From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2001-03-09 22:26:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Toxoplasmosis in ferrets
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
People have a tendency to forget that there are complete
archives instead of just the Yahoogroups archives. By
going to the complete archives about 6 and a quarter years
of past posts can be extremely easily found and searched.
Here is the URL of the Complete FHL Archives which is
SEPARATE from the FHL site so that not only can all be
available, but if one goes down the other is more likely to
still be available:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
and looking there:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG1002
BEGIN QUOTE
From: Bruce Williams, DVM
Mike, you constantly amaze me, pulling up all those old quotes.
But this is indeed true - ferrets, like any mammal, can contract
Toxoplasmosis, but only cats can pass the infective eggs in the
feces - cats are the definitive host. The only feces that you can
catch toxo from is cat feces.
Any mammal can pass infective organisma living within the cells of
their body if they are eaten without being cooked well, however -
this is why it is recommended that all pregnant women cook their meat
(beef, pork) well. If you eat a cat, or a ferret, or a kangaroo, you
could theoretically ingest the organism that way, but I doubt there
is any likelihood of that.
The chance of contracting Toxo from your ferret is astronomical, but
let's make sure your husband cleans up after those cats!
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
END QUOTE
Dr. Williams is not just a veterinarian, he is also a veterinary pathologist,
so this is as expert as such advice can get. You'd just want to find out
if anything new has been learned in the 5 years between, or better yet,
just have someone else tend to cleaning the waste. They need to know
the job well for when you become too big or are too nauseated, anyway.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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