Mustela putorius furo

 Jill/sprite
 Hob/gib
 Kit/kindling

 Temperature- 100-104
 Pulse- 180-250 bpm
 Respiratory- 25-30 breaths per minute
 Gestation- 42 days

 Sebaceous glands produce odor
 Anal sac removal and neutering
 Heart located somewhat caudal of other species
 Unusual gait

 Seasonal breeders- day length over 12 hrs
 Induced ovulation
 Mothers with babies can be aggressive
 Males in season may fight
 Most all ferrets in US are neutered at a young age

 Obligate carnivores
 Raw meats
 Commercial diets

 Teeth
 Toenails, not retractable
 Rarely bite unless very distressed, however if they do, they may not let go.
Hold under running water to get them to release.
 May hiss to warn before biting.

 “Flexible”
 Pick up by supporting chest area and hindquarters
 Scruff, support rear, hold above table
 Lay along arm/stretch
 Distraction by feeding
 Burrito
 Watch for hyperthermia
 Your pocket

 Hold head in hand with thumb and forefinger on mandible
Lateral saphenous or cephalic for 1ml
Larger volumes:
 Jugular (can be difficult); restraint requires two handlers
 Anterior vena cava (under anesthesia)

 Predators- Carnivores
 Housemates- dogs and cats rabbits and rodents
 Cages large enough to stretch- free time in ferret proofed house
 Will use litter boxes
 Sleeping enclosure/blankets
 Feed ferret kibbles free choice
 Water in bottles
 Neutered animals can live in colonies
 Legalities

 Ear cleaning
 Nail trims
 Baths

 PO- best in liquid- do not scruff as cannot swallow
 SQ- scruff
 IM- quads and semimembranous
 IP
 IV- cephalic, saphenous, jugular

 Heartworm
 Fleas-Ctenocephalides felis
 Ear mites- Otodectes cynotis
 Gastrointestinal- rare except for coccidia

 Influenza- transmitted between humans and ferrets
 Do not work with ferrets if you have any flu symptoms and counsel clients to take similar precautions
 Most will recover in 5-10 days without treatment

 Canine distemper
 Differentiate from influenza
 Nearly always fatal without vaccinations
 Must use ferret approved vaccine

 Persistent estrus- causes estrogen toxicity
 Alopecia
 Lethargy
 Dyspnea
 Vomiting and diarrhea
 Vulvar swelling
 Petechia
 Bone marrow suppression and death

 Hyperadrenocorticism
 Adrenal tumors
 Alopecia
 Vulvar swelling/ increased agitation while urinating
 Increased aggression
 Related to neutering?
 TX: adrenalectomy, melatonin implants, hormone therapy

 Insulinoma (cancer of the pancreas)
 Lethargy, seizures, ultimately death
 TX: surgical excision of cancerous lobes, steroids
 Congestive cardiomyopathy
 Lymphoma
 Juvenile
 Adult

 Canine Distemper
 Rabies approved rabies vaccine for ferrets is Imrab 3
(Merial).

 Clinical Textbook For Veterinary
Technicians by McCurnin and Bassert
 BSAVA Manual of Exotic Pets by
Meredith and Redrobe
 Principles and Practices For Veterinary
Technicians by Sirois
 ALAT Training Manual by AALAS
 Laboratory Animal Medicine by Sirois

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