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Basic Surgical Techniques for Ferrets

Preoperative Considerations

General health of ferret

  • Age
  • Body condition
  • Concurrent conditions
  • Cardiopulmonary status
  • Kidney and liver function
  • CBC results
  • Positive or negative nutritional plane

Conditions to treat preoperatively

  • Anemia
  • Low platelet count
  • Dehydration
  • Infection
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Heart disease

Be prepared to treat concurrent diseases with abdominal procedures

  • Partial pancreatectomy
  • Liver lobectomy
  • Right adrenalectomy

Perioperative Support

  • Intubation
  • Anesthesia
    • Sevoflurane
    • Isoflurane
  • Temperature controlled environment (heated table or hot packs)
  • SQ, IV or IO fluids
  • Intra-op monitors
    • Pulse oximetry
    • Capnography
    • EKG
  • Ventilation
    • No assistance – ferret breathes on its own
    • Assistant bags ferret and breathes for it
    • Mechanical ventilator breathes at controlled rate and depth for ferret (best)
  • Heat controlled ICU cage
  • Oxygen controlled environment
  • Blood products (blood donors, Oxyglobin®)
  • Tissue perfusion/blood pressure (Hetastarch®)
  • Post-op pain control
    • Butorphanol
  • Feeding
    • May need to hand feed initially if not eating
    • Eukanuba Max-Cal®, Hills A/D®

Surgical Instruments
* CO2 laser
* Very helpful
* Minimizes bleeding, swelling, pain

Basic Surgical Techniques

Ovariohysterectomy

  • Important to prevent aplastic anemia
  • Age 4-6 months
  • Routine procedure

Neuter

  • Important to prevent aggression, odor, marking
  • Age 4-6 months

Anal Gland Removal

  • “Scent” or anal gland secretions cause very strong odor

Mast Cell Tumor

  • Common skin tumor in ferrets
  • Can be flat or raised, pink or red
  • Usually benign and only on skin
  • Can periodically degranulate and become pruritic

Tail Amputation

  • Indications
    • Benign chordoma (tail tumor)-most common
    • Trauma
    • Non-healing lesion of tail

Enucleation

  • Indications
    • Tumor
    • Trauma
    • Uncontrolled glaucoma
    • Non-responsive peri-orbital infection