{"id":13743,"date":"2014-12-11T21:12:43","date_gmt":"2014-12-12T03:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lafeber.com\/staging\/vet\/?p=13743"},"modified":"2026-05-21T00:14:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T05:14:20","slug":"urolithiasis-in-ferrets-rabbits-and-rodents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lafeber.com\/vet\/urolithiasis-in-ferrets-rabbits-and-rodents\/","title":{"rendered":"Urolithiasis in Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/h2>\n

Urolithiasis is characterized by single or multiple calculi throughout the urinary tract or by the presence of sandy material within the bladder and urethra.\u00a0 Uroliths are fortunately more of a historical disease in the ferret, while calculi are still an important problem in rabbits and rodents (Fig 1).<\/p>\n

\"urolithiasis<\/a>

Figure 1<\/strong>. Large urolith in the urethra of a female guinea pig (Cavia porcellus<\/em>). Photo credit: Uwe Gille\/Wikimedia Commons. Click image to enlarge<\/em>.<\/small><\/p><\/div>\n

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Ferrets<\/h2>\n

Incidence<\/h3>\n

Urolithiasis is seen most frequently in adult males ferrets<\/a>. The most common urinary calculus reported in the domestic ferret is struvite or magnesium ammonium phosphate .<\/p>\n

Pathogenesis<\/h3>\n

Dietary factors are believed to play an important role in struvite crystal formation in the ferret<\/a>. Urine pH is greatly influenced by diet, specifically by the source of dietary protein. Metabolism of animal protein tends to produce acidic urine, while plant-based protein diets, like dog food or inexpensive cat foods, produce relatively alkaline urine. Struvite crystals commonly form at urine pH exceeding 6.6. Significant crystalluria leads to the development of calculi or sandy material in the bladder and urethra. Urinary calculi used to be a common cause of stranguria in ferrets; however improvements in diet have made urolithiasis rare in ferrets on ferret food or high-quality cat food. Urolithiasis is also rare in pet ferrets on fresh meat diets in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.<\/p>\n

Urolithiasis may also be associated with ascending cystitis in pregnant jills. Infection is usually caused by urease-positive bacteria like Staphylococcus<\/em> or Proteus<\/em> spp.<\/p>\n

Although most uroliths are struvite, mixed uroliths have also been reported in ferrets including 60% struvite and 40% calcium oxalate and there are also rare reports of cystine stones. The cause of cystine urolithiasis in ferrets is unknown, but has been speculated to be dietary or hereditary.<\/p>\n

Clinical disease<\/h3>\n

Clinical signs of urolithiasis in the male or hob ferret may include stranguria, dysuria, pollakiuria, urine dribbling, frequent licking of the prepuce, and hematuria. Ferrets with urethral obstruction may strain violently or cry when attempting to urinate, and owners may misinterpret the straining observed as \u201cconstipation\u201d. Tenesmus may even lead to diarrhea in some cases. Occasionally, a ferret with blockage will present for lethargy, weakness, anorexia, and even collapse without obvious signs of dysuria. If left uncorrected, urinary obstruction can result in severe metabolic disturbances, coma, and death.<\/p>\n

Affected female ferrets or jills may be asymptomatic or show intermittent straining for days or weeks. Once the cystic calculus reaches a large size, the jill will eventually show signs of real distress. By this time, there may also be evidence of urine dribbling and urine scald. Although urethral obstruction is more common in male ferrets, females can also become obstructed potentially straining hard enough to cause rectal or vaginal prolapse and potentially fatal hemorrhage.<\/p>\n

Diagnosis<\/h3>\n