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Characterisation of the French ferret population, husbandry, reported medical care and feeding habits.

ABSTRACT: Ferrets have become a common companion animal. But no data are available on the French population of ferrets. The goal of the survey was to characterise this population, including demographic characteristics, husbandry, reported medical care and feeding habits. Complete data were available for 1205 pet ferrets in 709 households. Most ferrets (86·1 %) lived indoors, 1 % received only artificial lighting, and 47 % chewed their cage. For 60 % of the ferrets, body weight was higher in winter and lower in summer. Neutered ferrets (58·5 % of males and 62·9 % of females) appeared lighter than intact ferrets of comparable age. A majority (52·4 %) of ferrets received a mix of commercial foods and fresh foods, but 28·6 % were offered no commercial foods. Data were analysed using several multivariable logistic regression models including age, sex, castration, food type and artificial lighting developed for four clinical outcome (lethargy and/or insulinoma, dental problems, diarrhoea and/or bird-seed stools and alopecia). Predictors of four clinical outcomes (lethargy, dental disease, diarrhoea and alopecia) were examined using multivariable logistic regression, with age, sex, neuter status, food type and artificial lighting as the exposure variables. Aged ferrets were more likely to have lethargy, insulinoma, dental problems and alopecia. Ferrets with artificial lighting were more likely to show alopecia. Additionally, ferrets fed commercial food only or a mixed diet (both commercial food and fresh food) were more likely to have lethargy, insulinoma, dental problems, diarrhoea and/or bird-seed stools compared with ferrets fed fresh food only. We also found a significant association between neutering and alopecia. It is to our knowledge the first description of the French population of the ferret as a companion animal.

SUBMITTER: Blanchard G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5793136 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Characterisation of the French ferret population, husbandry, reported medical care and feeding habits.

Blanchard Géraldine G Marsot Maud M Bourassin Roselyne R Paragon Bernard-Marie BM Benet Jean-Jacques JJ Linsart Adeline A

Journal of nutritional science 20180131

Ferrets have become a common companion animal. But no data are available on the French population of ferrets. The goal of the survey was to characterise this population, including demographic characteristics, husbandry, reported medical care and feeding habits. Complete data were available for 1205 pet ferrets in 709 households. Most ferrets (86·1 %) lived indoors, 1 % received only artificial lighting, and 47 % chewed their cage. For 60 % of the ferrets, body weight was higher in winter and low ...[more]

PMID: 29403642

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Project description:ObjectiveWith data on frequency of hearing loss in Russia and Eastern Europe generally lacking, we assessed the prevalence of hearing loss in a Russian population.SettingThe population-based Ural Eye and Medical Study was conducted in the rural and urban regions of Bashkortostan, Russia.ParticipantsWith an inclusion criterion of age 40+ years, the study included 5899 (80.5%) out of 7328 eligible individuals (mean age: 59.0±10.7 years; range: 40-94 years).Primary and secondary outcome measuresHearing loss was examined in 5397 (91.5%) study participants, assessed using a standardised interview with questions from the 'Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly Screening Version (HHIE-S)'.ResultsThe prevalence of self-reported hearing loss (26.1%, 95% CI 24.2 to 27.2) increased from 10.9% (95% CI 8.0 to 13.7) in participants aged 40-45 years old to 59.0% (95% CI 51.6 to 66.4) in those aged 80+ years old. It was higher for men than for women in the 60-80 years age group (38.93%, 95% CI 35.8 to 42.1, vs 32.8%, 95% CI 30.2 to 35.3; p=0.003). On multivariable analysis, higher prevalence of hearing loss was associated with older age (p<0.001; OR [per year of age]: 1.06 [1.06 to 1.07]), male gender (p<0.001; OR: 1.26 [1.09 to 1.47]), higher depression score (p<0.001; OR: 1.06 [1.04 to 1.08]), higher prevalence of headache (p=0.001; OR: 1.27 [1.10 to 1.47]), history of cardiovascular diseases including stroke (p=0.001; OR: 1.32 [1.13 to 1.55]), and osteoarthritis (p<0.001; OR: 1.40 [1.18 to 1.67]), physically vigorous activity during work (p<0.001; OR: 1.40 [1.21 to 1.62]), alcohol consumption (p<0.001; OR: 1.51 [1.28 to 1.78]), and dry eye feeling (p<0.001; OR: 1.67 [1.30 to 2.16]). It was marginally correlated with a higher anxiety score (p=0.07; OR: 1.03 [0.998 to 1.06]). It was independent of diabetes (p=0.52), arterial hypertension (p=0.20), level of education (p=0.11), region of habitation (p=0.70), blood concentration of high-density lipoproteins (p=0.17) and low-density lipoproteins (p=0.52), current smoking (p=0.95) and smoking pack-years (p=0.37), and best corrected visual acuity (p=0.93).ConclusionsAs in other countries the prevalence of hearing loss is high in this elderly population in Russia. It is primarily or secondarily associated with older age, depression, male gender, cardiovascular disease and alcohol consumption.

Project description:Background: Mutant BRAF targeted therapies remain a standard of care for the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma (MM); however high initial response rates are tempered by the persistence of residual MM cells that eventually lead to disease recurrence and mortality. Since MM recurrence during targeted therapy can present with the simultaneous occurrence of multiple tumour nodules at the original body sites, we hypothesised the presence of an intrinsically resistant MM cell sub-population. Objectives: Identify an MM cell subpopulation that is intrinsically resistant to targeted therapy and so may be responsible for MM recurrence. Methods: Using melanoma cell lines, we define culture conditions for reproducible 3D growth of melanospheres to investigate putative cancer stem cell populations. We undertook RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to characterise cell populations between adherent and non-adherent culture, and cells expressing or not expressing CD20. Furthermore, we define an in vitro assay to evaluate killing of melanoma cancer stem cells as a therapeutic test using combination therapies targeting driver mutation and CD20 marker. Results: We have described culture conditions that promote MM cells to form melanospheres with a reproducible colony forming efficiency of 0.3% to 1.3%. RNA sequencing of melanosphere versus conventional MM cell cultures (n=6), irrespective of the BRAF mutation status, showed that melanosphere formation was associated with growth and differentiation transcriptional signatures resembling MM tumours. Importantly, melanosphere formation also led to the emergence of a CD20+ MM cell subpopulation, similar to that observed in primary human MM tumours. CD20+ MM cells were resistant to BRAF inhibitor therapy, and consistent with this finding demonstrated a Forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) transcriptomic profile (n=6). Combining BRAF inhibitor and anti-CD20 antibody treatment led to the additional killing of previously resistant CD20+ BRAF mutant MM cells. Conclusions: In MM patients that harbour a CD20+ sub-population, combined therapy with BRAF inhibitor and anti-CD20 antibody could potentially kill residual MM cells and so prevent disease recurrence.

Dataset Information

Characterisation of the French ferret population, husbandry, reported medical care and feeding habits.

Publications

Characterisation of the French ferret population, husbandry, reported medical care and feeding habits.

Similar Datasets

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