Endocrine Disease (Part III)
(Courtesy of Anna Meredith MA VetMB CertLAS DZooMed MRCVS
Royal [Dick] School of Veterinary Studies)
Endocrine Disorders in Ferrets:
| Disease | Clinical Signs |
Differential Diagnosis |
Diagnostic Options |
Treatment |
| Adrenal Disease |
Symmetric al flank alopecia, swollen vulva, dysuria in males. |
Oestrus, ovarian remnant, seasonal alopecia |
Haematolo gy, ultrasonog raphy, plasma steroid hormone levels. |
Surgical removal, mitotane at 50mg PO daily for 7 days then maintenanc e of 50mg every third day, GnRH agonist and anti-sex steroid drugs. |
| Hyperoestrogeni sm |
Swollen vulva, weakness, pale mucus membranes, petechiae, ecchymoses, systolic murmur, alopecia, melaena. |
Hyperadrenoc orticism, ovarian remnant, cardiac disease, trauma, abdominal neoplasia, bone marrow neoplasia, chronic disease. |
History, clinical signs, haematolo gy (particularl y PCV) |
Stabilisation, Vitamin B, iron, prophylactic antibiotics, blood transfusion, HCG or GnRH injection, ovariohyster ectomy once stabilised. |
| Insulinoma | Collapse, hypersalivati on, glazed eyes, ataxia, weakness, lethargy. |
Starvation, liver disease, sepsis, cardiac disease, lymphoma, anaemia, trauma, spinal disease, CNS neoplasia, toxins, Canine Distemper virus, Aleutian disease. |
History, clinical signs, blood glucose levels, blood insulin levels. |
Surgical – partial pancreatect omy, prednisolon e 0.5 – 2mg/kg PO BID with or without diazoxide 5 – 10mg/kg PO BID. Feed small high protein meals often. |
| Diabetes mellitus |
Polyuria, polydypsia, Glycosuria, anorexia |
Renal disease, urolithiasis, cystitis, GI foreign body, neoplasia, dental disease, cardiac disease, severe metabolic disease. |
Persistent glycosuria, elevated blood glucose levels. |
Insulin therapy if not associated with recent pancreatic surgery. Start on 0.1IU per ferrets subcutaneo us injection twice daily. Spontaneou s resolution has been reported following surgery for insulinoma. |