Ferret Research Articles

Cortical and thalamic connectivity of occipital visual cortical areas 17, 18, 19, and 21 of the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo).

The present study describes the ipsilateral and contralateral corticocortical and corticothalamic connectivity of the occipital visual areas 17, 18, 19, and 21 in the ferret using standard anatomical tract-tracing methods. In line with previous studies of mammalian visual cortex connectivity, substantially more anterograde and retrograde label was present in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the injection site compared to the contralateral hemisphere. Ipsilateral reciprocal connectivity was the strongest within the occipital visual areas, while weaker connectivity strength was observed in the temporal, suprasylvian, and parietal visual areas. Callosal connectivity tended to be strongest in the homotopic cortical areas, and revealed a similar areal distribution to that observed in the ipsilateral hemisphere, although often less widespread across cortical areas. Ipsilateral reciprocal connectivity was observed throughout the visual nuclei of the dorsal thalamus, with no contralateral connections to the visual thalamus being observed. The current study, along with previous studies of connectivity in the cat, identified the posteromedial lateral suprasylvian visual area (PMLS) as a distinct network hub external to the occipital visual areas in carnivores, implicating PMLS as a potential gateway to the parietal cortex for dorsal stream processing. These data will also contribute to a macro connectome database of the ferret brain, providing essential data for connectomics analyses and cross-species analyses of connectomes and brain connectivity matrices, as well as providing data relevant to additional studies of cortical connectivity across mammals and the evolution of cortical connectivity variation.

Where Is My Little Ferrett

Where Is My Little Ferret Lawrence Lenhart (bio) Correction: There was a misspelling in the article title. The online version has been updated. Standing over the terrestrial orifice of a prairie dog entrance mound is kind of like straddling the hole of a squat toilet. It is a geological vertigo: the earth punched out, agape. A means of escape for something smaller, luckier than I. It's not hard to imagine what's immediately beyond a hole in the ground. In the case of a toilet, it's a trapway, a weir, an outlet and flange. But then? Subterranean, the burrow is an invisible architecture, its habitat impenetrable to all but maybe the human forearm. In Discipline, Dawn Lundy Martin writes: "Are holes things with ends to them, or do they go on forever? One must decide." To get eye-level with the mound, lie prostrate on the prairie floor or prop on elbows like an end-zone photographer. Intimacy in nature always requires such sacrifice: a forfeiture of one's stature—a meeting-of-the-ecological-other halfway, and often more. Even there, with the eye hovering over the opening—indeed, a burrow's door coextends with its peephole—there's nothing left to see after the first kink in the complex. "Nobody really knows what it's like down there," says Richard White, director of Tucson's International Wildlife Museum. "There's nothing in the literature about what a burrow looks like." The museum [End Page 33] is a literal castle built atop Sonoran Desert sand, both celebrated and maligned as a trophy hunter's over-the-top sanctum. White stands before his handiwork, a diorama depicting burrow life. There are several species staged on the steppe, but only black-footed ferret babies, also known as kits, are burrowed below. He claims that, when he staged the black-footed ferrets at the museum, he was merely improvising the adorable scene. Upon receiving the package from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, White cleared his desk. He spilled out the contents and allowed the kits' freeze-dried carcasses to thaw there like chicken dinner. According to the twee website for Perpetual Pet ("The Perfect Plan for the Perfect Pet"), the process for freeze-dry taxidermy is as follows: "The animal is carefully prepared and posed, supported by a custom-made framework. It is placed into a sealed vacuum chamber at extremely low temperature. Over time, frozen moisture is slowly converted into a gaseous state, and then extracted." (Now imagine this explanation typed over a background of pastel paw prints parading diagonally toward the corner of your computer screen.) Once the baby ferrets were thawed, White only had a few minutes to get the positioning right before initiating a permanent freeze and exiling them to the museum's penultimate diorama. In the competitive world of taxidermy, taxi- is the art and -derma is the material. Without real hide and pelage, a model is not categorically a taxidermy at all; it is dismissed as a "re-creation." Without taxi-, though, the ordering or arranging of the skin, there is no lifelikeness. Anthropology professor Jane Desmond writes, "Taxidermists whom I've spoken with commonly use taxi as a verb—they taxi the skin into place over an adhesive-covered body form, adjusting it this way and that for a perfect fit." In the case of a freeze-dry taxidermy, though—the animal with all of its original parts—the taxiing is more like a forceful splaying, a manhandling ballerino plying his petite dance partner into arabesque into pirouette into grand jeté, pose after pose as he arrives at some locomotive verisimilitude. "The expert taxidermist will calculate the effect of a curving neck on a leap and will shorten the stride to maintain a believable sense of momentum," Desmond writes. "Each part of the body will be visually and kinesthetically balanced against the others." [End Page 34] In standing with White, you can tell he's impressed with his work. I half-expect him to buff the fingered glass to facilitate a clearer image of the exhibit, but he maintains an admirer's distance like me. The black-footed ferret is, after...

Managing Populations, Diseases, and Landowner Perceptions of Prairie Dogs for Black-Footed Ferret Reintroduction

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is one of the rarest mammal species in North America. Captive breeding has prevented extinction of this species, but successful reintroduction of ferrets into their native grassland habitat is a complex endeavor. As specialist predators, ferrets depend almost exclusively on prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) for both food and shelter, so successful black-footed ferret reintroduction hinges on maintaining large colonies of prairie dogs. However, prairie dogs are also considered agricultural pests and are often subjected to eradication programs. These eradication programs hamper efforts to reintroduce ferrets and disrupt the valuable ecosystem services prairie dogs provide in their role as both keystone and foundation species. Even when agreements are reached to maintain prairie dog colonies, plague (Yersinia pestis), which infects both prairie dogs and ferrets, can threaten the success of a ferret reintroduction program. We describe the research on the complex ecological relationships and socio-environmental challenges of reintroducing endangered black-footed ferrets, with a focus on the most abundant prairie dog species, the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus).

Inbreeding causes decreased seminal quality affecting pregnancy and litter size in the endangered black‐footed ferret

AbstractEx situ conservation breeding for species recovery often must address small founder number. Here we investigated the long‐term effects of small founder size in the endangered black‐footed ferret Mustela nigripes using 20 years of reproductive data. Specifically, we studied seminal traits, pregnancy success and litter size in the context of the population's low genetic diversity. Detailed evaluation of 539 electroejaculates from 262 pedigreed donors with varied inbreeding coefficients (F = 0.000–0.250) revealed a wide range in sperm motility (0.0–100.0%), forward progression (type of forward movement on a scale 0–5; 5 = best; 0.0–4.5), cell concentration (7.2–6348.0 × 106 mL−1 of ejaculate), structural normality (0.0–89.0%) and normal apical ridges (critical for fertilization; 4.8–100.0%). Over this two decade interval, there was an increase (P < 0.05) in F and a decrease (P < 0.05) in sperm forward progression and structurally normal cell morphology. From analysis of artificial insemination (AI) data, higher values for sperm motility, forward progression and structural normality or spermatozoa that retained a normal apical ridge had a positive influence (P < 0.05) on litter size. Males producing higher values for these four traits also sired more kits. Results demonstrate that sperm motility and morphology are decreasing in black‐footed ferrets managed intensively ex situ. These two metrics appear associated with an increasing F and likely are at least partially responsible for lowered reproductive success in this closed, endangered population. These results illustrate the potential physiological and offspring production impact of having few founders available in an ex situ conservation breeding program.

Rarely Observed Behaviors and Occurrences of Black-footed Ferrets Preconditioning for Wild Release 2014–2017

Abstract Black-footed ferrets Mustela nigripes became extinct in the wild in 1987 when the last known wild animals were removed from a remnant population in an attempt to save the species by beginning a captive breeding program. Breeding efforts were successful, and since 1991 wildlife managers have annually released ferrets back into the wild at sites within the ferrets' historic range. Before their release into the wild, ferrets undergo a preconditioning stage in a quasi-natural habitat which better prepares them for life in the wild after a captive upbringing. Due to their nocturnal, fossorial, and largely solitary lifestyle, combined with their expansive habitat and endangered status, there are undoubtedly a multitude of behaviors ferrets exhibit that are not commonly observed. Here I detail multiple aspects of rarely described black-footed ferret ecology including black-tailed prairie dog Cynomys ludovicianus hunting stratagems, interactions with prairie rattlesnakes Crotalus viridis viridis, predation on birds, and sudden unexplained deaths of entire ferret family groups. The preconditioning setting that serves as an intermediate step between a captive and wild life for captive-reared ferrets allows for wildlife managers to witness ferret behaviors, though similar situations conceivably occur somewhat regularly in the wild.

Can-SINE dynamics in the giant panda and three other Caniformia genomes

BackgroundAlthough repeat sequences constitute about 37% of carnivore genomes, the characteristics and distribution of repeat sequences among carnivore genomes have not been fully investigated. Based on the updated Repbase library, we re-annotated transposable elements (TEs) in four Caniformia genomes (giant panda, polar bear, domestic dog, and domestic ferret) and performed a systematic, genome-wide comparison focusing on the Carnivora-specific SINE family, Can-SINEs.ResultsWe found the majority of young recently integrated transposable elements are LINEs and SINEs in carnivore genomes. In particular, SINEC1_AMe, SINEC1B_AMe and SINEC_C1 are the top three most abundant Can-SINE subfamilies in the panda and polar bear genomes. Transposition in transposition analysis indicates that SINEC1_AMe and SINEC1B_AMe are the most active subfamilies in the panda and the polar bear genomes. SINEC2A1_CF and SINEC1A_CF subfamilies show a higher retrotransposition activity in the dog genome, and MVB2 subfamily is the most active Can-SINE in the ferret genome. As the giant panda is an endangered icon species, we then focused on the identification of panda specific Can-SINEs. With the panda-associated two-way genome alignments, we identified 250 putative panda-specific (PPS) elements (139 SINEC1_AMes and 111 SINEC1B_AMes) that inserted in the panda genome but were absent at the orthologous regions of the other three genomes. Further investigation of these PPS elements allowed us to identify a new Can-SINE subfamily, the SINEC1_AMe2, which was distinguishable from the current SINEC1_AMe consensus by four non-CpG sites. SINEC1_AMe2 has a high copy number (> 100,000) in the panda and polar bear genomes and the vast majority (> 96%) of the SINEC1_AMe2 elements have divergence rates less than 10% in both genomes.ConclusionsOur results suggest that Can-SINEs show lineage-specific retransposition activity in the four genomes and have an important impact on the genomic landscape of different Caniformia lineages. Combining these observations with results from the COSEG, Network, and target site duplication analysis, we suggest that SINEC1_AMe2 is a young mobile element subfamily and currently active in both the panda and polar bear genomes.

Palatability and digestive tolerance of a new high protein/low carbohydrate commercial dry diet in adult ferrets

Summary The ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is an obligate carnivore whose dietary preference is determined at an early age. As a neophobic specie, it is very difficult to change an adult ferret's diet. The aim of this study was to assess the palatability and the digestive tolerance of a new commercial low carbohydrates/protein rich dry diet formulated for kitten in two populations: reproductive ferrets belonging to a farm and in neutered pet owner's ferrets. The new kibbles were progressively added following a transition phase then the palatability and digestive tolerance were monitored. Palatability was very satisfying. Indeed, 26.31% and 38% of farm and pet owner ferrets respectively consumed immediately the new diet. Hundred percent of farm ferrets consumed it at the end of the dietary transition and 80% of pet owner ferrets at the end of the study. Digestive tolerance was good as some stool changes were observed in the transition period but faeces rapidly returned to normal for most animals. Further, a notable weight gain was observed in farm ferrets, which is a significant factor in ensuring good breeding performance. This new dry diet seems to constitute a balanced nutritional alternative, very palatable and well tolerated from a digestive standpoint.

Trypsinogen isoforms in the ferret pancreas

The domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) recently emerged as a novel model for human pancreatic diseases. To investigate whether the ferret would be appropriate to study hereditary pancreatitis associated with increased trypsinogen autoactivation, we purified and cloned the trypsinogen isoforms from the ferret pancreas and studied their functional properties. We found two highly expressed isoforms, anionic and cationic trypsinogen. When compared to human cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1), ferret anionic trypsinogen autoactivated only in the presence of high calcium concentrations but not in millimolar calcium, which prevails in the secretory pathway. Ferret cationic trypsinogen was completely defective in autoactivation under all conditions tested. However, both isoforms were readily activated by enteropeptidase and cathepsin B. We conclude that ferret trypsinogens do not autoactivate as their human paralogs and cannot be used to model the effects of trypsinogen mutations associated with human hereditary pancreatitis. Intra-pancreatic trypsinogen activation by cathepsin B can occur in ferrets, which might trigger pancreatitis even in the absence of trypsinogen autoactivation.

The Optimal Timing of Reintroducing Captive Populations Into the Wild

We examine a conservation problem in which the recovery of an endangered species depends on a captive breeding and reintroduction program. The model is applied to the case of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), an endangered species in North America reliant on captive breeding for survival. The timing of reintroduction is an important concern in these programs as there is a tradeoff between the duration (and therefore the cost) of the captive breeding program and the period the population spends in recovery and in the wild. In this paper, we develop a stylized bioeconomic model to determine the optimal reintroduction time, in which the objective is to minimize the cost of reintroduction while providing a viably-sized population in the wild. Our control variable is the timing of reintroduction, which departs from a large body of work in bioeconomics that focuses on adjustable controls that directly affect the target population. Generally, we find it is optimal to reintroduce ferrets early in a reintroduction program, although this result is contingent on species interactions and provisioning services.

Genome sequencing and conservation genomics in the Scandinavian wolverine population.

Genetic approaches have proved valuable to the study and conservation of endangered populations, especially for monitoring programs, and there is potential for further developments in this direction by extending analyses to the genomic level. We assembled the genome of the wolverine (Gulo gulo), a mustelid that in Scandinavia has recently recovered from a significant population decline, and obtained a 2.42Gb draft sequence representing >85% of the genome and including >21,000protein-coding genes. We then performed whole-genome resequencing of 10Scandinavian wolverines for population genomic and demographic analyses. Genetic diversity was among the lowest detected in a red-listed population (mean genome-wide nucleotide diversity of 0.05%). Results of the demographic analyses indicated a long-term decline of the effective population size (Ne ) from 10,000well before the last glaciation to <500 after this period. Current Ne appeared even lower. The genome-wide FIS level was 0.089 (possibly signaling inbreeding), but this effect was not observed when analyzing a set of highly variable SNP markers, illustrating that such markers can give a biased picture of the overall character of genetic diversity. We found significant population structure, which has implications for population connectivity and conservation. We used an integrated microfluidic circuit chip technology to develop an SNP-array consisting of 96 highly informative markers that, together with a multiplex pre-amplification step, was successfully applied to low-quality DNA from scat samples. Our findings will inform management, conservation, and genetic monitoring of wolverines and serve as a genomic roadmap that can be applied to other endangered species. The approach used here can be generally utilized in other systems, but we acknowledge the trade-off between investing in genomic resources and direct conservation actions.

Molecular Investigations of the Development and Diseases of Cerebral Cortex Folding using Gyrencephalic Mammal Ferrets.

Folds of the cerebral cortex (gyri and sulci) are among the most important properties of the mammalian brain. Uncovering the physiological roles, developmental mechanisms and evolution of the cortical folds would greatly facilitate our understanding of the human brain and its diseases. Although the anatomical features of the cortical folds have been intensively investigated, our knowledge about their molecular bases is still limited. To overcome this limitation, we recently established rapid and efficient genetic manipulation techniques for the brain of gyrencephalic mammal ferrets (Mustela putorius furo). Using these techniques, we successfully uncovered the molecular mechanisms of cortical folding. In this article, I will summarize our recent research on the molecular mechanisms of development and diseases of cortical folding.

Maternal Immune Activation Alters Adult Behavior, Gut Microbiome and Juvenile Brain Oscillations in Ferrets.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) has been identified as a causal factor in psychiatric disorders by epidemiological studies in humans and mechanistic studies in rodent models. Addressing this gap in species between mice and human will accelerate the understanding of the role of MIA in the etiology of psychiatric disorders. Here, we provide the first study of MIA in the ferret (Mustela putorius furo), an animal model with a rich history of developmental investigations due to the similarities in developmental programs and cortical organization with primates. We found that after MIA by injection of PolyIC in the pregnant mother animal, the adult offspring exhibited reduced social behavior, less eye contact with humans, decreased recognition memory, a sex-specific increase in amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion, and altered gut microbiome. We also studied the neurophysiological properties of the MIA ferrets in development by in-vivo recordings of the local field potential (LFP) from visual cortex in five- to six-week-old animals, and found that the spontaneous and sensory-evoked LFP had decreased power, especially in the gamma frequency band. Overall, our results provide the first evidence for the detrimental effect of MIA in ferrets and support the use of the ferret as an intermediate model species for the study of disorders with neurodevelopmental origin.

Genetic variation in the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) with emphasis on the plains spotted skunk (S. p. interrupta)

We assessed the genetic variability of the eastern spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) throughout the range of the species, with an emphasis on the potentially endangered plains spotted skunk subspecies (S. p. interrupta). Tissue samples from a variety of sources including field surveys, state agencies, and museum tissue collections allowed a detailed assessment of the genetic variability in S. putorius using both microsatellite markers and cytochrome b (Cytb) gene sequences. Our analysis of 118 specimens established that genetic patterns were consistent with the currently accepted taxonomy of the 3 recognized subspecies: S. p. putorius, S. p. ambarvalis, and S. p. interrupta. The differentiation between S. p. putorius and S. p. ambarvalis was less pronounced (FST = 0.178; Cytb sequence divergence = 1.2%) than between these subspecies and the plains spotted skunk (average FST = 0.278; Cytb sequence divergence = 2.9%). Overall, genetic variability in the plains spotted skunk was lower than that seen in common carnivores (e.g., striped skunks, Mephitis mephitis, and raccoons, Procyon lotor), but slightly higher than in the endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). The heterozygosity levels more closely resemble those found within the island spotted skunk (S. gracilis amphiala) from the Channel Islands of California and other vertebrates that have a “threatened” conservation status.

Moving Forward: Recent Developments for the Ferret Biomedical Research Model.

Since the initial report in 1911, the domestic ferret has become an invaluable biomedical research model. While widely recognized for its utility in influenza virus research, ferrets are used for a variety of infectious and noninfectious disease models due to the anatomical, metabolic, and physiological features they share with humans and their susceptibility to many human pathogens. However, there are limitations to the model that must be overcome for maximal utility for the scientific community. Here, we describe important recent advances that will accelerate biomedical research with this animal model.

Morphological and molecular characterisation of Eimeria vison-like oocysts (Apicomplexa:Eimeriidae) in farmed mink (Neovison vison) in Denmark.

A survey was conducted on 30 Danish mink farms from April to October 2016 to determine the prevalence and species of Eimeria in Danish farmed mink. In total, 2.6% of mink faecal samples (108/4140) were positive for Eimeria vison-like oocysts by microscopy, with 24.8% (78/315) of mink being positive at least once during the study period. Morphological analysis of sporulated oocysts (n = 20) identified Eimeria vison-like oocysts measuring 21.0 × 13.8μm with a length/width (L/W) ratio of 1.5. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA sequences (1221bp) from three positive mink indicated that Eimeria vison-like shared the highest genetic similarity to Eimeria sp. ex Apodemus agrarius from a Striped field mouse (A. agrarius) from the Czech Republic (99.6%). Analysis of a shorter region of 18S (531bp) revealed that the E. vison-like genotype sequences grouped in the same clade and shared 97.7% similarity with E. furonis. At the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) locus, mink-derived sequences were not available from GenBank and phylogenetic analysis placed the novel E. vison-like in a clade with E. cf. ictidea (99.4% similarity) from a black footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) from Canada.

Trialling monitoring methods for feral cats, ferrets and rodents in the Whangamarino wetland

ABSTRACTThe Whangamarino wetland in New Zealand is one of three nationally important sites managed under the Department of Conservation's Arawai Kākāriki programme. Reducing populations of introduced predatory mammals to levels that will allow the recovery of threatened wetland birds is a key objective of the programme. However, existing monitoring techniques designed for measuring small pest mammal abundances in other environments may not be appropriate for the Whangamarino wetland. Between 2010 and 2014 we tested simple camera trap indices of ferret (Mustela furo) and feral cat (Felis catus) relative abundances and PCR WaxTag bite mark indices of rat (Norway rat Rattus norvegicus and ship rat R. rattus) and house mice (Mus musculus) relative abundances by comparing them to live-trap indices of pest abundances in the Whangamarino wetland. We found that there were strong positive correlations between the camera trap indices and the associated live-trap indices of ferret abundances. There were modest, but significant positive correlations between camera trap indices and the associated live-trap indices of feral cat abundances. We also found that both 3-night and 7-night PCR WaxTag bite mark indices of rat or mouse abundances correlated strongly and positively with associated live-trap indices. We concluded that camera traps can be used to monitor ferret and feral cat abundances and PCR WaxTags can be used to monitor rodent abundances in the Whangamarino wetland and other environments.

PO-222 Molecular characterisation of low grade lymphoma in northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni)

IntroductionLymphoid cancers are a biologically diverse group of neoplasms. Disease aetiology is multifactorial, implicating viral and infectious agents, immune dysfunction, and genetic factors. Lymphoid cancers affect domestic and laboratory animals; among members of Mustelidae, lymphoma has been reported in domestic ferrets, yet rarely in sea otters, with only 3 reported cases since 2002. However, since 2006, 3 sea otters at the Vancouver Aquarium (British Columbia, Canada) developed lymphoma. All 3 sea otters were rescued as young animals and have lived at the aquarium for the majority of their lives. A 21 year old female was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, while 2 males, aged 12 and 16, were diagnosed with lymphoma. Both males received chemotherapy before being humanely euthanized due to declining quality of life. A high rate of blood cancers in this population motivated the molecular characterisation of the most recent lymphoma.Material and methodsWhole genome sequencing was performed on peripheral blood and a lymphoma needle biopsy. The tumour biopsy was sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq X and Oxford Nanopore MinION, generating 264.5 and 4.63 passed filtered Gbp, respectively. De novo assembly was performed on the Illumina DNA and RNA data using ABySS 1.3.4. Structural variants were called with trans-abyss 1.4.10. Somatic variants were called by Strelka (v1.0.15) using matched tumour-normal samples aligned against the Enhydra lutris kenyoni reference genome. Variants were annotated by snpEFF (v4.3) using an in-house custom gene annotation database. The mutations in the sea otter tumour were subsequently compared to human and canine lymphomas.Results and discussionsThe sea otter genome contains 24 129 genes, of which 17 421 were mapped to the human genome. We identified several mutated genes with a known involvement in human lymphomas. We observed a stop-gain mutation in EP400, a paralog of human EP300. EP300 is a tumour suppressor which has been previously implicated in human Diffuse Large B-Cell and Follicular lymphomas. We also observed an indel in SPEN, a NOTCH pathway regulator, the deregulation of which is associated with human hematopoietic neoplasms.ConclusionThese observations suggest gene and pathway deregulation are a shared genetic commonality between sea otter and human lymphomas. Comparing the mutational spectrum in human, canine, and sea otter lymphoid cancers may elucidate aetiology and treatment options, and facilitate a One Health approach to neoplasia.

Marburg and Ravn Viruses Fail to Cause Disease in the Domestic Ferret (Mustela putorius furo).

The domestic ferret was recently described as a uniformly lethal model for 3 species of Ebolavirus. More importantly, this new model utilizes nonadapted wild-type Ebolaviruses. Here, in a proof-of-concept study, we infected ferrets with different variants of the closely related Marburg and Ravn viruses using different doses and routes of exposure. Although ferrets produced a neutralizing humoral response to challenge, we did not observe disease or viremia in any animal. The lack of disease in ferrets underscores the notion that differential mechanisms to immunity among filoviruses exist and may provide a model to better understand how differences contribute to disease.

MOTOR AND SENSORY NERVE CONDUCTION STUDY IN THE FERRET

Ferrets are considered a popular small mammal pet, and like other companion animals they are reported to suffer from diseases affecting the neuromuscular system. There currently is a lack of comprehensive electrodiagnostic study regarding the appendicular nerves of ferrets. In this research investigation, 25 domestic ferrets were used for electromyography and motor nerve conduction studies of the tibial, fibular, ulnar, and radial nerves, including H reflexes of the tibial and ulnar nerves, as well as sensory conduction of the fibular nerve. Mean and standard deviations for motor and sensory nerve studies were established. The hypothesis that weight would be correlated with all distal and proximal compound muscle action potential latencies was tested and confirmed for the tibial, fibular, and radial nerves but not the ulnar nerve.

Hypocalcaemia (puerperal tetany, milk fever, eclampsia) in a ferret (Mustela putorius furo)

Dyspnoea and/or collapse are not uncommon presenting signs for ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) brought in to the veterinary clinic. A 2-year-old female entire ferret was presented 3 weeks post-whelping with sudden onset collapse and dyspnoea. Blood glucose levels were found to be normal, however biochemistry analysis showed profound hypocalcaemia. Clinical signs resolved fully after the administration of calcium gluconate. This case report alerts the clinician to the clinical presentation and management of hypocalcaemia in the lactating ferret.