Little thief: the domestic ferret

Three illnesses appear commonly in pet ferrets: cardiomyopathies insulinoma, and adrenal associated endocrinopathy. Treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy include ACE inhibitors, and furosemide is recommended for the treatment for long-term diuresis treatment of congestive heart failure. Insulinoma, cancer of the pancreas, is the most common neoplasm of the American ferret, often times treated by surgically excising the cancerous lobes, optionally can be treated with steroids that suppress insulin. Adrenal disease in ferrets is due to excessive release of estrogen from a proliferative adrenal lesion and theoretically is associated with the light cycle or photoperiod to which a ferret is exposed. Adrenal disease is commonly treated with: environmental changes; melatonin, administered orally or by implant; investigative hormone implant treatments to decrease estrogen levels; and antihistamines to decrease episodic itching. This article provides the history of ferrets, clinical and medical evaluations, common disease states of ferrets, and discusses their role as research animals. Smaller animals are more challenging for veterinarians and pharmacists to treat, and the purpose of this article is to provide insight into those challenges.