinking more water, weight loss and anemia. The treatment of choice for this cancer is surgical removal of the affected adrenal gland.

These are just a few of the most common medical conditions affecting ferrets. As you can tell, ferrets have a short life packed with numerous possible medical problems, so it is especially important to get your ferret to your veterinarian early and often. If you would like more information about ferrets and other veterinary topics, visit our web page at www.coralvetclinic.com.

David B. Nichols, D.V.M.

Detect Hip Problems Early - Winter 1998

Most dog owners have heard the term hip dysplasia, but few know what it means or the implications to the canine who suffers from it. Hip dysplasia is a malformation of the hip joint, and is most commonly seen in large breed dogs such as German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Labradors, and Golden Retrievers. The malformation causes a poor fit between the head of the femur and the acetabuium of the pelvis. The normal "ball and socket" joint movement is rough and abnormal in a dysplastic dog. The result is poor mechanics, pain and eventual degenerative joint changes, or arthritis.

Traditionally, large breed dogs have been X-rayed at two years of age to evaluate the hips for breeding purposes. Since hip dysplasia is hereditary, dogs that have bad hips are not recommended for breeding. The problem with waiting until two years of age is that by that age it is too late for the most therapeutic hip surgery to be performed. Many dogs with hip dysplasia are already showing signs of lameness by one year of age. However, some dogs are dysplastic, but are not yet lame at six months of age. X-rays taken at this age may show dysplasia. There is also a hip manipulation called the Ortolani sign, which can be performed on dogs as young as six months of age that is highly accurate. The patient must be under general anesthesia to be relaxed enough to perform the procedure, and we are recommending doing the procedure when dogs are anesthetized for spaying or neutering. We at Coral Veterinary Clinic also recommend performing the Ortolani sign procedure on all six-month old large breed dogs if they are being considered for breeding, or if the owner wants to minimize the chances of future lameness due to dysplasia.

If a dog has a positive Ortolani sign, and radiographic signs of hip dysplasia, there is a surgical procedure that can be performed that will restore a virtually normal hip joint. This procedure is called a triple pelvic osteotomy, because the pelvis is cut in three places. However, it must be done by ten months of age in order to be effective. After ten months of age, the only treatments that can be realistically performed are a total hip replacement, which is very expensive; various salvage procedures which can yield less than ideal results, or medical treatment with various anti-inflammatories. The triple pelvic osteotomy should be done by a board certified veterinary surgeon only

If you own a large breed puppy, be sure to ask us about testing for hip dysplasia with the Ortolani Sign. Even if your puppy is showing no signs of lameness, it is important to have him or her tested by six months of age to possibly prevent a lifetime of arthritis and pain.

Help Your Older Pet "Weather" The Weather. - Winter 1998

Even if your dog or cat has always been an "outdoor pet" its whole life, it's important to take special precautions when the weather becomes extreme. Older dogs cannot tolerate the heat and cold as well as they could when they were younger, and must be protected. Bring your older pet inside when the thermome¬ter rises in die "Dog Days" of summer and when it plummets to frigid levels during die harsh winter months.

Does My Dog Have Cataracts? - Winter 1998

You may notice that your geriatric dog has a bluish-gray tint to his eyes. This is a normal aging change, called lenticular sclerosis and it is caused by a hardening of the lens. It is not true cataracts. In fact, vision is often unaffected and treatment is not required.

The French painter Claude Monet's famous 'blue period' was attributed to cataracts—blue was the only color he could see with any intensity.

The Itchy Pet

Dr. Glen Burkett
Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology Florida Veterinary Specialists, Tampa, Florida

Does your pet scratch, lick or chew excessively? Itching, also called pruritus, is one of the most common problems encountered in dogs and cats. Unfortunately, there are many causes of pruritus, some may be easy to treat while others are much harder to control and manage. Determining the cause often involves some detective work by your veterinarian. Clues can be obtained from history of symptoms, age of pet, physical examination, distribution and types of lesions present, response to previous medications, and the diet and environment of the pet.

Causes of itching

Various diagnostic tests may be necessary to help detect the cause or rule out some of the possible causes. These tests can include skin scrapings to look for mites, skin cytology to look for bacteria or yeast, skin or hair cultures, biopsies, special food diets, and allergy testing. Of course, doing all these tests in one visit may help you get to the diagnosis quickly, but this is an expensive approach and some tests may not be needed. Generally, a methodological plan of attack is formulated. Simple tests are performed initially and various treatments may be prescribed to aid with the diagnosis. If there is minimal response then more involved tests should be done.

Treatment obviously depends on the cause. It may be possible to completely eliminate some causes e.g. scabies, while others have to be managed long-term e.g. autoimmune disease. Allergies to pollens, dust mites, molds and insects are very common in Florida. Itching in these animals, just like in people with allergies, is generally managed long-term rather than easily cured. Therapeutic options for the allergic pet include either treating the symptoms with drugs or specifically identifying what the pet is reacting to then developing an allergy vaccine. Although drugs, particularly cortisone-like preparations may resolve the symptoms quickly, they often return once the drug wears off. Long-term use of such drugs has to be carefully monitored by your veterinarian to ensure serious side effects do not occur. The best long term approach to these allergic pets is generally with the use of an allergy vaccine, similar to what many allergic people take. This vaccine alters the body's abnormal immune system so that it is less sensitive to things the pet is allergic to. Your veterinarian will be able to discuss with you whether this would be a useful option for your dog or cat.