Message Number: SG390 | New FHL Archives Search
From: williamsb@comcast.net
Date: 2002-07-20 01:50:35 UTC
Subject: RE: Ferret with scabs over 90% of his body
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20735409.1027129835832.JavaMail.root@scandium>

Author wrote:
> A friend of mine called me yesterday and she is very worried about one her
> ferrets, Elwood. He has scabs all over his body and is crusty around the
> mouth. He also has swollen toe pads and she said they look a bit red. He
> also has a reddish nose. She took him to a vet in Portsmouth, NH (sorry,
> I don't remember who)and he really doesn't know what it is and guessed
> lymphoscama(sp)and put him on predisone.

Well, the suggestions that have made already are all very valid and should be strongly considered. Whenever crusting is seen in a ferret, especially around the footpads and mouth, distemper should be the first consideration. Now Elwood is older, and most of our distemper cases start with young animals, but the history of exposure to any other ferrets as well as vaccination should be examined.

A rare disease of ferrets, but one that usually presents as scabbing is pemphigus. This usually responds to high doses of prednisone, and in ferrets scabbing of the skin, but not of the oral membranes is the most common presentation.

A third possibility is a disseminated staph infection, but I don't think that I have ver seen this in ferrets (but there is always a first time.)

In these cases, biopsy of fresh lesions (especially any that look like blisters is very important, especially before lots of different medications are tried. It is often a very iffy proposition, as these ferrets so often scratch the lesions very soon after they develop, and all you get is a scab to look at.

With kindest regards,

bruce williams, DVM