Puerperal hepatic steatosis in mink (Mustela visori) A case report

摘要

The authors report a case of puerperal steatosis affecting 75% of a fanned mink farm population. The syndrome was probably due to a diet partially lacking in essential amino acids and proteic factors, such as choline. The deficiency of both phospholipids and apoprotein precursors, such as choline, and/or amino acids, such as methionine and lysine, negatively affects the gluconeogenic metabolism, very active in the post-partum period. Hepatic steatosis could thus become irreversible following this histopathological lesion. A simulation model was built to evaluate the feasibility of vicary nursing of orphaned mink cubs; this practice appears to be successful only when daily incidence is lower than 50%.