Special Needs of Older Ferrets
American ferrets have an average life span on 5 to 7 years. Ferrets start to show old age or geriatric problems after they are about 3 years of age. We feel that this is a good time to recommend some extra veterinary care as well as special home care to try to catch disease problems early, so they can be eliminated or treated. With this “geriatric program”, as we call it, we have been able to prolong life in many pets in a quality manner.
HOME
CARE
The pads of the feet in older ferrets
may become hard and dry and develop little horny growths. A small amount
of Vitamin E cream or oil or Vaseline rubbed on the pads daily will help to keep
them soft and remove excess tissue.
Older ferrets like to sleep for
longer periods, so be sure they have a cozy spot to do so in. Please
respect that they need more sleep and don’t make them play when they don’t
want to. However, if you should notice a sudden change in sleep habits
that seems unusual, please contract us.
The hair coat may become drier
and more brittle with age. Some diseases can contribute to this, but aging can
also cause it. Don’t bathe your pet frequently, as this may strip the
natural skin oils and worsen the condition. Bathe your pet as infrequently
as possible, but no more than once a month (unless you have medical directions
to do otherwise,) and use a gentle pet shampoo. You may also use special
preparations to add moisture back to the skin, such as emollient sprays (Comfi-Spray
is a good choice), right after or in between baths. Using a fatty acid
supplement, such as Linotone or Ferotone, can also be very helpful. Use
1/8 tsp. per ferret per day on the food. If you notice hair loss, skin
changes, growths, or excessive scratching please have your pet examined by us.
Older ferrets may have less
control over their bladder and bowels as they age. So make sure that the litter
box or papers are easily available. Put out a few extras if they roam
around so they won’t have far to go to the bathroom.
Senior citizens may become weak
in the hind legs for a variety of reasons, so make sure that they can easily get
in and out of their cages and litter boxes. Use ramps, if necessary to
help them. Any sudden or unusual weakness or loss of balance should, of
course, be brought to our attention.
We generally recommend changing your ferret to a lower protein high quality adult cat food or maintenance diet after the age of five. This puts less stress on the kidneys. The change over can be gradual by mixing the original kitten formula with the adult formula several days. Ferrets will usually convert if you use the same brand of food.
Use a cat hairball laxative at
least once a week to prevent the formation of hairballs in the stomach.
Use about 1 inch out of the tube. Brushing your pet will also help to cut
down on the amount of hair swallowed.
Make sure that food and water are
always available. Going without food for too long could cause the onset of
severe symptoms if your pet is dealing with a blood sugar disorder or kidney
disease.
VETERINARY CARE
More frequent checkups are
recommended, which include a thorough physical exam. We recommend that
this be done every six months. Ferrets develop disease rapidly; especially
cancer, kidney and heart disease, and waiting an entire year between visits
could prevent the early detection and management of these diseases.
Starting at three years of age, we
prefer some additional laboratory work be done. On a healthy animal, we
recommend a complete blood cell count (CBC) and fasting blood glucose as the
minimum work-up (a ‘mini’ geriatric). The pet should be fasted 4 to no
more than 6 hours prior to the blood tests taken. The routine laboratory
work should be done at least once a year.
We may also wish to do additional
laboratory work such as a blood chemistry profile and/or an X-ray for additional
information, particularly if your pet is exhibiting signs of illness.
Sedation may be necessary for the X-ray. We use extremely safe
tranquilizers on our ferret patients, this eliminates the stress the pet may
feel with these procedures.
After the age of 7, diagnostic testing
may have to be done every 6 months along with a semiannual exam. These
laboratory workups have been INVALUABLE in detecting many disease early and thus
facilitating treatment.
Please keep up with the annual
canine distemper vaccination. The older ferrets can contract distemper
just as easily as the youngsters can.
Heartworm preventive should also be
continued if you’re pet is kept outdoors or is taken outdoors frequently in
the spring and summer.
Tartar can be cleaned off the teeth
easily when the animal is anesthetized with isoflurane for any reason.
This prevents gum and teeth disease.
Unfortunately, neoplasia (cancer) is
the most common cause of disease and death in the older American Ferret.
We estimate that well over 75% of all ferrets in our area will develop some form
of cancer in their lifetime. The only way to combat all forms of cancer is
with early detection and appropriate therapy. We must emphasize the EARLY
detection is the key, which emphasizes the need for frequent exams and
laboratory work. Below are outlined four of the most common types of
cancer seen in the older ferret.
LYMPHOSARCOMA
This cancer is not restricted to
old ferrets. It also may occur in young animals. In many ferrets it
tends to hide unnoticed with no signs for months or years and then suddenly
appear in a variety of forms. It is a cancer of the lymphatic system,
which is part of the body’s immune system. The cause is suspected to be
a virus. Although much is still unknown, the theory is that the virus is
initially transmitted from mother to kit where it may lay dormant for a long
period before causing a problem. Transmission between adult animals may
also possible, but the method of transmission is not completely understood.
At this point in time it does not appear to be highly transmissible between
adults.
Signs vary, and as already stated, many
animals have no outward signs for a long period of time. Disease in these
animals may be detected by abnormalities in the complete blood cell count.
Noticeable changes in other animals may include any of the following signs;
swollen lymph nodes, enlarged spleen (there are many causes of enlarged spleens,
and in some cases it may be “normal”), wasting, lethargy, frequent illnesses
(such as “colds”), poor appetite, difficulty breathing, chronic diarrhea or
hind limb weakness.
The Diagnosis is made from a
combination of a complete blood cell count and either a biopsy of a lymph node,
a bone marrow biopsy, x-rays, or biopsies of other affected areas.
Treatment is achieved through
chemotherapy, the details of which can be discussed with us. We have had about a
50% success rate with chemotherapy with life being prolonged for 6 months to 5
years post treatment. Most ferrets tolerate the therapy very well and have
few side effects. Even those cases that are not good chemotherapy
candidates may be helped to continue a quality life with the use of nutritional
therapy and corticosteroids.
INSULINOMA
This is one of the most common cancers
that we see. At least 50% or ore of the ferrets over three years of age
will develop this disease. It is a caner of the beta cells of the pancreas
(the cells that produce insulin). This cancer causes these cells to
produce abnormally high levels of insulin. This increase in insulin has
the effect of driving the sugar out of the blood stream and into the body’s
cells at too rapid of a rate. This causes a dangerous decrease in the
blood sugar level. The brain, which needs a constant large supply of
sugar, then becomes sugar starved and begins behaving in an erratic manner.
The abnormally functioning brain provides most of the signs that we have seen
with insulinoma. Early in the disease, the body counteracts the sugar drop
by producing more sugar from the liver, which then temporarily corrects the
problem, so symptoms are very subtle. As the disease progresses, and the
body is less able to cope with the situation, the signs become more severe and
last longer.
Early signs of the disease are usually
no more noticeable than seeing the ferret stare blankly into space for a few
seconds and then return to normal. He may be a little more difficult to
awaken from his naps. As the disease progressed, however, the signs become
more specific and may include the following: drooling or salivating,
pawing frantically at the mouth (all these sins are probably caused by a feeling
of nausea when the sugar drops), extreme lethargy, seizures and finally a come
and death. The diagnosis is based on a fasting blood sugar level.
The pet should be fasted for a minimum of 4 to no longer than 6 hours.
Occasionally it may also be necessary to run blood insulin levels at the same
time.
Treatment depends on the stage of the
disease and the overall condition of the pet. Usually, surgery is the
first treatment choice. The tumor or tumors are removed and further
medication may be unnecessary or at least delayed for some time. When
surgery is not possible for whatever reason or in cases where the disease
returns despite surgery, then medical management is indicated. This
involves a good quality, high protein diet always available, and the use of
protein snacks such as cooked meat and egg scraps or strained meat baby food.
The addition of brewer’s yeast in the amount of 1/8 to ¼ tsp. of the powder
or 1/8 to ¼ of a chewable tablet two times a daily with food has also been
helpful to stabilize glucose levels. Brewer’s yeast contains chromium
which is known as the glucose tolerance factor because it helps to stabilize
blood glucose and insulin swings. No sugary treats should be given, as this may
make the problem worse. When diet no longer controls the signs, then the
pet may have to be put on corticosteroids and/or Proglycem which is an insulin
blocking agent. Treatment will be for life.
If you should notice any of the signs
listed above, especially the serious ones such as seizures and coma, you can
help bring your pet out of these conditions by administering some honey and
water by mouth until the pet is more alert or has stopped seizuring. Of
course, contact you veterinarian and have your pet examined as soon as possible.
ADRENAL ADENOMA OR ADENOCARCINOMA
This cancer is as common as insulinoma
and frequently occurs along with it. This is a cancer of the adrenal
glands, which are very tiny organs about the size of half a pea, located near
the kidney. They produce very potent hormones that control a number of
metabolic functions in the body. Ferrets may develop adenoma, which is the
benign form of the disease (which means that it does not spread to other organs
of the body) or adenocarcinoma, which is the malignant form. They may develop
disease in either one or both glands.
Signs are fairly specific and are
related to an overproduction of hormones, particularly abdrogens (precursors to
the sex hormones…they act in the same manner as estrogen, progesterone and
testosterone ). The most common sign seen is a hair loss over a portion or
all of the body. The hair loss may come and go over a period of time.
In spayed females, the vulva may swell as if they were in heat again.
Other signs may include one or any combination of the following: intense
itching, dry brittle haircoat, thin skin, red scaly skin, weakened muscles with
hind limb or generalized weakness, increase in body odor (as if the pet was not
neutered), anemia and lethargy. The diagnosis is based primarily on the
signs. However if the diagnosis is in doubt, you veterinarian may
recommend submitting a blood sample to a lab for hormone level evaluation.
The treatment of choice is the surgical
removal of the affected adrenal gland. Since the disease and insulinoma
frequently occur at the same time, insulinomas can also be removed. In
cases where adenoma is diagnosed, and in the absence of insulinoma, a drug
called Lysodren may be used to chemically destroy the overactive parts of the
adrenal. This drug is not effective against adenocarcinoma.
SKIN TUMORS
Skin tumors in older ferrets should be
surgically removed as soon as possible because of the possibility that some are
malignant and can spread to other areas of the body. The most common type
of skin tumor in the ferret is the mast cell tumor which appears as a round
raised button-like lesion. They may be quite itchy and often have a crust
of dried blood over the top. They are usually benign, but may metastasize
to internal organs including the lungs.
Other common skin tumors are adenomas
and adenocarcinomas. They are cancers of the skin glands and can occur
anywhere. In males they occur frequently at the tip of the prepuce and
appear as a bluish colored lump. Adenocarcinomas are highly malignant and
should be removed as soon as possible.
Although ferrets in this country are
plagued with a variety of illness as they get older, frequent examinations and
laboratory testing as needed can greatly improve their chances of survival and
prolong their lives in a quality manner. Enjoy your pet, give them love
and attention and they will reward you with endless hours of laughter and love.