North American pet ferrets with dental abscesses = 5.9%.
Feral New Zealand ferrets with dental abscesses =  0.0%.
Wild polecats (all combined) with dental abscesses = 0.0%.
100.0% of all animals with dental abscesses were pet ferrets.
 
Like periodontal disease, the presence of dental abscesses will be
undercounted when examining ferret skeletons, although probably not to
the same degree.  The reason is because only those abscesses that cause
damage to bone will be counted, and those that exist in soft tissue or
those inside the bone, but without visible erosions, will be missed.
This means that the 5.9% rate of dental abscesses in ferrets is low and
the actual number will be somewhat higher.
 
All the dental abscesses seen in ferrets were associated with dental
calculus, reactive bone disease, and missing teeth.  In many cases, the
abscess was extensive and resulted in severe bone and tooth loss.  Some
of the bone loss was not at the site of the initial infection.  In many
cases, bone was eroded on other places of the skull, including into the
cranial cavity.  In a couple of cases, the infection became systemic,
and bones in other areas of the body displayed severe erosions.  Most of
the abscesses occurred to cheek teeth, most notably the carnassials, but
some impacted the canines.  Sometimes the abscess was inside the tooth,
turning it pink to light brown, with little external indication of
disease.  Not a single abscess was associated with a broken tooth; if a
canine was broken and it also had an abscess, the association appeared
coincidental.  In all cases, the abscess was associated with severe
periodontal disease.  All the abscesses appeared active; that is, there
were no signs of healing bone or other indications of repair.  That
means the problem was present at the death of the animal, and probably
either exacerbated other disease, or was the direct cause of death.
 
Dental abscesses are severe problems in ferrets and require immediate,
aggressive veterinary care.  Many will require the ferret be
anaesthetized for treatment, which may include some type of surgical
procedure, the removal of the tooth, or the direct injection of powerful
antibiotics.  Dental abscesses can result in bacteremia, septicemia,
bacterial endocarditis, and other septic conditions.  As a ferret owner,
you may not be able to see a dental abscess; it may drain into a sinus,
the drainage might not be noticed, or it may be contained and not be
draining at all.  Generally, some swelling will be present, especially
inside the mouth, on the cheeks or jaw, or around the eyes.  The ferret
may appear to be drooling (hypersalivation).  The ferret may appear to
lack energy, or seem listless.  A fever may or may not be present.  The
ferret may have frequent episodes of severe sneezing.  Oral tissues may
be reddish or discolored.  If the ferret has an active abscess, it is
likely there will be associated pain, so the ferret may not be eating
well and could be losing weight (if you notice your ferret is slowly
loosing weight for no apparent reason, suspect dental problems).
There will probably be a bad odor (halitosis is NOT normal in ferrets),
especially if the abscess is draining.  If you notice ANY of these
symptoms, see a veterinarian immediately.
 
From my study, most (if not all) dental abscesses are a result of
untreated periodontal disease.  That means most can be prevented with a
program of regular dental hygiene and periodic professional cleaning.
Prevent or treat periodontal disease and you will greatly reduce the
chance of your ferret developing a dental abscess.
 
In the next installment, I will discuss worn teeth in ferrets.
 
Bob C
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[Posted in FML issue 4518]