From:
williamsb@comcast.net
Date: 2002-08-21 20:23:28 UTC
Subject: RE: displacia?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <21559267.1029961408632.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Author wrote:
> >Hi,
> >I recently found out my six month old ferret has displacia in his front
> >paws. Have you ever heard of this? The doctor said it was an uncommon
> >genetic disorder in ferrets. It was three weeks before they actually
> >diagnosed him.
The term dysplasia simply means abnormal growth. In the animal kingdom, there are a number of types of dysplasia - the most well-known being hip dysplasia in dogs.
while many types of dysplasia may have their roots in an individual's genetic makeup, dysplasia as a syndrome has not been identified in the ferret. While there has been talk of hip dysplasia in ferrets on the Internet, this has really never been shown, and the shallow hip joints of the ferret should not be considered dysplasia, especially in the absence of clinical signs in these individuals.
Regarding the front feet - while individuals may have abnormalities, genetic or otherwise, we should refrain from use of the term dysplasia in such cases.
Regarding the notion of dysplasia being the result of non-assimilation of calcium - this would more properly be called rickets in the young animal, and osteoporosis in the older animal, but should not be called dysplasia.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM