Page 1165 - Small Animal Clinical Nutrition 5th Edition

Chapter
70

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Feeding Small Pet Mammals

James W. Carpenter
Karen N. Wolf
Christine Kolmstetter

“All the thoughts of a turtle are turtles, and of a rabbit, rabbits.”
The Natural History of Intellect, 1893

er, a five-point system (where 1 = cachectic, 3 = optimal, and 5 =
CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
obese) can be applied to all species. Body condition scores quali-
Ferrets, rabbits and rodents are popular pets that are often pre- tatively assess amounts of body fat and muscle. Excessive loss of
sented to veterinarians for advice about their care, including body fat suggests starvation (due to husbandry, diet, or disease),
diet and feeding management and treatment of medical disor- whereas excessive loss of muscling suggests advanced starvation,
ders. Each species presents nutritional challenges. Dietary forced inactivity or altered metabolic states (often due to disease).
management of ferrets, rabbits and rodents may be modified by Other factors may become part of overall nutritional assess-
lifestage, level of physical activity and state of health. Owners ment. Small mammals, for example, can also be evaluated for
may need advice about feeding healthy pets to meet needs for the condition of their skin and fur and their behavior and atti-
maintenance, growth, reproduction or stress. Patients may pres- tude. As for other species, serum biochemistry profiles are of
ent with disorders caused by an imbalanced diet or improper limited use in nutritional assessment.
feeding practices. In addition, nutritional support is used for
rehabilitation of debilitated animals. This chapter covers the DOMESTIC FERRETS
nutritional needs of healthy pet ferrets, rabbits and rodents and
those with common disease processes. Husbandry
Dietary management begins with assessment of the animal, The domestic or European ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a
food and feeding method. A feeding plan is formulated based on member of the family Mustelidae, order Carnivora. Other
the results of this assessment (Chapter 1). Although data are mustelids include the mink (Mustela vison) and weasel (Mustela
lacking for specific exotic species, assessment is similar to that for spp.). Pet ferrets were domesticated from the wild European
other mammals. It begins with a thorough history of the animal, polecat and were probably brought to North America by
including diet, husbandry and environment. Physical examina- English settlers 300 years ago (Fox, 1988). Two variations are
tion includes recording body weight and assessing body condi- recognized, based on coloration: 1) the fitch ferret is pale yel-
tion, using body condition scores. Details about body condition low buff with black mask, legs and tail, and 2) the albino ferret
scoring systems are unavailable for most small mammals; howev- is white with pink eyes.