To Stan Siatkowski:
 
>...  He appears at first glance to have a disfigured fang (lower left)
>which sticks out, but upon closer examination, his entire lower jaw is
>twisted.  They can't tell me whether it is congenital or due to an injury,
>but he isn't in any pain (he doesn't mind a mild bite-fight with my
>finger).  Because he's been priced down, I'm sorely tempted to add him to
>our little family, but I need to be concerned about the possible expense of
>dental surgery.  I know it's a difficult question to answer, but could
>anyone give me any advice on if such jaw deformations are common, if they
>cause trouble in later years.
 
    According to several references, tooth deformities are common, although
I certainly haven't seen many.  A ferret such as 'Fang" will probably not
require surgery and will live just as long as any other ferret.  My main
concern would be how the adult teeth will come in, as the malalignment
could cause a difficulty there, and the possibility of excessive tartar
formation over the years.  I certainly don't think that anyone would advise
any type of corrective surgery to the jaw itself.
 
    Maybe its me, but I find the story of the "priced-down" ferret with the
protruding fang a bit on the sad side - I hope that you will add him to
your family...
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
Dept. of Vet Path, AFIP
[log in to unmask]  OR
Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1285]