Dr. Karen Rosenthal received a Masters degree from Duke University in 1982 and her DVM degree in 1988 from North Carolina State University. After veterinary school, she did a companion animal internship at The Animal Medical Center and then a residency in avian and exotic animal medicine and surgery also at The Animal Medical Center in New York City. She stayed on as a staff member of the avian and exotic animal service for 5 years. After leaving The Animal Medical Center, she became the national director of avian and exotic animal services for Antech Diagnostics. During that time, Dr. Rosenthal was also the staff veterinarian for the Long Island Reptile Museum. In 1999, she accepted the appointment as the Director of Special Species Medicine at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently an associate professor and holds the Abaxis Chair in Special Species Medicine. Dr. Rosenthal has a broad range of interests and speaks and writes on topics concerning small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Her special interests include endocrine diseases, clinical pathology, and imaging techniques in special species.

We will discuss the most common diseases seen in pet ferrets by the small animal veterinarian. Signalment, history, and signs of these diseases will be described. Diagnostics and treatment will be briefly discussed. After this talk, you should be able to identify and describe most major ferret diseases.