MANHATTAN, Kan. — A ferret is recovering at home after being fitted with a pacemaker during a rare surgery at Kansas State University.
The four-year-old ferret, named Zelda, is owned by Carl Hobi of Olathe, who took her to the Veterinary Health Center in Manhattan after Christmas. Zelda had a third-degree block in her heart, which caused a low heart beat and a lack of energy.
The university said in a news release that tests determined Zelda was a good candidate for a pacemaker, although it had to be specially ordered because of the small size of her veins.
The university says Zelda was released two days after the surgery and should enjoy a normal ferret lifespan, which generally means about 10 years.
It was the first time the Kansas State center implanted a pacemaker in a ferret.
