Mustelidae

The Mustelidae family is the largest and most diverse family in the order Carnivora, with nearly 70 species. Mustelids are found across the globe, occupying marine, freshwater, terrestrial, fossorial, and arboreal habitats and hail from all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Mustelidae have typical carnivore dentition with short faces and long brain cases. Age-related pathology is common in mustelids. Degenerative joint disease has been described in most species housed under human care with expected radiographic changes at synovial joints throughout the body. Regardless of axial or appendicular skeletal bones, aggressive characteristics commonly include lysis (permeative or moth-eaten appearances), irregular periosteal proliferation, a long zone of transition between normal/ abnormal bone, and a soft tissue component. Diseases of the thorax closely resemble pathologic findings in other domestic carnivore species. The abdominal anatomy of mustelids is typical of domesticcanids and felids, with a notable absence of a cecum.