- Ferrets lack a cecum to digest/ process fuits and vegetables.
- A ferrets left lung has 2 lobes, while the right has 4.
- A ferrets body contains 14 or 15 pairs of ribs.
- A kit has 30 baby teeth, while an adult has 34.
- Food fully travels throughout their system in 3 hours.
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Heliocobactor
Heliocobactor is caused by a bacteria similar
to those that cause gastritis and ulcers in humans, and
often mimics Proliferative Colitis. It results in
chronic infection of the stomach which eventually destroys
the stomach lining impairing the ability to secrete acid
and digest food and causes two stomach syndromes: Chronic
atrophic gastritis and Peptic ulcers. Chronic atrophic
gastritis can be a common finding in ferrets over the age
of 3, where the bacteria causes an inflammatory response
resulting in loss of the pylorus glandular epithelium,
and increases the pH of the stomach.
Gastritis will cause abdominal pain and often
food in take is minimal. If ulcers are present, they will
have very dark tarry stools.
A ferret with Heliocobactor can exhibit any
of the following:
-
Gastritis
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Lymph node enlargement
-
Painful abdomen
-
Grinding teeth
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Excess salivation
-
Vomiting
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Loss of appetite
-
Wasting
-
Soft Black stool
Diagnosis is usually based on clinical signs,
CBC and/or response to treatment.
Ferrets can very quickly lose weight which
can lead to death. Treatment usually consists of a combo
of Amoxy, Flagyl and an antacid (Pepto-Bismol) for about
4-8 weeks. Steriods can be used to suppress severe inflammation.
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- Ferret's normal rectal temperature is between 100 - 104 with 101.9 being the average.
- Heart rate is 180 - 250 bpm with 225 being average.
- Respiration is 33-36 per minute.
- Normal urine pH is 6.5 - 7.5
- Blood volume is 60-80 ml/ kg.
- Ferrets do possess toxoplasmosis in
their systems. However, unlike cats they cannot release/
shed the infected eggs back into the environment, they
hit a dead end, so humans cannot catch the disease.
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