From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2012-02-09 23:00:57 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] some new abstracts
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>, FML List <ferret-l@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG>
There are also a number of influenza ones but they did not seem as applicable to ferret care as the one I carried in a while back about how different strains of influenza behave differently in ferrets.
Useful numbers for vets to have handy:
> J Small Anim Pract. 2012 Feb;53(2):115-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2011.01173.x.
> Urine specific gravity values in clinically healthy young pet ferrets (Mustela furo).
> Eshar D, Wyre NR, Brown DC.
> Source
> VetExotics, Kefar Haoranim, Israel Department of Clinical Studies - Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Clinical Investigations Center, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
> Abstract
> Objectives: To determine urine specific gravity values in clinically healthy pet ferrets and explore possible associations with sex, sampling techniques, hydration status and urine analytes. Methods: Sixty-nine entire ferrets of both sexes, under one year of age, were included in this study. Physical examination, complete blood count, blood biochemistry, urine microscopy, urine dipstick and urine specific gravity were performed on allferrets. Urine specific gravity was determined using a handheld urine refractometer. Statistical analysis was performed to determine urine specific gravity value intervals and to test for associations with sex, sample collection method, packed cell volume, plasma total protein concentrations and urine analytes. Results: Urine specific gravity differed by sex in ferrets as females exhibited a lower urine specific gravity (P<0·001). There was no significant correlation between urine specific gravity, sampling method, packed cell volume/total protein and urine dipstick analytes. Mean urine specific gravity reported in this study was 1·051 for entire males (sd ±9; range 1·034 to 1·070) and 1·042 for entire females (sd ±8; range 1·026 to 1·060). Clinical Significance: Results of this study may allow clinicians to have a more accurate evaluation of the ability of those animals to concentrate urine by comparing their urine specific gravity results to those obtained from this cohort of clinically healthy animals.
> © 2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.
> PMID: 22283794 [PubMed - in process]
---
IMPORTANT!
Notice that ferrets with CDV will NOT always have the full suite of symptoms:
> J Virol. 2012 Jan 25. [Epub ahead of print]
> Canine Distemper Virus Epithelial Cell Infection Is Required for Clinical Disease but not for Immunosuppression.
> Sawatsky B, Wong XX, Hinkelmann S, Cattaneo R, von Messling V.
> Source
> INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, University of Quebec, Laval, Canada.
> Abstract
> To characterize the importance of infection of epithelial cells for morbillivirus pathogenesis, we took advantage of the severe disease caused by canine distemper virus (CDV) in ferrets. To obtain a CDV unable to enter epithelial cells but retaining the ability to enter immune cells, we transferred to its attachment (H) protein two mutations shown to interfere with the interaction of measles virus H with its epithelial receptor, human nectin-4. As expected for an epithelial receptor (EpR)-blind CDV, this virus infected dog and ferret epithelial cells inefficiently, and did not cause cell fusion or syncytia formation. On the other hand, the EpR-blind CDV replicated in cells expressing canine signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM), the morbillivirus immune cell receptor, with similar kinetics as wild type CDV. While ferrets infected with wild type CDV died within 12 days after infection after developing severe rash and fever, animals infected with the EpR-blind virus showed no clinical signs of disease. Nevertheless, both viruses spread rapidly and efficiently in immune cells, causing similar levels of leukopenia and inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation activity, two indicators of morbillivirus immunosuppression. Infection was documented in airway epithelia of ferrets infected with wild type CDV, but not in animals infected with the EpR-blind virus, and only animals infected with wild type CDV shed virus. Thus epithelial cell infection is necessary for clinical disease and efficient virus shedding but not immunosuppression.
> PMID: 22278252 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
>
Cousins:
This is intriguing: digestibility and utilization of some nutrients were best at 34% protein, not at higher or lower levels in the mink:
> J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2012 Feb 4. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2011.01267.x. [Epub ahead of print]
> Effects of dietary protein levels on digestibility of nutrients and growth rate in young female mink (Mustela vison).
> Zhang TT, Zhang ZQ, Gao XH, Yang FH, Xing XM.
> Source
> âFeed Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China âState Key Laboratory of Special Economic Animal Molecular Biology, Jilin, China âInstitute of Special Economic Animal and Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Jilin, China.
> Abstract
> This study investigated digestibilities of nutrients and feed efficiency in female mink at the different dietary protein levels during the mink growth period. Effects of dietary protein on growth performance of minks were also measured. Sixty 45-day-old healthy female minks were randomly assigned to 6 treatment groups with 10 animals in each group. Animals were fed diets varying in protein levels: 28% (Group I), 30% (Group II), 32% (Group III), 34% (Group IV), 36% (Group V) and 38% (Group VI), respectively. The digestibilities of key nutrients were determined on Day 14 after initiating the experiment and the last 3âdays. From the beginning of the study, body weight and feed intake were weighed and recorded every other week in order to calculate the average daily bodyweight gain and the feed efficiency. The trial had demonstrated that nitrogen intake was greatly significantly different, which was affected by dietary protein levels (pâ<â0.001). Growth performance of minks was impaired when dietary protein level was at 28%. When dietary protein level was at 34%, minks had the best daily gains, feed efficiency, and digestibilities of some key nutrients.
> © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
> PMID: 22304242 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Those with strong food interests and breeding interest may well find this raises questions they want to investigate further:
> Mol Ecol. 2012 Jan 31. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05436.x. [Epub ahead of print]
> Environmental and genetic influences on body mass and resting metabolic rates (RMR) in a natural population of weasel Mustela nivalis.
> Zub K, Piertney S, SzafraÅska PA, Konarzewski M.
> Source
> Mammal Research Institute PAS, BiaÅowieża, Poland School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK University in BiaÅystok, BiaÅystok, Poland.
> Abstract
> Body mass (BM) and resting metabolic rates (RMR) are two inexorably linked traits strongly related to mammalian life histories. Yet, there have been no studies attempting to estimate heritable variation and covariation of BM and RMR in natural populations. We used a marker-based approach to construct a pedigree and then the 'animal model' to estimate narrow sense heritability (h(2) ) of these traits in a free-living population of weaselsMustela nivalis-a small carnivore characterised by a wide range of BM and extremely high RMR. The most important factors affecting BM of weasels were sex and habitat type, whereas RMR was significantly affected only by seasonal variation of this trait. All environmental factors had only small effect on estimates of additive genetic variance of both BM and RMR. The amount of additive genetic variance associated with BM and estimates of heritability were high and significant in males (h(2) â=â0.61), but low and not significant in females (h(2â) =(â) 0.32), probably due to small sample size for the latter sex. The results from the two-trait model revealed significant phenotypic (r(P) â=â0.62) and genetic correlation (r(A) â=â0.89) between BM and whole body RMR. The estimate of heritability of whole body RMR (0.54) and BM corrected RMR (0.45) were lower than estimates of heritability for BM. Both phenotypic and genetic correlations between BM corrected RMR and BM had negative signals (r(P) â=â-0.42 and r(A) â=â-0.58). Our results indicate that total energy expenditures of individuals can quickly evolve through concerted changes in BM and RMR.
> © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
> PMID: 22289133 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Abstracts and press releases are written to be shared, so this is not a copyright violation.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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