To Judy Gallipeau -
 
Sorry to be so late in responding - I got your message late last Friday -
and we are on an every-other-day holiday schedule.  I worte up a short
article this weekend on CMP (below).  As always, FML subscribers are
authorized to distribute it as they wish...
 
Concerning CMP - the vast majoirty of cases are probably due to genetics.
CMP is seen in Boxers, Great Danes, and Dobermans - each of these breeds
has their own specific type.  CMP also runs in family lines in humans.
WHile viruses have been incriminated in humans, I have not seen lesions
resembling pre-existent viral infections in the ferrets with CMP that I
have seen.  I think the rest of your questions are answered in the article.
 
Oh, although Teebone at 1.5 years is a bit young, I would certainly have a
radiograph done at the vet.  It can pinpoint CMP as well as a lot of other
diseases that may cause hinm to cough up fluid.
 
The following article may be reprinted by anyone desiring to disseminate this
information in a newsletter or non- commercial publication.  This material may
not be altered or changed in any way.  Under Title 17 of the U.S. Code, Section
105, copyright protection is not available for any work of the United States
Government.
 
 
        CARDIOMYOPATHY IN THE FERRET
 
        Cardiomyopathy is a common cause of heart disease in a number of
companion animals, including dogs, cats, and as many owners and breeders know,
our little friend, the ferret.  The word cardiomyopathy comes from three Greek
words meaning, literally, "a disease of the heart muscle", and that,
unfortunately, sums up much of what we know of this disease.
 
        The cause of cardiomyopathy in the ferret, as well as in the dog and the
cat, is unknown.  In humans, where cardiomyopathy was first diagnosed and has
been studied most extensively, this is also largely the case, although some
types of cardiomyopathy may occur as a result of pre-existing endocrine
diseases, viral disease, toxicities (including alcoholism), and nutritional
deficiency (Robbins, 1989).  There is one cause of cardiomyopathy that has been
elucidated in the cat, and although it has not been definitely linked in the
ferret, may be of importance - taurine deficiency.  (This is just another reason
why you should make sure that your ferrets food includes taurine - make sure to
check those labels on the bag of food.)
 
        Cardiomyopathy in the ferret is an insidious disease - the majority of
the damage to the heart occurs long before the owner ever realizes that the
animal is ill.  The general defect in all types of cardiomyopathy is the same -
death of cardiac muscle fibers, which are then replaced with scar tissue.  Scar
tissue does not have the ability to conduct electrical impulse or to contract
like heart muscle fibers can.  As more and more myofibers are lost, the heart
weakens and can no longer pump blood efficiently.  This results in the two
clinical findings which are the hallmark of diagnosis of heart disease in the
ferret:  a) an enlarged heart, and b) a "backing up" of the blood due to the
weakened heart's inability to pump it effectively (resulting in a syndrome known
as "congestive heart failure" - explained below.)
 
        When the blood backs up in the ferret it may go to a number of places -
it may back up into the abdomen, resulting in a swollen, fluid-filled belly.
Additionally, it may back up into the space around the lungs or into the lungs
themselves.  If fluid backs up into the lungs, the ferret may initially show a
soft cough.  As the fluid buildup progresses, the cough may worsen, and the
owner will generally notice a sharp decrease in the animal's energy. In the end
stages of the disease, ferrets have marked difficulty in breathing, often as a
combination of the fluid in the lungs and the fluid in the abdomen (which
presses on the diaphragm, impeding the ferrets's breathing even further).  This
is what is known as congestive heart failure.
 
        I have also seen cases of a different type of cardiomyopathy in a
handful of ferrets, a type of cardiomyopathy which is also seen in cats and is
known as "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy".  In this disease, there is an overgrowth
of fibers in the heart, which encroach upon the inside diameter of the heart,
and in this manner, decrease the heart's effectiveness in pumping the blood
presented to it.  The clinical signs of this type of cardiomyopathy are
identical to the congestive type which has already been discussed.
 
        Diagnosis of the disease is difficult in the early stages, but becomes
progressively easier as the disease goes along.  All of the signs (enlarged
heart, fluid in the abdomen or around the lungs) can be seen on a radiograph (or
"x-ray"), and this is the primary method by which affected animals are
diagnosed.  Specialized tests, such as echocardiography, are available at some
veterinary hospitals, and can help pinpoint cases earlier in the disease's
progression.
 
        We have discussed that cardiomyopathy is an insidious, progressive
disease; there is no cure for cardiomyopathy, only treatment.  The hallmark of
treatment of this type of heart disease is two-fold: you must first decrease the
amount of fluid built up in abnormal locations, and second, increase the
strength of contraction of the heart.  Diuretics are used to mobilize the excess
fluid from the abdomen and lungs, and to keep the blood volume at a level which
the weakened heart can pump it.  Digitalis and related drugs help increase the
strength of contraction of the remaining heart muscle to help it pump more
effectively.  In early cases, management of fluid volume with diuretics may be
the only treatment necessary, with digitalis and like drugs held in reserve for
the time when the heart becomes weaker.
 
        However, not all animals respond well to treatment.  Dr. James Fox, in
his book Biology and Diseases of the Ferret, reports that even when treated, the
clinical course is fairly rapid, and treatment failures are common.  This
enforces the need to monitor your pets closely and bring any suspicions that you
may have to the attention of your veterinarian immediately.
 
 
 
 
1.  Robbins SL, Cotran RS and Kumar V.  Pathologic Basis of Disease.  W.B.
Saunders and Co., Philadelphia, 1989. p. 634-638.
 
2.  Fox, JL.  Biology and Diseases of the Ferret.  Lea and Febiger,
Philadelphia, 1988, pp 268-269.
 
3.  Jubb, Kennedy, and Palmer.   Pathology of Domestic Animals, vol 3.  Academic
Press, San Diego, 1985, pp. 26- 29
 
 
 
Bruce Williams, DVM
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[Posted in FML issue 0676]