From 2005 to 2013, 17 ferrets were diagnosed with mycobacteriosis at the authors' practices. Clinical findings included ocular, respiratory, and digestive abnormalities. Diagnosis was based on histopathology, specific histochemical stains, and/or on polymerase chain reaction. All bacteria identified belonged to the nontuberculous Mycobacterium complex. Several treatment protocols were attempted, frequently based on the use of enrofloxacin. In all, 3 ferrets were considered cured. Mycobacteriosis in ferrets is a polymorphous disease with diverse clinical presentations. It is also likely an underdiagnosed disease in pet ferrets, which appear to be particularly susceptible to environmental sources. Mycobacteriosis should be included in the differential diagnosis for ocular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal diseases; in particular, it should be differentiated from systemic coronavirus infection.

No abstract

Typical diseases are well described in pet rats, but their prevalence and management are largely unknown. During a six-month period, standardised records were obtained for 375 rats presenting in three French centres to determine the diagnoses made and the treatments prescribed. Rhinitis, healthy animal and mammary gland tumours accounted for the majority of diagnoses. The 10 most common diagnoses accounted for 66.9 per cent of all cases. Inappropriate environment was a risk factor for respiratory disease (P<0.001). Mean age of presentation of rats with respiratory disease was lower for rats living in non-appropriate environment (P=0.049). Twenty-two per cent of animals underwent surgery, with a significant difference according to sex because of the higher rate of mammary gland tumours in females (P=0.006). Tumourectomy, ovariohysterectomy or castration accounted for 70 per cent of all procedures. Training veterinarians on 10 clinical situations, 3 surgical procedures and 3 therapeutic classes would improve the management of most of the pet rats. An early visit to provide owners with all recommendations and information on appropriate maintenance, and one visit around 15 months of age to detect any mass at an early stage, could help to reduce respiratory disease and improve clinical outcomes.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish reference intervals for prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial prothrombin time (aPTT) in healthy rabbits using two different point-of-care analysers (Idexx Coag DX and MS Quick Vet Coag Combo). These intervals would be useful in the diagnosis of coagulopathies and in the determination of coagulation status in critical patients. We are unaware of reports of coagulation values in pet rabbits. Blood samples were analysed from 81 clinically healthy pet rabbits under three years of age (49 females and 32 males). The reference intervals were as follows (non-parametric method for the MS Quick Vet Coag Combo and Box-Cox Robust method for the Idexx Coag DX, p<0.05 limit for statistical significance): PT (MS Quick Vet Coag Combo)=N=33, 17.2-28.5; PT (Idexx Coag DX)=N=48, 10.0-14.8, aPTT (MS Quick Vet Coag Combo)=N=33, 103.2-159.2 and aPTT (Idexx Coag DX)=N=48, 104.2-159.1. PT was significantly longer using the MS Quick Vet Coag Combo. aPTT was significantly shorter with the MS Quick Vet Coag Combo. On each type of analyser, there was no significant difference between sexes and blood sampling sites. A significant difference was present for the use or not of anaesthesia with the MS Quick Vet Coag Combo analyser. This study on healthy pet rabbits will be useful in point-of-care diagnosis of coagulopathies.