Ferrets

Question 1

The ferret is a domesticated form of what animal? What are they used for?

Answer 1

Polecat

Pets, pest control, sport, racing, labs

Question 2

What kingdom, phylum, class, order and family are ferrets?

Answer 2

Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Carnivora
Mustelidae

Question 3

What is a female ferret called if entire or neutered?

Answer 3

Entire = jill 
Neutered = sprite

Question 4

What is a male ferret called if he is entire, neutered or vasectomised?

Answer 4

Entire = hob
Neutered = gib 
Vasectomised = hoblet

Question 5

What is a baby ferret called?

Answer 5

Kitten or pup

Question 6

Are males are females later in size? What is the lifespan of a ferret?

Answer 6

Hobs much larger than jills

6-9 years

Question 7

Describe the coat of ferrets

Answer 7

Fine dense undercoat

Course guard hairs

Question 8

How often do ferrets moult?

Answer 8

2x year

Question 9

Where is ferret skin thickened and why?

Answer 9

Back of neck

Prevent injury when fighting/mating

Question 10

Why are ferrets prone to overheating and heat exhaustion

Answer 10

NO sweat glands

Question 11

Where are sebaceous glands found in ferret?

Answer 11

All over

Higher density around mouth and anus

Question 12

When do sebaceous glands secretions increase? What effect does this have on the coat?

Answer 12

Breeding season

Coat becomes oily and yellow

Question 13

What is a characteristic of mustelids?

Answer 13

Well developed anal glands

Question 14

Which type of gland cause the anal gland smell? Is anal sacculectomy legal in the UK?

Answer 14

Sebaceous glands

Illegal - mutilation

Question 15

Ferrets have a long spine to make them efficient hunters. What is their vertebral formula?

Answer 15

C7
T15
L5
S3
Cd18

Question 16

Why are ferrets prone to fractures?

Answer 16

Lightweight bones

Question 17

How many toes do ferrets have? Are they retractable

Answer 17

5 per foot

No

Question 18

Ferrets have a typical carnivorous skull. What is the orbit like? What about the jaw and relative cranium size?

Answer 18

Incomplete orbit
Jaw has little/no lateral movement
Short jaw, large cranium

Question 19

Are ferrets nocturnal or diurnal? How is the eye adapted to this? What shape is the pupil?

Answer 19

Nocturnal
Tapetum lucid
Horizontal slit

Question 20

Ferrets have seasonal reproduction. What stimulates reproduction in ferrets? What hormones is responsible for this?

Answer 20

Photoperiod

Via pineal gland and melatonin

Question 21

What is the deciduous and permanent dental formula for ferrets?

Answer 21

Deciduous = 4/3, 1/1, 3/3, 0/0
Permanent = 3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 1/2

Question 22

At what age do ferret deciduous and permanent teeth erupt?

Answer 22

Deciduous = 3wks (can damage teat)
Permanet = 2 months

Question 23

How many salivary glands are in the ferret? What are these?

Answer 23

5

Zygomatic, submandibular, parotid, sublingual, molar

Question 24

What is the purpose of saliva in ferrets? Which salivary glands have no amylase?

Answer 24

Lubrication (cf to digestion)
Parotid
Submandibular

Question 25

Do ferrets chew their food? Are they able to vomit and whY?

Answer 25

No - huge stomach allows gorging | Yes can vomit as no gastro-oesophageal sphincter

Question 26

What type of breathers are ferrets? Why are they difficult to tube?

Answer 26

Not obligate nasal breathers, but prefer nasal breathing | Small nostrils - not much room for nasogastric tube

Question 27

How many lobes do ferret lungs have?

Answer 27

Left (2) - cranial, caudal | Right (4) - cranial, caudal, middle, accessory

Question 28

What is relevant about the thoracic inlet of a ferret?

Answer 28

Very narrow inlet | Any abnormality = severe respiratory compromise

Question 29

Where should you auscultate on a ferret? What is their heart rate?

Answer 29

More caudally than dog/cat - 6-8th rib | 180-250bpm

Question 30

What is used to assess CV performance in ferrets? Why?

Answer 30

Urine output - indirect measurement of CO | Pulse not always palpable

Question 31

Is the PVC in a ferret high, low or normal? Can you give them blood transfusions?

Answer 31

Normally high | Yes - don't need to match blood

Question 32

What can be used for venipuncture in ferrets?

Answer 32

Cephalic vein Jugular vein Tail artery (lab animals)

Question 33

Ferrets have similar kidneys to dogs and cats, however a different serum chemistry. What is different about creatinine levels in kidney disease?

Answer 33

Creatinine does not rise parallel with increased urea

Question 34

Why is urethral blockage common in the ferret? Why is catheterisation difficult?

Answer 34

Prostate enlargement associated with adrenal disease | J shaped, os penis

Question 35

At what age do ferrets reach puberty? Do they have precocial or altricial litters?

Answer 35

6-9 months | Altricial

Question 36

What type of breeders are jills? What type of ovulators are they?

Answer 36

Seasonal breeders, monoestrus | Reflex ovulators

Question 37

How can ferrets be sexed?

Answer 37

Size difference Males have obvious testes and penis, preputial opening on abdomen Females have vulva that swells when in season

Question 38

What type of uterus do jills have?

Answer 38

Similar to dog | Bicornuate uterus

Question 39

Hobs have similar repro anatomy to a dog. What is the major differences?

Answer 39

Os penis is J shaped | Small testes

Question 40

Why can't jills be spayed? What does this cause?

Answer 40

Must mate - failure to mate = high oestrogen which causes bone marrow depression, anaemia and death

Question 41

What can be done to female ferrets in order to prevent them dying from not mating?

Answer 41

Mate with vasectomised hob | Give chemical oestrus suppression drugs

Question 42

What artery provides blood supply to the adrenal glands? Which gland is more cranial?

Answer 42

Ipsilateral renal artery | Right is more cranial as above kidneys

Question 43

Adrenal disease is increasingly common in ferrets. What is it NOT associated with, that it is in the dog? What is ferret adrenal disease associated with?

Answer 43

In dog is associated with pituitary and overproduction of corticosteroids Not in ferrets Ferrets associated with neutering and abnormal photoperiod. Associated with sex hormones from zona reticular of adrenal glands

Question 44

How does neutering cause adrenal disease in ferrets?

Answer 44

Adrenal glands have cells with LH receptors Neutering removes -ve feedback so causes high GnRH, LH and FSH LH continuously stimulates adrenal cells --> hyperplasia and neoplasia

Question 45

How does increased photoperiod cause adrenal disease in ferrets?

Answer 45

Alters melatonin levels Reduced melatonin increases hypothalamus activity Increases GnRH and LH

Question 46

How can adrenal disease be prevented in ferrets?

Answer 46

Keep jills with hoblet GnRH agonist injections (suprelorin) Can neuter if mature

Question 47

What is the size of the thoracic cavity and lungs in relation to the ferrets body?

Answer 47

Large lungs and thoracic cavity | But narrow inlet

Question 48

What valve in the GI tract do ferrets not have? What else do they not have?

Answer 48

Ileocolic valve Appendix Caecum

Question 49

Why do ferrets struggle with high fibre diets?

Answer 49

No caecum

Question 50

Sterilisation of males and females can result in adrenal gland disorders. Why are females often sterilised?

Answer 50

If unmated, post oestrus anaemia