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113 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What order are ferrets? |
Order carnivora, other members include: -mink -otters -skunks -weasels |
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Mustela putorious furo is... |
The domestic ferret |
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Mustela nigripes is... |
The black foot ferret, native from North America -In danger of extinction |
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What did the black foot ferret ate? |
90% prairie dogs |
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What were ferrets initially used for? |
-hunting -fur industry -research |
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They were domesticated around 300 years ago, how many ferrets are pets (estimated)? |
7 million ferrets in the US |
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Anywhere where their head can fit, they can fit. why? |
They have elongated bodies |
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What is a male ferret called? |
A hob |
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Average size for a male ferret? |
1-2 kilograms |
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What is a female ferret called? |
A jill |
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Average size for a jill? |
600-900 grams |
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Their flexible spine allows them to turn 180 degrees in narrow spaces, true or false? |
True |
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How many pairs of ribs? |
14-15, the last ones are the costal arch |
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How many non-retractable claws in each foot? |
5 |
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What shape is the os penis? |
J shaped |
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How many teeth do they have? |
34 teeth |
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How many heart chambers do they have? |
4: to atria, 2 ventricles |
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Which lung has 4 lobes? |
The right lung
the left lung has 2 lobes only |
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Whats is the GI transit time? |
Very short: 3-4 hours |
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What do their GI tract lack of? |
NO cecum or ileocolic valve |
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DO they have anal glands? |
Yes |
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DO ferrets have sweat glands? |
No |
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When do they molt? |
In spring and fall |
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What is a ferret's life span? |
5-8 years |
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When do they reach sexual maturity? |
6-12 months |
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Gestation period, how many days? |
42-44 days |
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Average litter size is... |
8 |
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weaning age is... |
6-8 weeks |
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Use glass tanks for housing ferrets, true or false? |
False! they have poor ventilation. Instead use big tall cages and provide hamocks and shelves. |
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Ferrets are strict carnivorous and have a high metabolic rate of 4-6 hours, true or false? |
TRUE |
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Give them a lot of sugary treats, true or false? |
FALSE |
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Dry food is preferred over canned food, true or false? |
True |
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Ferrets may overturn their water dish, then... |
Make sure is secure |
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Some ways to distract a ferret during a physical examination are... |
-dangle the ferret, feet do not touch the table -Offer Nutrical or ferretone -ferret burrito -anesthesia |
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Their jugular vein is more lateral than the ones found in dogs and cats...true or false? |
True |
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Anterior vena cava and jugular vein are preferred to collect large amounts of blood, true or false? |
True |
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Cephalic and saphenous veins are used to collect small amounts of blood. |
True |
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How often do they need physical exams? |
once a year until they are 4-5 years old, then twice a year. |
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when ferrets are over 4 years old, what additional test do they need? |
Blood glucose twice a year |
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What vaccines do ferrets get? |
Rabies and distemper |
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At what age do they get distemper? |
When they are kits |
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Distemper vaccine must be derived from a non-ferret line |
True, if is not there is a possibility of vaccine induced disease. |
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Rabies vaccine must be a killed virus or inactivated virus |
TRUE |
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Although uncommon compared to dogs and cats, what endoparasites can they get? |
-Coccidiosis (isospora) -Heartworm
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Should ferrets get hearworm preventative monthly? |
Yes, ivermectin. |
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What ectoparasites can ferrets get? |
-ear mites -fleas -sarcoptic mange -fleas (ptenocephalides felis) -ticks |
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What products can ferrets have to prevent fleas? |
Revolution, frontline, program (feline) |
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Foreign bodies and hairballs are common in ferrets, what is a symptom that it has not commonly reported? |
Vomiting, this is uncommon in ferrets |
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What is the treatment when they have a GI foreign body? |
Surgery, they do not pass foreign body without assistance. |
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What is the most common cardiovascular disease? |
Dilated cardiomyopathy |
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What is cardiomyopathy? |
Dilation of atria and ventricles, the cause for this is unknown. |
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Is profound sinus arrhythmia common in ferrets? |
Yes |
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What tests can be done to diagnose cardiovascular disease? |
-PE -Thoracic radiographs -EKG -Echocardiogram |
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Hyperthrophic cardiomyopathy is common in ferrets, is this secondary to hypertension or hyperthyroidism like in cats? |
No, is not secondary to them. Ferrets just get hyperthrophic cardiomyopathy. |
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Cardiovascular disease secondary to toxoplasmosis is... |
Myocarditis |
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Do ferrets have any congenital heart diseases? |
No, none of them have been reported. |
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How are cardiovascular diseases treated? |
-Oxygen therapy -cardiac medications -thoracocentesis.
They are based on canine regimens |
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Mention some cardiac medications used in ferrets |
Digoxin, enalapril, furosemide, atenolol, diltiazem. |
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Malignant tumors of the pancreatic islet cells (beta cells) cause what disease? |
Insulinoma |
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Insulinoma causes excess of insuline production leading to |
HYPOGLYCEMIA |
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Insulinoma sometimes have no clinical signs, true or false? |
True |
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Clinical signs of insulinoma are |
weakness, lethargy, collapse, nausea, hypersalivation. |
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Is this the reason why ferrets get their blood glucose tested periodically? |
Yes |
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How low does the glucose test need to be in order to suspect insulinoma? |
less than 70 mg/dL |
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Are radiographs and ultrasound useful when diagnosing insulinoma? |
No due to the small size. |
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how long is medical treatment for insulinoma good for? |
6-18 months |
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What drugs are used to treat insulinoma? |
prednisone and diazoxide. also avoid feeding simple sugars. |
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Is surgical intervention a cure for insulinoma? |
Removing pancreatic nodules is not curative, it may only slow the progression of the disease. |
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Is surgery recommended on ferrets that are 6 years old or less? |
Not recommended |
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Adrenal glands disease is commonly seen in females ferrets, true or false? |
True |
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Underlying cause for adrenal glands disease is not known, but what is suspected in males? |
early castration |
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Adrenal glands disease can cause HYPERSECRETION of sex hormones |
True |
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Signs of adrenal glands disease are |
-Alopecia -Pruritis -Vulvar enlargement -partial or complete urinary blockage in males |
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Is bloodwork unremarkable when testing for adrenal glands disease? |
yes |
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What is the treatment? |
Adrenalectomy, good prognosis. |
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What medication can be useful to control adrenal glands disease? |
Mitotane, but clinical signs will return when discontinued. |
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Is ketoconazole useful in ferrets? |
NO |
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What is the most common neoplasias in ferrets? |
lymphoma |
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Clinical signs of lymphoma |
anorexia, weight loss, wasting. |
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Signs of lymphoma upon physical exam are... |
Lymph nodes enlarged, abdominal mass, organ enlargement. |
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What is remarkable on the CBC to diagnose lymphoma? |
leukocytosis and lymphocytosis. |
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Lymphoma treatment include... |
chemotherapy, steroids, vitamin c. |
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Remission can last for how long? |
From 3 months to 5 years. |
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What are some adverse effects of chemotherapy? |
lethargy, vomiting, anorexia, necrosis of the tail. |
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Mast cell tumors, hemangiomas, and sebaceous glands adenomas are... |
cutaneous neoplasms. |
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What type of crystal usually causes urolithiasis? |
Struvite |
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Suspected factors that may cause urolithiasis include... |
Diet, urine pH, infection. |
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Long term management of urolithiasis include... |
antibiotic therapy, diet change, perineal urethrostomy. |
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When catheterization is unsucessful to relieve urinary obstruction, what options are left? |
Emergency cystotomy and cystocentesis. |
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Is pyometra common? |
Is not common, because before they can get it they can die from estrogen toxicity. |
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Female ferrets are induced ovulators and will not ovulate unless bred or artifically estimulated |
True |
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petechiae, ecchymoses, and vulvar enargement are signs of... |
estrogen toxicity |
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What is remarkable on CBC to diagnose estrogen toxicity? |
anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia |
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Treatment for estrogen toxicity |
Spay, hormonal estimulation, supportive care. |
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Are there any recognized blood groups in ferrets? |
No |
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Infectious disease caused by parvovirus is called... |
Aleutian disease, there is at least one ferret specific strain. |
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Minks get worse Aleutian disease than ferrets, true or false? |
True. but ferrets can be seropositives with no signs. |
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What are some clinical signs of Aleutian disease? |
Wasting disease, MELENA, lethargy, rear leg or generalized weakness. |
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How is Aleutian disease transmmited? |
aerosolization, fomites, direct contact with body fluids. |
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What is done to diagnose Aleutian disease? |
Electroporesis, Immunofluorescent antibody tests, clinical signs. |
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Is there a vaccine or treatment for Aleutian disease? |
No vaccine, no treatment. Supportive care only. |
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What is a fatal disease caused by a paramixovirus? hint: also common in dogs, is a RNA virus |
Canine distemper virus |
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How is distemper transmitted? |
-Aerosolization, direct contact, fomites. |
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Ferrets also show vomiting and diarrhea as a sign of distemper, true or false? |
False |
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Signs of distemper in ferrets are... |
hyperkeratosis of feet, photophobia, rash on chin, ocular and nasal discharge, anorexia. |
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What is the mortality rate for distemper? |
100% |
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How is distemper prevented? |
With vaccinations, modified vaccines are better than killed vaccines. |
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Common disease from the family orthomyxoviridae is called... |
Influenza |
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How is influenza transmmited? |
Ferret to ferret; human to ferret; ferret to human. |
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Signs of influenza include... |
sneezing, mucopurolent eye and nasal discharge, lethargy, inappetance. |
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How is influenza diagnosed? |
Based on clinical signs and history of exposure. |
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How long does influenza take to go away? |
7-14 days |
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Is vaccination recommended to prevent influenza? |
no |
