From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2007-07-28 15:15:28 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: questions about health concerns in stray ferret
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Okay, I got out the essentials to you, so now a bit more.
You are right that ferrets are very prone to heat poisoning and heat=20
stroke. You neighbors should NOT have a ferret on the patio, and=20
this little one could still be suffering the effects of being out.
Walking with an arched back is normal for ferrets; they also have a=20
strange dance that they do when happy which can be complete with head=20
swinging when really happy and even bumping into walls. Ferrets=20
often sleep more than dog people are used to, and can even sleep so=20
soundly that they seem dead at first.
Ferrets do not have very good eyesight and sadly breeding for ones=20
with a certain appearance has led to a number who are deaf, as with=20
Dalmation dogs. If the ferret has a white heat or a blaze of white=20
on the head then the individual may have partial hearing or no hearing.
Besides being in a new place and not feeling well, sensory=20
deprivation can lead to confusion.
When a ferret who got out contracts a neurological disease, then=20
there is much more chance of something like canine distemper, but of=20
course, as I said, the possibility of rabies is there in most=20
locations as for a dog or a cat (unless you live someplace where=20
rabies still hasn't been encountered in land mammals in decades -- I=20
think that is still true for Long Island in NY, for example, but=20
that could have changed -- making me wrong -- so check on it if you=20
are there).
The most common cause of convulsions in ferrets is a type of=20
pancreatic tumor: insulinoma, which causes the pancreas to release=20
too much insulin, BTW.
If you look in
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Epidemiology/Epidemiology.htm
you will find that the domestic animals most likely to have rabies=20
are cats, dogs, and cattle.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/
is an overview page.
There is currently a search for people who handled a sick kitten=20
which was soon later found to have rabies who found in a dumpster at=20
the South Atlantic Summer Showdown softball tournament and taken to=20
the Hwy 295 Sport Complex (North Spartanburg Recreational Facility):
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/news/2007-07-27_softball.html
Does the ferret have any bite wounds? That would increase your=20
concern. To get rabies there has to be an exposure, such as a bite,=20
or saliva from an infected animal getting on a vulnerable area such=20
as eye membranes. You can see an excellent description of how rabies=20
behaves in a body in the raccoon illustration in
Below are some quoted segments from:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/natural_history/nathist.htm
> Transmission
> Transmission of rabies virus usually begins when infected saliva of=20
> a host is passed to an uninfected animal. Various routes of=20
> transmission have been documented and include contamination of=20
> mucous membranes (i.e., eyes, nose, mouth), aerosol transmission,=20
> and corneal transplantations. The most common mode of rabies virus=20
> transmission is through the bite and virus-containing saliva of an=20
> infected host.
(Ironically, I was just reading about aerosol transmission recently. =
That is a laboratory worker risk. I'll have to see if I can find the=20
reference.)
When studied ferrets did not get rabies from eating infected tissue,=20
BTW.
> Following primary infection (see Figure, numbers 1 & 2), the virus=20
> enters an eclipse phase... Investigations have shown both direct=20
> entry of virus into peripheral nerves at the site of infection and=20
> indirect entry after viral replication in nonnervous tissue (i.e.,=20
> muscle cells). During the eclipse phase, the host immune defenses=20
> may confer cell-mediated immunity against viral infection because=20
> rabies virus is a good antigen . The uptake of virus into=20
> peripheral nerves is important for progressive infection to occur=20
> (see Figure, number 3).
>
> After uptake into peripheral nerves, rabies virus is transported to=20
> the central nervous system ... Typically this occurs via sensory=20
> and motor nerves at the initial site of infection. The incubation=20
> period... may vary from a few days to several years...=20
> Dissemination of virus within the CNS is rapid... (see Figure,=20
> number 5). Active cerebral infection is followed by passive=20
> centrifugal spread of virus to peripheral nerves. The amplification=20
> of infection within the CNS occurs through cycles of viral=20
> replication and cell-to-cell transfer of progeny virus. Centrifugal=20
> spread of virus may lead to the invasion of highly innervated sites=20
> of various tissues, including the salivary glands. During this=20
> period of cerebral infection, the classic behavioral changes=20
> associated with rabies develop.
Notice the steps that exist before an animal becomes infectious. How=20
long the phase is before the virus reaches the brain involves a lot=20
of factors typically including that the larger the animal (including=20
humans) is the slower it moves usually, and usually the further away=20
from the brain the site is the longer it takes to move. That is why=20
some health authorities just don't even consider waiting if an animal=20
causes a head bite to an infant.
> Signs and symptoms
> The first symptoms of rabies may be nonspecific flu-like signs =97=20
> malaise, fever, or headache, which may last for days. There may be=20
> discomfort or paresthesia at the site of exposure (bite),=20
> progressing within days to symptoms of cerebral dysfunction,=20
> anxiety, confusion, agitation, progressing to delirium, abnormal=20
> behavior, hallucinations, and insomnia. The acute period of disease=20
> typically ends after 2 to 10 days...
Okay,
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/ques&ans/qa_unpasteurized_milk.htm
is one of the references which talks about laboratories and aerosoled=20
virus.
Compendium of Animal Rabies Control and Prevention 2007:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5603a1.htm
So, now you have a range of highly reputable resources. Learn from=20
them and make your own choices based upon what you have learned.
Hopefully, by now you have already found the owner and learned that=20
this is a vaccinated ferret.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/