Heart disease in ferrets: signs, diagnosis and care

Heart disease is fairly common in ferrets, especially in middle-aged and older individuals.

Symptoms

Either the ferret shows no symptoms at all and the problem is found by chance, or it shows vague signs: loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, difficulty walking. Weakness in the hindquarters is often obvious. Later, more telltale signs appear, such as ascites (fluid in the abdomen) or a faster breathing rate that the owner may notice. A cough, of the kind seen in dogs, is however rarely observed in the ferret.

Diagnosis

Examining the heart, the colour of the mucous membranes, the pulse and the abdominal structures may raise an initial suspicion; further tests are then needed, such as X-rays, sometimes an ECG, but above all an echocardiogram.
Most heart conditions are cardiomyopathies — often the dilated (or congestive) form, and more rarely the hypertrophic form. Valve disease is seen too, though less often. Finally, one may come across conditions such as myocarditis, congenital heart defects (little described), tumours, or even heartworm disease (dirofilariasis) in areas where it is endemic.

Treatment

There is no cure; the aim is to ease the heart’s workload — and so its effect on the body — with suitable medication. The body can compensate for a faltering heart for a long time, but it can suddenly be overwhelmed (decompensate), which may prove fatal.

The treatments are not always tolerated perfectly, and doses often need to be adjusted gradually. What is more, some drugs used in dogs and cats are difficult to dose in the ferret. Certain concurrent illnesses also dim the chances of stabilising the heart. Cardiac diets made for dogs and cats do not suit the ferret’s nutrition; even so, a low-salt diet and steps to reduce the ferret’s physical activity may prove helpful.