PREGNANCY IN A FEMALE FERRET FOLLOWING TREATMENT WITH A DESLORELIN IMPLANT: A CASE REPORT

GnRH-agonist implants are currently marketed in Europe for use in male dogs but their off label use in female dogs, cats as well as other wild or semidomesticated animals is becoming increasingly popular. Implanted females frequently show a fertile heat after treatment, but the ensuing pregnancy may end spontaneously due to hormonal suppression at the hypothalamic level. This report describes the case of a jill treated with a 4.7 mg deslorelin implant in order to control her cyclicity. A few weeks later she was found to be pregnant and subsequently gave birth to 6 kits. The deslorelin implant did not affect fetal health or pregnancy duration. However, despite normal mammary development with milk production, the jill did not show adequate maternal instinct and did not take adequate care of her kits, 5 of which died during the following weeks. This is the first report of a normal pregnancy following administration of a deslorelin implant in a ferret.