VIN EXOT013-2020: Ferret Basics Non-Interactive

This course is a self-paced, non-interactive course.

The 2020 Non-Interactive/Self-Study courses have closed for enrollment.
However, in consideration of COVID-19 limitations on in-person CE and as a benefit to its members, VIN/VSPN CE is extending enrollment through December 31, 2020. **

Please contact us if you wish to enroll:
Email CEonVIN@vin.com or call 800.846.0028 ext 797

** This course must be completed and the end of course test submitted by December 29, 2020 to be awarded a certificate by December 31, 2020.

Presenter: Sandra Mitchell, DVM, ABVP Feline, ABVP ECM
Course Open: March 24-December 31, 2020

Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will be open to any VIN or VSPN member interested in the basics of Ferret Medicine.
VIN CE Course: Open to VIN and VSPN members. This non-interactive course is approved by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technician/technologist. (RACE 22-36072)

Course Description:
This course will cover the basics of ferret ownership and husbandry, as well as an overview of a general clinical approach to the species, discussing common diseases and their treatments. This course will consist of non-interactive modules in the form of slides and videos to be watched. Modules will include handouts to be read and multiple choice poll questions as well as include an end-of-course test. To earn a certificate of completion, the participant must attain a score of 80% for the end-of-course test. Completion of all modules (videos, reading handouts, polls, and end-of-course test) will take a minimum of 92 minutes to complete. Participants must complete the participation requirements by December 31, 2020 to be eligible for a certificate.

Course Outline:

Module 1: Introduction, History, Husbandry
Total Time: 55 minutes
Video: 51 minutes
Activities: 4 minutes
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to

  • Identify husbandry problems in patients presented by clients
  • Have ready info to provide owners on correct husbandry and techniques to prevent disease

Module 2: PE, Common Diseases, Vaccines
Total Time: 66 minutes
Video: 66 minutes
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to

  • Identify and treat common diseases of the ferret
  • Understand the challenges with ferret vaccinations and what needs to be done

Module 3: Basic Anesthesia and Surgery Technique
Total Time: 35 minutes
Video: 13 minutes
Activities: 2 minutes
End of Course Test: 20 minutes
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to

  • Safely sedate or anesthetize patients for common diagnostic and therapeutic procedures

Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.

Course Materials: Course materials in the form of handouts and additional educational online activities will be available in the course library.

Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

About the Presenter:
Sandra Mitchell is currently doing house calls, relief and emergency medicine near Bangor, Maine and is a board certified feline specialist and exotic companion mammal specialist. Additionally, she is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in the State of Maine and routinely treats wildlife in her area. She loves caring for companion animals, particularly dealing with geriatric patients as well as animals with difficult to diagnose or treat conditions. If it fits through the door, she will see the pet as there are no medical challenges she is unwilling to tackle. She is "owned" by her own personal tribe which includes cats, ferrets, chinchillas, and whatever wildlife have decided to take up temporary residence. In her spare time, she writes for veterinary journals, gives lectures to veterinarians, veterinary staff, and owners, writes exam questions for a variety of veterinary qualification exams, and authors for animal oriented magazines and websites. In her real time off, she loves to canoe - especially whitewater. In 2011, she completed a 1,000 mile canoe race in the Yukon, finishing in only 7 days, 10 hours, and 46 minutes!

Total CE Credit: 2.5

Tuition: $58
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*Enrollment will close on December 1, 2020 at 5 pm ET (USA).
*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

To Enroll:
  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
  4. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
Enrollment is closed.

"This program (RACE 22-36072) is approved by the AAVSB RACE to offer a total of 2.5 CE Credits, with a maximum of 2.5 CE Credits being available to any individual veterinarian or veterinary technician/technologist. This RACE approval is for the subject matter categories of: Medical, using the delivery method of Non-Interactive-Distance: (Online, Correspondence, Journal, or Other Self-Study). This approval is valid in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE; however, participants are responsible for ascertaining each board's CE requirements."

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357