Ferret with pacemaker to enjoy 'normal life': vets

A four-year-old ferret is recovering after being fitted with a pacemaker during a rare surgical procedure in the US.
Surgeons at Kansas State University said it was the first time that they had implanted such a device, used to control heart rhythms, on a ferret.
The ferret named Zelda was admitted to the Veterinary Health Center in Manhattan, Kansas, shortly after Christmas.
Carl Hobi, who owns three ferrets, noticed Zelda's appetite was off and that she was laying down more than usual. He took her to an area animal hospital, where an electrocardiogram (EKG) showed she had a very low heartbeat. The veterinarian examining Zelda recommended she be seen by a cardiologist at Kansas State University's Veterinary Health Center.

She had a third degree heart block, which could have shortened her life.
Her condition meant that Zelda suffered from a low heartbeat and a lack of energy.

The university said in a release that Zelda had undergone a number of tests to determine whether or not she was a good candidate for a pacemaker before carrying out the operation.
"We performed an echocardiogram, EKG and chest X-rays, which demonstrated Zelda was a good candidate for pacemaker implantation," Justin Thomason, a veterinary cardiologist, said.
"As with a human patient, this condition called for the implantation of a pacemaker to help increase Zelda's heartbeat and provide her a good quality of life," Thomason said.

The pacemaker had to be specially ordered because of Zelda's size and small veins.
"There are only a few millimeters of space within the heart's wall for suturing the leads from the pacemaker. The pacemaker is the same as what would be used in a human patient, but we had to order a special set of leads for Zelda, since these would not be inserted through the veins. It's a very delicate procedure to make everything work correctly," David Eshar, assistant professor of clinical medicine, said.
Zelda was released two days after surgery and is expected to enjoy a normal ferret life, which should last for about ten years, the university's veterinary college said.