8.1 CLASSIFICATION:

ORDER: Carnivora

FAMILY: Mustelidae

GENUS: Mustela

SPECIES:putorius furo (Fitch ferret or domestic ferret)

OTHER GENERA: Mustela nigripes - Black-footed ferret; is on the endangered species list or is nearly extinct

ORIGIN: Descendents of the European polecat.

VARIETIES OF FERRETS:

• No breeds. Two color phases.
• Fitch ferrets - buff with black masks, feet, and tail
• Albino ferrets - white with pink eyes; autosomal recessive trait. 

8.2 CHARACTERISTICS:

Female ferrets are called "jills", and males "hobs". Baby ferrets are called "kits."Cardiovascular anomaly - a single carotid artery, called the innominate artery I, arises from the descending aorta. This artery proceeds up the ventral midline beneath the trachea and splits to form the left carotid artery and innominate artery II. The innominate artery II bifurcates to form the right subclavin and carotid arteries. Have no cecum, appendix, seminal vesicles and prostrate gland. Have musk producing anal glands lateral to the anus - emit characteristic odor when angry, excited or when jill is in heat.

 8.3 BIOLOGICAL DATA

AGE AT PUBERTY:

• Jills - 9-12 months; hobs - 9-l2 months

MINIMUM BREEDING AGE:

• 1 year

BREEDING SEASON:

• March to August. Both sexes undergo photoperiod weight fluctuations up to 30% to 40%. Breeding season is light dependent and can be induced byartifical lighting. Subcutaneous fat is increased in the fall and lost in the spring.

ESTRUS CYCLE:

• Seasonally polyestrus

DURATION OF ESTRUS CYCLE:

induced ovulators. Jills may remain in heat up to 6 months, if not bred. Onset of estrus estrus recognized by enlargement of vulva. If bred vulva regresses to normal size within l4 to 2l days. Implantation occurs in l2-l3 days postfertilization.

OVULATION TIME:

• Induced by copulation; occurs 30 to 35 hours post-coitus

POSTPARTUM RETURN:

TO ESTRUS:

• Postpartum estrus only if kits are nursed, otherwise jill experiences lactation anestrus.

PSEUDOPREGNANCY:

• If fertilization fails; 40-42 days.

GESTATION:

• 42 days average

LITTER SIZE:

• 2 to l7 (average 8)

NUMBER OF LITTERS:

• 2 per year

BIRTH WEIGHT:

• 7 to l0 grams

WEANED:

• 6 to 8 weeks

WEIGHT AT MATURITY:

• Hobs are about twice the size of jills (range .6 to 2 kg.)

BREEDING LIFE:

3 to 4 years.

LIFE SPAN:

• In captivity 5 to 6 year; as pet ferrets 9 to l0 years.

MATING COLONY:

• Pair mating

CHROMOSOME NUMBER:

• 40

BODY TEMPERATURE:

• mean 39 C

HEART RATE:

• Average 250 beats/minute

RESPIRATORY RATE:

• 33 to 36 breaths/minute

MAMMAE:

DENTAL FORMULA:

• I 3/3, C l/l, PM 4/3, M l/2

RECOMMENDED:

• Temperature: Average 68 F (range 59-77 F)
• Humidity: 45- 55%
• Light l2-l6 hours per day

HOUSING:

• Cages used for dogs, cats, and rabbits can be used. On commercial farms they are raised in cages constructed with l X l inch, l4 gauge wire netting. Small nest box is provided. Can be grouped; only hobs fight during the breeding season.

HANDLING:

• Can be caught easily. Usually tame enough to handle without gloves if escapes. Slow moving.

DIET:

• Standard wet feed mink diet or commercial dry cat food supplemented with 5% fresh liver. Can feed Gerber's Meat Base for babies. Has little capacity to digest fiber. Can feed ad libitum. 

WATER:

• Should be available all the time

BLOOD SAMPLING:

• Cardiac puncture - under sedation. Jugular vein, toenail clip.

ANESTHETICS:

• Ether to effect Mask Sodium pentobarbital 30 mg/kg IP or SQ Ketamine 20-35 mg/kg IM or SQ (9 parts: l part (ketamine) acepromazine) 0.2-0.35 mg/kg Halothane Mask Methoxyflurane Mask

EUTHANASIA:

• Overdose of ether, chloroform, barbiturates

USES IN RESEARCH:

• Immunopathology of viral diseases eg. influenza, Canine distemper, Aleutian disease. Viral induced neoplasms Resistant to Salmonella, but susceptible to human, bovine and avian tuberculosis. Cerebral blood flow. Nutritional studies in development of structure of teeth.

 

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HEMOGRAM:

PCV - 42 - 6l% (ave. 52.3%)

Hemoglobin - l5 - l8/g/dl (ave. l7)

RBC - 6.8 - l2 X L03/MM3 (AVE. 9.L7)

WBC - 4.0 - l9.0 X l03/mm3 ave. l0.l)

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Leukocytes

Lymphocytes (%) - l2-54 (ave. 34.5)

Neutrophils (%) - ll-84 (ave. 58.3)

Monocytes (%) - 0-9.0 (ave. 4.4)

Eosinophils (%) - 0-7.0 (ave. 2.5)

Basophils (%) - 0-2.0 (ave. 0.l)

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Reticulocytes - l-l4 (ave. 4.6)

Platelets - 297-9l0 X l03 (ave. 499)

Total protein - 5.l - 7.4 (ave. 6.0)

SERUM CHEMISTRY VALUES:

Glucose	94-207 mg/dl	(ave. l36)
BUN	l0-45 mg/dl	(ave. 22)
Albumin	2.3 -3.8 mg/dl	(ave. 3.2)
Alk. Phosphatase	9-84 IU/l	(ave. 23)
Asp. Aminotransferase	28-l20 IU/l	(ave. 65)
Total bilirubin	-	(ave. < l.0 mg/dl)
Cholesterol	64 - 296 mg/dl	(ave. l65)
Creatinine	0.4 - 0.9 mg/dl	(ave. 0.6)
Sodium	l37 - l62 mmol/l	(ave. l48)
Potassium	4.5 - 7.7 mmol/l	(ave. 5.9)
Chloride	l06 - l25 mmol/l	(ave. ll6)
Calcium	8.0 - ll.8 mg/dl	(ave. 9.2)
Phosphorus	4.0 - 9.l mg/dl	(ave. 5.9)

VACCINATION RECOMMENDATIONS:

(Routine Prophylactic Care) 

Age	Plan
6-8 weeks (4-6 weeks if dam unvaccinated)	First *CDV, fecal exam.
9-l2 weeks	Second D4.V4.CDV, fecal exam.
l2 weeks	**Rabies vaccination
6-8 months	Spay/castrate, fecal exam. Remove musk gland (optional) Rabies booster (annual) CDV booster (triennial)

* = Canine distemper vaccine (nonferret origin; use modified liver virus of chick embryo tissue culture origin.)

** = Killed virus vaccine only.

 8.4 DISEASES OF FERRET:

8.4.1 Bacterial Diseases

8.4.1.1 Botulism: Clostridium botulinum

Highly susceptible to toxin type C, moderately susceptible to toxins type A and B.

8.4.1.2 Campylobacteriosis: Compylobacter fetus ssp. jejuni

Causes proliferative colitis

8.4.1.3 Tuberculosis: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (human), Mycobacterium bovis

(Bovine), Myobacterium avium (avian).

Susceptible to all three varieties.

8.4.1.4 Abscesses: Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., Pasteurella spp., 

Corynebacterium spp., Actinomyces israeli, Escherichia coli

Causes abscesses and localized infection of the uterus (estrus julls), vulva, skin (bite wounds), and oral injuries.

8.4.1.5 Mastitis: Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp; Escherichia coli

Common in nursing jills.

8.4.1.6 Salmonellosis: Salmonella enteritidis var. typhimurium

Not highly susceptible.

8.4.2 Viral Diseases

8.2.2.1 Distemper: Paramyxoviridae; Genus - Morbillivirus

Highly susceptible to Canine Distemper virus

8.4.2.2 Influenza: Orthomyxoviridae; Genus - Orthomyxovirus, type species -

orthomyxovirus h A.

(human influeza A).

Susceptible to several strains of human influenza virus. Penumonia.

8.4.2.3 Aleutian Disease: Parvoviridae; Genus - Parvovirus

Usually subclinical but disease may occur.

Hypergammaglobulinemia common. There is no treatment. Affected animals should be euthanized.

8.4.2.4 Rabies: Rhabdoviridae; Genus - Lyssavirus;

type species - Rabies virus

Susceptible to rabies virus

8.4.2.5 Rotavirus: Reoviridae; Genus -Rotavirus: High mortality in kits with diarrhea

8.4.2.6 Other Viral Disease:

Experimental infection by Pseudorabies, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, (Herpesviridae subfamily - Alphaherpesvirinae) and mink encelopathy (viroids).

8.4.3 Fungal Diseases

8.4.3.1 Ringworm: Microsporum canis

Lesions similar to cats. Treat with griseofulvin @ 25 mg/kg p.o. for 5 + weeks.

8.4.4 Parasitic Diseases

A. Protozoa:

Toxoplasmosis and coccidiosis reported, significance not known.

Ferrets are susceptible to Giardia sp.

B. Nematodes:

• Toxocara leonina - susceptible 
• Dirofilaria immitis - natural infection reported

C. Trematodes and Cestodes:

None reported.

D. Mites, Fleas and Lice:

• Sarcoptes scabiei (Sarcoptic mange mite) - susceptible 
• Ctenocephalides spp. (flea) - susceptible 
• Otodectes cyanotis (ear mite) - susceptible
• Louse infection or susceptibility - unknown

8.4.5 Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

8.4.5.1 Vitamins:

Susceptible to vitamin deficiencies as in mink

• Thiamin (Bl) - Chastek's paralysis
• Biotin - Achromotrichia
• Tocopherols (E) - Anemia
• Vitamin D (with Ca- P imbalance) - Rickets

8.4.5.2 Minerals:

• Zinc at 500 ppm - toxic - see diffuse nephrosis
• Zinc at 3,000 ppm - lethal

8.4.5.3 Eclamptogenic Toxemia and "Nursing Sickness":

Pregnant and postparturient jills highly susceptible

8.4.5.4 Bone Marrow Depression:

Bone marrow depression is due to high endogenous estrogen levels during estrus in jills. Develop pancytopenia, bleeding disorders (due to thrombocytopenia), and secondary bacterial infections (due to neutropenia). Mortality is very high.

8.4.5.5 Urolithiasis:

Renal and cystic calculi composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate (Struvite) are common.

8.4.5.6 Posterior Paralysis:

hemivertebrae, vertebral fractures, intervertebral disk disease, hematomyelia or myelitis. Leads to urinary incontinence.

8.4.5.7 Gastric Ulcers:

Common in stomach

8.4.5.8 Congenital and Heritable Problems:

Anencephaly, neuroschisis, gastroschisis, Cryptorchidism, and Amelia, corneal dermoids, cataracts.

8.4.5.9 Encodcrinophathies:

Diabetes mellitus - one case reported.

Alopecia in estrus julls and in breeding season in hobs. Hair returns to normal once breeding season ends.

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*Estrus can be artificially terminated with l00 USP units of human chorionic gonadotropin by parenteral injection (preferably intramuscular route) given l0 days after onset of heat. This dose can be repeated in one week if vulvar swelling does not subside.

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8.4.6 Neoplastic Diseases:

(few reports only). Spontaneous epithelial and mesenchymal neoplasms,lymphosarcoma, lymphoblastic lymphosarcoma, mediastinal lymphosarcoma, bilateral the comas, ovarian leiomyomas (common), squamous cell carcinomas, mast cell tumors, adrenal adenoma, adenocarcinomas, malignant megakaryocytic myelosis.