MANHATTAN, Kansas -- A ferret is recovering after being fitted with a pacemaker during a rare surgery at Kansas State University.
The 4-year-old ferret, named Zelda, is owned by Carl Hobi of Olathe, who took her to the Veterinary Health Center in Manhattan, Kansas, after Christmas. Zelda had a third-degree block in her heart, which caused a low heartbeat and a lack of energy.
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The university said tests determined Zelda was a good candidate for a pacemaker, although it had to be special ordered because of her veins' small size.
The university says Zelda was released two days after the surgery and should enjoy a normal ferret lifespan, which the school's veterinary college says generally is about 10 years.
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It was the first time the center implanted a pacemaker in a ferret.
AP
This image provided by Kansas State Univ. shows the radiograph revealing the implantation of the pacemaker in the abdomen of a ferret at Kansas State University's Veterinary Hosp. (Kansas State University via AP)