Original Articles
15 July 2025
Vol. 9 No. 1 (2025)
https://doi.org/10.4081/vsd.2025.10123

Pathological findings in ‘wet belly’ in young black sables (Martes zebellina)

Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Sable, cage farming, pathology, wet belly, autopsy, urinary incontinence, principles of classification
34
Views
14
Downloads

Authors

Vladislav E. Sobolev
vesob@mail.ru
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7775-8205
Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.

‘Wet belly’ in industrial sables is an economically significant problem of modern industrial fur farming in Russia due to defects in the skin and fur of animals, which are associated with the damaging effect of constantly excreted urine. The incidence in young sables in different years can range from 0.1 to 6% in this age group. In this regard, in case of ‘wet belly’ disease in young sables, the regulations of veterinary intervention provide only local aerosol treatment with antimicrobials.

There are practically no studies devoted to the search for the causes of wet belly disease in young sables, including from the point of view of analyzing the results of autopsy. The causes and pathophysiological mechanisms of ‘wet belly’ development remain unknown, in particular, the mechanisms of urinary disorders and urinary incontinence. The present article is the first attempt to analyze the autopsy data of 76 young sables, which showed that quite a large number of animals had concomitant pathology of the digestive and respiratory system, as well as clinical and histological signs of cystitis and probable urinary tract infection (UTI).

Altmetrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC
1. Blood DC, Studdert VP. Saunders comprehensive veterinary dictionary. Philadelphia, WB Saunders; 1999.
2. Kashtanov SN, Sulimova GE, Shevyrkov VL, Svishcheva GR. Breeding of the Russian sable: stages of industrial domestication and genetic variability. Russian J Gen 2016;52:889-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1022795416090076
3. Bondarenko SP. [Husbandry of sables].[Book in Russian]. Moscow, LLC Publishing house; 2004.
4. Sharp PE, La Regina МС. The laboratory rat. Boca Raton, CRC Press; 1998.
5. Jones E, Palmieri C, Thompson M, et al. Feline idiopathic cystitis: pathogenesis, histopathology and comparative potential. J Comp Pathol 2021;185:18-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpa.2021.03.006
6. Young RH. Tumor-like lesions of the urinary bladder. Mod Pathol 2009;22:S37-52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/modpathol.2008.201
7. Parkalov IV. [Fur animals in the natural habitat and the prospect of cage fur farming in modern conditions].[Book in Russian]. Saint Petersburg, Nestor-History; 2006.
8. Aulerich R, Ringer RK, Schaibie PJ. Mink pelts affected with “wet belly”. Mich Quart Bull 1962;44:484-91.
9. Aulerich R, Schaibie PJ. The use of spent chickens for mink feeding. Mich Quart Bull 1965;47:451-8.
10. Adair J, Stout FM, Oldfield JE. Experiments in Mink nutrition: progress report 1963. Available from: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/administrative_report_or_publications/kh04dt758?locale=fr
11. National Research Council. Nutrient requirements of mink and foxes. Washington, DC, National Academies Press; 1982.
12. Sorfleet JL, Chavez ER. Comparative biochemical profiles in blood and urine of two strains of mink and changes associated with the incidence of wet belly disease. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 1980;58:499-503. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/y80-083
13. Stout FM, Adair J. Mink research: controlled light and fur production, wet belly disease, fur color and quality: 1970 progress report. Available from: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/administrative_report_or_publications/0g354g00j?locale=fr
14. Aulerich R, Shelts G, Schaibie PJ. Influence of the dietary calcium level on the incidence of urinary incontinence and “wet belly” in mink. Mich Quart Bull 1963;45:444-9.
15. Budd J, Pridham TJ, Karstadt LH. Common diseases of fur bearing animals I. Diseases of mink. Can Vet J 19662;7:25-31.
16. Gunn CK. Aetiology of wet-belly in ranch-bred mink. Nature 1962;194:849-51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/194849a0
17. Bostrom RE, Aulerich RJ, Schaibie PJ. Hystologic observation on the urinary system of male mink affected with “wet belly”. Mich Quart Bull 1967;50:100-5.
18. Leoschke WL. The digestibility of animal fats and proteins by mink. Am J Vet Res 1959;20:1086.
19. Leoschke WL. Wet belly disease research. Am Fur Breeder 1959;32:16.
20. Leoschke WL. Wet belly disease of the mink. Progress report. Milwaukee, Mink Fanners’ Research Foundation; 1961.
21. Diveeva GM, Kucherova EV, Yudin V, et al. [Textbook of the fur farmer].[Book in Russian]. Moscow, Agroprompromyzdat; 1985.
22. Dowd JB, Goldman N (2006). Do biomarkers of stress mediate the relation between socioeconomic status and health? J Epidemiol Community Health 2006;60:633-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2005.040816
23. Djuric Z, Birdb CE, Furumoto-Dawsonc A, et al. Biomarkers of psychological stress in health disparities research. Open Biomarkers J 2008;1:7-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/1875318300801010007
24. Pastirnac N. The "wet belly" disease in mink (Mustela vison). Scientifur 1977;2:4.

Supporting Agencies

This work was supported by the Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences (State assignment No. 075-00264-25-00).

How to Cite



Pathological findings in ‘wet belly’ in young black sables (Martes zebellina). (2025). Veterinary Science Development, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/vsd.2025.10123
Copyright (c) 2025 Vladislav E. Sobolev Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.