From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2007-08-09 17:29:53 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] a BFF mortality study
To: ferret-l@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG, ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
BEGIN QUOTED ABSTRACT
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2007 Jun;38(2):169-76.
Links
Mortality of captive black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) at
Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, 1989-2004.
Bronson E, Bush M, Viner T, Murray S, Wisely SM, Deem SL.
Department of Animal Health, Smithsonian's National Zoological Park,
3001 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20008, USA.
ellen.bronson@marylandzoo.org
Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) mortality was investigated
retrospectively based on the pathology records of 107 captive animals
held at Smithsonian's National Zoological Park from 1989 to 2004. The
majority of deaths in neonates were due to cannibalism (n = 42;
64.6%) and maternal trauma (n = 11; 16.9%); both of these causes of
mortality decreased during the study period. Prior to 2001, juvenile
mortality was most often caused by gastrointestinal disease (n = 11;
52.4%), including coccidiosis, salmonellosis, and clostridium
infection. In 2001, improvements in husbandry, hygiene, and medical
treatment led to decreases in juvenile mortality associated with
gastrointestinal disease. The most common causes of death in adult
ferrets were renal or neoplastic disease. The etiology of the high
prevalence of renal disease in the last 4 yr of the study is unknown;
it was not associated with increasing age or inbreeding. Improved
hygiene and vigilant monitoring for signs of gastrointestinal and
renal disease will continue to improve the success of the captive
propagation of this species.
PMID: 17679500 [PubMed - in process]
END QUOTED ABSTRACT
It surprised me that they used to lose over half of of the kits due
to gastrointestinal disease.
BTW, although this report doesn't mention E. coli in BFFs there is a
past study on that food borne disease, too. You can find that
abstract in the archives of the FML and FHL, or by using PubMed.
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
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