title: Radiographic kidney measurements in North American pet ferrets (Mustela furo).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the current study was to determine normal radiographic kidney -measurements in pet ferrets.
  
  
  METHODS
  Kidney length and width dimensions and the length of the second lumbar vertebra (L2) were determined from survey ventrodorsal radiographs in 53 neutered ferrets of various ages, weight and sex, with no evidence of urogenital disease. Kidney dimensions were expressed as a ratio to the body length of L2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All ferrets in this study had six lumbar vertebrae. The median length of L2 was 13·3 mm, and was longer in males than females (P=0·0001). The 95% confidence interval for kidney-length-to-L2 ratios was 2·21 to 2·31 for the right and 2·15 to 2·25 for the left. For the kidney-width-to-L2 ratios these intervals were 1·09 to 1·14 for the right and 1·07 to 1·12 for the left kidney. There was a significant association between kidney size and weight or sex but not with age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this radiographic study may allow practitioners to have a more -objective clinical radiographic evaluation of kidney size of pet ferrets based on individual traits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 3900 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6010, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eshar
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Briscoe
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mai
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors