From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2008-06-16 01:34:22 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Abstract on an unusual presentation of Canine Distemper
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>, ferret-l@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG
BEGIN QUOTE
Vet Dermatol. 2008 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print]
An unusual presentation of canine distemper virus infection in a
domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo).
Zehnder AM, Hawkins MG, Koski MA, Luff JA, Benak J, Lowenstine LJ,
White SD.
Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine,
University of California, Davis, California 95614, USA.
A 4.5-year-old, male castrated ferret was examined with a 27-day
history of severe pruritus, generalized erythema and scaling. Skin
scrapings and a trichogram were negative for mites and dermatophyte
organisms. A fungal culture of hair samples was negative. The ferret
was treated presumptively for scabies and secondary bacterial and
yeast infection with selamectin, enrofloxacin, fluconazole,
diphenhydramine and a miconazole-chlorhexidine shampoo. The ferret
showed mild improvement in clinical signs over the subsequent 3 weeks,
but was inappetent and required supportive feeding and subcutaneous
fluids by the owner. The ferret was then examined on an emergency
basis at the end of 3 weeks (53 days following initial signs of
illness) for severe blood loss from a haematoma over the interscapular
region, hypotension and shock. The owners elected euthanasia due to a
poor prognosis and deteriorating condition. On post-mortem examination
intraepithelial canine distemper viral inclusions were identified
systemically, and abundant canine distemper virus antigen was
identified with immunohistochemical staining. It is important to note
the prolonged course of disease along with the absence of respiratory
and neurological signs because this differs from the classic
presentation of canine distemper virus infection in ferrets. Canine
distemper virus should remain a clinical suspicion for ferrets with
skin lesions that do not respond to appropriate therapy, even in
animals that were previously vaccinated.
PMID: 18547381
END QUOTE
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
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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