Heart Disease 雪貂的心臟病

Publish Date: Aug. 25, 2014

雪貂的心臟病

對中老年的雪貂而言, 心臟病是常見的疾病. 心臟疾病可分為下列幾種: 

• 擴張性心肌病 Dilated Cardiomyopathy. 
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.  
• Valvular Heart Disease.  
• Heartworm Disease.  如果在心臟裡面看到 heartworms.
• 
  

超過三歲以上的雪貂常見患有擴張性心臟病Dilated cardiomyopathy.  造成此病真正原因到目前為止仍就不清楚. 有可能的原因是病毒感染或是飲食中缺乏某些營養. 例如taurine, I-carnitine, I-arginine, Coenzyme Q10

[病徵]

• 胸腔積水 或 腹部積水
• 呼吸困難
• 咳嗽
• 蒼白
• 沒有食欲
• 心臟有雜音
• 疲倦
• 常常玩到一半就休息
• 體溫低

[診斷]

心臟病在被診斷出來以前,通常已經發生了好一段時間. 但仍可藉由下列方式事先診斷出來: 

• X光 X-rays. 可以判讀出心臟的尺寸與外形. 患有擴張性心臟病的心臟會比正常的心臟來的大且圓. 此外, X光片也可照出胸腔腹腔是否有積水的情況發生. 
• 超音波 Ultrasound. 

建議不要等到有上述病徵出現才帶你的愛貂去檢查, 因為這樣通常心臟病都已經發生很長一段時間, 有可能已經到很嚴重的危急時刻了. 定期的健康檢查才能早點發現問題早點治療. 

[治療]

擴張性心臟病Dilated cardiomyopathy只能用藥物控制,無法根治.  藥物只能控制疾病並減緩心臟衰弱的速度. 

醫師針對心臟病可能採用的處方有:

• ACE 抑制劑 
• 利尿劑
• 肌肉收縮增強劑 

[PREVENTION]

• Heartworm Prevention: 心絲蟲心臟病可用下列藥物做預防

• ivermectin. 
• milbemycin (Sentinel),
• selamectin (Revolution), 
• moxidectin (ProHeart) 
• Advantage Multi. The only product that is actually FDA approved for use in ferrets is Advantage Multi. Advantage Multi is a combination medication (not a compounded medication). It contains both moxidectin (for heartworm prevention, ear mite treatment and control, and for intestinal parasites) and imidacloprid (for flea treatment and control). Plus, Advantage Multi was the only heartworm product that was 100% effective in a recent study done at Auburn University against the new MP3 strain of canine heartworms.

患有心臟病的雪貂能再活多久? 端看他的心臟還能支撐多久? 如果你的愛貂能被早期診斷出來,且你和你的醫師也一起配合用心管理他的病況, 他有可能再活個二三年

資料來源: Ferrets For Dummies 2nd Edition

Heart Disease.

The most common type of heart disease seen in ferrets is dilated cardiomyopathy.

• Dilated Cardiomyopathy.  If the heart walls are stretched and thin, a doctor can diagnose dilated cardiomyopathy.
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.  If the heart walls are much thicker and bigger, the doctor can diagnose hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
• Valvular Heart Disease.  If the heart valves are thicker than normal and not working well, the doctor can diagnose valvular heart disease.
• Heart worm Disease.  If heart worms are SEEN in the heart, the doctor can diagnose heart worm disease.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is most common in ferrets over the age of 3.  It's a form of heart disease that causes damage to the heart muscle.  The exact cause of dilated cardiomyopathy is UNKNOWN at this time.  Possible causes including viral infections and nutritional problems, such as deficiencies of taurine, I-carnitine, I-arginine, or perhaps even a deficiency of Coenzyme Q10 in the diet.  

How long your big-hearted fuzzy will live with dilated cardiomyopathy really depends on how fast her heart is deteriorating.  If your ferret is diagnosed Early, and you and your vet manage the signs properly, she may live for 2 or 3 more years. 

Signs

Following are the signs of the dilated cardiomyopathy form of heart disease:

• Fluid buildup in the chest and abdominal areas
• Labored breathing
• Coughing
• Pale or bluish gum coloring
• Decreased or no appetite
• Heart murmur
• Lethargy
• Frequent rests during play
• Muffled heart sounds
• Hypothermia (low body temperature)

Diagnose

Heart disease usually begins long before the diagnosis is made; however, a diagnosis also can be made before the onset of signs.

• X-rays.  It can be taken to look at the size and shape of the heart.  Dilated cardiomyopathy heart disease causes the heart to be bigger and rounder than normal.  
• Ultrasound.  The ultimate means of establishing a diagnosis of heart disease is an ultrasound of the heart. 

Treatment

Dilated cardiomyopathy generally is irreversible and has NO CURE.  Treatment is designed to control the disease and slow down its progression.  You can manage dilated cardiomyopathy with medication.  The medications that vets commonly prescribe are: 

• An ACE inhibitor - such as benazepril or enalapril 
• A diuretic - such as furosemide
• A muscle contraction strengthener - such as digoxin or pimobendan.