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A collection of interesting articles and papers with (often vague) veterinary relevance

A study into ferret vaccination by Queen’s University Belfast, UK

This study suggests that vaccination of ferrets using UK dog vaccines is safe with an equivalent (low) number of adverse events occuring in vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. The vaccinated group showed an increase in minor events classed as lethargy/sleepiness/tiredness.

“The percentage of ferrets experiencing each class of adverse event apart from lethargy/sleepiness/tiredness was less than 2% for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated ferrets. Lethargy/sleepiness/tiredness was reported for a greater percentage of vaccinated ferrets (12.3%) compared with non-vaccinated ferrets (1.8%).”

DNA to be used in dog mess fight

Officials in an Israeli city have come up with an innovative way of tracking dog owners who allow their pets to foul the streets - DNA analysis...

Farm pregnancy 'cuts asthma risk'

Living on a farm during pregnancy may help reduce the chance of the child developing asthma, eczema and even hayfever, say scientists...

Outbreak of canine distemper in domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)

[http://veterinaryrecord.bvapublications.com/cgi/content/abstract/163/8/246]

D. Perpiñán, DVM, MSc, A. Ramis, DVM, PhD, DECVP, A. Tomás, DVM, PhD, E. Carpintero, DVM and F. Bargalló, DVM

In 2006 an outbreak of canine distemper affected 14 young domestic ferrets in Barcelona, Spain. Their clinical signs included a reduced appetite, lethargy, dyspnoea, coughing, sneezing, mucopurulent ocular and nasal discharges, facial and perineal dermatitis, diarrhoea, splenomegaly and fever. Late in the course of the disease, general desquamation and pruritus, and hyperkeratotic/crusting dermatitis of the lips, eyes, nose, footpads, and perineal area were observed. None of the ferrets developed neurological signs. Non-regenerative anaemia and high serum concentrations of - and β-globulins were the most common laboratory findings. Most of the animals died or were euthanased because of respiratory complications. Postmortem there were no signs of lung collapse. Distemper was diagnosed by direct immunofluorescence of conjunctival swabs or PCR of several organs, and histology revealed the characteristic eosinophilic intracytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusion bodies of canine distemper virus in several organs. The minimum incubation periods calculated for six of the ferrets were 11 to 56 days, and in 13 of the ferrets the signs of disease lasted 14 to 34 days. Inclusion bodies compatible with infection by herpesvirus were found in the lungs of one of the ferrets.

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