From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-04-24 19:37:36 UTC
Subject: boosting immune system --risks of Pau d'Arco for ferrets
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3610252.1114371456455.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Because of the notes on T cell based medical approaches I have gotten some mails about a product which recently caused problems for a ferret of a list member who had missed the warnings: Pau d' Arco. So, maybe this will help some people.
A person has to pick and choose when to do that; sometimes it is exactly the wrong thing to do and suppression is more useful in curing or treating. Think of the many disorders for which steroids or chemotherapeutic drugs are used well in ferrets.
Be careful with Pau d'Arco in ferrets. It tends to decrease their blood glucose and imitate or worsen the effects of insulinoma.
Dr. Karen Purcell has mentioned encountering other nasty side effects found in ferrets, too, but I don't know what they are. She used to use it, but then she wound up with problems resulting. A number of vets who used to use it have mentioned no longer doing so for the same reason -- usually the blood sugar problem.
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG964
From: "Karen Purcell, DVM"
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2002 01:47:30 +0000
> Well, I also researched this supplement, and found alot of nasty
>side effects, so I don't recommend it for anything anymore. I really
> need to update the book :-)
>-Dr. Karen
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG358
From: "Karen Purcell, DVM"
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 22:43:26 +0000
> I'm going to add some comments to this that 4 years in practice
>have provided - I know longer use Pau d'arco, due to some research that
>indicated way more side effects were possible that I have previously
> known..
>Thanks for the kind words, though,
> -Dr. Karen
So, if seeking to help a ferret make sure that teh approach even makes sense for that case and check to make sure that the approach is safe enough instead of being one which can cause other problems.