AEMV ForumLiver Lobe Torsion in a Domestic Ferret (Mustela putorius furo)

A 6-year-old female domestic ferret presented with a 3-day history of lethargy and anorexia. Clinical examination revealed severe jaundice, painful abdominal palpation, and a mass in the left cranial abdomen. Blood diagnostic tests of the patient revealed a regenerative anemia, severe neutrophilic and monocytic leukoctytosis, increased alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin, and decreased albumin and glucose concentrations. Liver lobe torsion (LLT) was identified through radiographic and ultrasonographic imaging. Postmortem examination confirmed a left lateral liver lobe torsion, and a generalized hepatic lipidosis. LLT is a rare condition with few reported cases in veterinary medicine. LLT should be considered as a differential disease diagnosis in ferrets presenting with acute abdomen.