[Moderator's note: All of Dr.  Williams' posts have been reformatted,
some excess attributions cut, and in some cases subjects added, but no
content was altered.  BIG]
 
To Deborah Micklea:
 
>       Does anyone else out there have any experience with a ferret with
>[cardiomyopathy]?  What should I expect?...  I got his "sister" at the
>same age and time.  What if they are litter mates?  Could she get it?
 
        Debbie, this is tough news.  For a good brief on cardiomyopathy in
ferrets - check the Ferret FAQ - see above for details.  Unfortunately, ferret
kits with cardiomyopathy rarely make old bones.  We see a lot of CMP in older
animals, as it gets rpgressively worse over a lifetime, but hen we see it in a
five month-old - that's pretty severe.  It certainly runs in bloodlines, so the
parents and the siblings probably also have the predisposition, but they may
not develop heart failure at such a rapid rate.  In that regard, it differs
somewhat between related individuals.
 
        Lasix, a diuretic, is not a cure, but it does tend to decrease the
blood volume a bit, making it easier for the failing heart to pump the blood
around the body.  Also check with your vet about the use of digitalis and
enalapril (which you will probably need late on in the prgression of the
disease.
 
        Will the pet store care - not really.  Ferrets often come from a
variety of locations - and they may not even be able to trace the animal back
to the original breeder.
 
--
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Department of Veterinary Pathology
[log in to unmask]               Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]             Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
(202) 782-2600/2602
[Posted in FML issue 1168]