ALERT for Real Canadian Ferret owners

[Tressie]

If you have a Real Canadian Ferret it would appear that they are carrying an organism that predisposes them to a novel respiratory disease and other associated problems. They also are being vaccinated as kits with a mink distemper vaccine, which is not suitable for ferrets.

Please read the following post from a ferret expert vet and pass the information on to your veterinarian:

pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/13401

Tressie

PS - these ferrets will have an 'I' or 'H' tattoo in their ears.

[Tressie]

An update on this:

I was contacted by Dr. Jerry Murray to say that it has been confirmed that Real Canadian Ferrets are the source for mycoplasmosis in ferrets. The findings were presented to an international audience at the Exotics conference this past week.

This disease causes a hacking cough that comes and goes. It is contagious and there is a specific antibiotic given for it. If you have a ferret with a hacking cough he/she may have been exposed to this bacterium and should be treated for it.

If you have Real Canadian Ferrets - alert your vet so that they can receive the appropriate treatment for it, in the interim isolate them from other ferrets.

The head veterinarian of the Manitoba SPCA has been contacted and will be conducting an investigation into the breeder's facilities.

There is an article about this disease in the recent issue of Ferrets Magazine:

www.smallanimalchannel.com/ferrets/ferret-health/how-msu-is-helping-ferrets-2.aspx

Tressie

[mindy]

hi Tressie

i am guessing this is a relatively new thing? fred was a RC ferret but i never noticed him coughing. sometimes ginny coughs though. she doesn't do it often but every now and then she will cough. i usually give her vaseline and watch her for a few days to make sure everything is ok.

i am going to get her an appt with the vet because i was thinking for a while that it was probably her heart or a tumor squishing her heart... everything comes back to tumors for me

[Tressie]

Hi Mindy,

Donnola has had a chronic off and on again cough since I got her. I also thought it might be her heart. But her heart is fine! Dr. Dibblee agrees that its likely this mycoplasmic respiratory infection.

The pattern is identical - a hacking cough that comes and goes.

After Dr. Benoit cleared her heart, I also thought she might have a fur ball or something and used to give her FerretLax. But the cough always comes back. In her case it happens most often when she's sleeping.

We don't know how long RCFs have been carriers of this bacterium. Not all ferrets who are carriers show clinical symptoms. Advanced cases develop GI problems and some get abdominal tumors. Isn't that what Fred had at the end?

I have sent you an email with the information to give to your vet so that he's aware and will watch for mycoplasmosis in any ferret who has chronic coughing.

The diagnostic for it is invasive and difficult - bronchialveolar lavage culture. Dr. Dibblee has decided to treat Donnola with the antibiotic protocol for this bug based on her clinical symptoms (Doxycyclin 10mg/kg BID and Baytril 10mg/kg BID). She's had the cough at least 2 years and is now developing GI problems.

Donnola is not a RCF but she was in an SPCA animal shelter in PEI for a few months and may have picked it up then.

Tressie

[mindy]

thank you Tressie

i have forwarded the email to Dr. Tipple and they responded saying thank you for the information.

yes, that is what fred had at the end. he always had bird-seedy poops and finally developed a tumor in his bowels or at least somewhere down there. i didn't get a (don't remember the name for the examination after death... necropsy??) done and didn't even think to do it. then you posted that you should always get one done to help your vet learn, by then it was too late.

i will make an appt with Dr. Tipple to see what he thinks about ginny's heart and discuss mycoplasmosis.

i don't know when ginny starts coughing because by the time i get in the room she is out where i can see her. she never seems to cough when i am in there with her. she had a real hacking cough one day about a week ago. she scared me half to death. i gave her vaseline because i was thinking hairball or (god forbid) blockage. she was fine the next day but then coughed off and on for a few days but never as bad as that day.

i will make an appt!

[Tressie]

Donnola had a really bad coughing episode about 6 weeks ago that really scared me as well. She coughed and coughed until she vomited. I gave her FerretLax as well but she was quite lethargic most of the day. I think the coughing exhausted her.

It was a weekend of course! I took her in to see Dr. Dibblee the following Monday but by then she was fine again. She checked her over pretty carefully including listening to her heart and lungs. Everything checked out okay. Then oddly, she didn't cough again for about 3 weeks, when it started up again.

Cannoli and Dolcezze are going in for Deslorelin implants on Wednesday (2nd one for Cannoli) and I hope they have the antibiotics for Donnola by then. Cannoli's implant lasted 14 months, which is pretty good!

Tressie

[mindy]

are the antibiotics hard to come by? i have an appt for ginny for the 20th. we can't really get into town before then. if they need to order in the antibiotics i should probably call them to make sure everything will be fine for when we come in.

that is great that the deslorelin implant lasted so long for cannoli!! i hope that the vet appt goes very well

[mindy]

hi Tressie,

i hope you don't mind, i cross posted this on another ferret forum i am on. i guess spreading the word to whoever we can is most important

[Tressie]

Hi Mindy,

I would call ahead to see if they have to order in the antibiotics.

And please do feel free to pass the information on. People need to be made aware!

Tressie

[mindy]

thank you

i will call my vet tomorrow.

[Camille]

I just found this post. I found out today that my ferret is a real canadian ferret. Hes only had issues with coughing once but he had gotten into some bad dust that day. but i might have to check him out for that. Do you think i could get a copy of that to give to my vet so he can look into it.

[Tressie]

If your vet is Dr. Drmac, I've already sent him the information. Let me know if you have another vet and I'll send you the info.

I would highly recommend Dr. Drmac!

Not all RCFs develop a cough or other associated problems. However, its good to keep an eye on him just in case.

Tressie

[Camille]

Aug 15, 2010 19:52:55 GMT -4 Tressie said:

If your vet is Dr. Drmac, I've already sent him the information. Let me know if you have another vet and I'll send you the info.

I would highly recommend Dr. Drmac!

Not all RCFs develop a cough or other associated problems. However, its good to keep an eye on him just in case.

Tressie

what clinic does he work at? Right now my vet is Dr Gallon. But if anyone knows of any vet with more ferret experience in the moncton area im deffinetly open to changing if it means faster diagnosis and proper treatment.

[Tressie]

Vet Care Pet Hospital
30 Trites Road
Riverview, NB E1B 2V6
Dr. Miro Drmac
[phone]


He is very knowledgeable about ferrets! He is Ashley's vet!

Tressie

[Johnny and Demon]

He's great with ferrets ! He's very nice and you can tell he loves them

[Camille]

Then i will switch to him for my vet visits with Misha from now on

[Tressie]

From this morning's Ferret Health List:

pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/13591

Good news is that it doesn't appear to be highly contagious!!

Mycoplasma in ferrets from the "Real Canadian Ferrets" breeder in Ca


There's a bit of conversations on ferret boards, and will be more about the
new Mycoplasma infections discovered in ferrets from the Real Canadian
Ferrets breeder.

Since I have direct involvement, I thought I'd share what I know:

A couple of weeks ago, the Association of Exotic Mammal Vets had their
annual convention in San Diego.

At the convention, Dr. Cathy Johnson-Delaney presented on a new
discovery/disease.

Many ferrets from the Real Canadian Ferrets breeder in Manitoba, CA have had
persistent coughs which are quite distinctive.

The following treatments were tried:
* Various antibiotics
* Broncodialators
* Nebulizing
* NSAIDS
* Prednisone
* Expectorant
* Antihistimine
* Nutraceutical immune formulation

None of the treatments resolve it. It goes away for awhile, but comes back.


The RCF ferrets are primarily distributed in 3 regions: The Pacific
Northwest US (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska), Eastern Canada, and Japan.

Our shelter, located in Kirkland, WA. has seen quite a few of these ferrets
over the past several years, and in fact mine was one of them that developed
a severe cough, and ended dying from it. I had been working with Dr.
Johnson-Delaney with Kodie, and carefully got Kodie's body in to Dr. Cathy,
where she was able to obtain samples from which the mycoplasma was first
isolated by researchers at University of Michigan.

Mycoplasma is a very primitive bacteria which lacks a cell wall, and lives
inside host cells, making the usual antibiotics ineffective.

Bad news: We know of no way to cure this at present.

Good news: While it can be transmitted, it seems to primarily be transmitted
to ferrets whose immune systems are compromised, or not yet fully developed.
Also, to date, we have only found it in ferrets from the Real Canadian
Ferrets breeder in Manitoba, Canada. If you don't live in the Pacific
Northwest, Eastern Canada, or Japan, it is unlikely that you'll have contact
with one of these ferrets.

Also, we have direct experience with ferrets living side-by-side with
mycoplasma infected ferrets, and not getting sick.

So, it's something new, it can be fatal, it is currently limited to one
breeder in Canada (and hopefully will remain so), and is not highly
contagious.

Kevin Farlee
President
Washington Ferret Rescue & Shelter

[Camille]

That is a big relief! Hopefully though they come up with something that can treat it properly

[mindy]

Tressie, are you still planning to give the course of antibiotics to donnola? ginny's appt is on friday and i don't know what to do. she is still coughing off and on.

what do you think?

[Tressie]

Donnola is seeing Dr. Dibblee this evening to get weighed and is going to be put on the 2 recommended antibiotics for mycoplasmosis.

The off/on again coughing is a pretty strong clinical symptom.

Dr. Dibblee is putting her on the antibiotic cocktail for 2 months.

I guess its your call, but if she does have that intermittent cough better be safe than sorry.

Tressie