From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-08-05 19:07:59 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: ferrets in grass
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
This appears to be lost in the ether or if it reached
Yahoogroups it got swallowed someplace, so I am
sending through web post this time.
See all the way through for some ferret and polecat
specific studies.
This is old and is a dog study, and I don't know if
these types of herbicides are used any longer, but is
about an herbicide associated with increased rates of
lymphoma in dogs
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/83/17/1226
Case-Control Study of Canine Malignant Lymphoma:
Positive Association With Dog Owner's Use of 2, 4-
Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Herbicides
Howard M. Hayes*,1, Robert E. Tarone1, Kenneth P.
Cantor1, Carl R. Jessen2, Dennis M. McCurnin3, Ralph
C. Richardson4
Heck, one herbicide, Agent Orange, is now considered
to be a cause of diabetes among Vietnam Vets:
http://www.local12.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=3D19298
(I don't know if any current herbicides have damaged the
ferret pancreas.)
Ferrets do differ from other animals, including us, but I
figure that if there is cause for caution you will want to
take it, so if there are fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides,
etc. used on your yard then look them up in relation to
health.
Check the ferret for things like ticks in their early instars
when they are very tiny. A flea comb may be useful in that
regard after reentering the home. Don't let puddles or
ponds be used for water due to the possibility of a few
infections from contaminated water. I don't know how
your area is for ticks but ours has some incredibly bad
tick years so we tend to be aware of them.
You've probably already thought of those things and more.=20
Here are some places you might want to search:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez
USDA Lists of Ferret Studies (very comprehensive):
by topic category 2002-2006
http://nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/Ferrets06/ferrets.htm#contents
by topic category 1991-2002
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/ferrets/ferrets.htm
by topic category before 1991
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/oldbib/ferretla.htm
http://scholar.google.com/schhp?tab=3Dws
If you wind up with rodents that may have gotten anticoagulant
bait don't let ferrets get them. See:
http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/content/full/40/4/688
J Wildl Dis. 2004 Oct;40(4):688-95.
Links
Evidence of secondary poisoning of free-ranging riparian
mustelids by anticoagulant rodenticides in France: implications
for conservation of European mink (Mustela lutreola).
Fournier-Chambrillon C, Berny PJ, Coiffier O, Barbedienne P,
Dass=E9 B, Delas G, Galineau H, Mazet A, Pouzenc P, Rosoux R,
Fournier P.
(which does include polecats)
as well as
Environ Pollut. 2003;122(2):183-93.
Links
Spatial and temporal analysis of second-generation anticoagulant
rodenticide residues in polecats (Mustela putorius) from
throughout their range in Britain, 1992-1999.
Shore RF, Birks JD, Afsar A, Wienburg CL, Kitchener AC.
Those provide an excellent reason to not let ferrets eat wild rodents;
you never know where they may have gotten into anticoagulants
which can do cumulative damage in the ferrets.
These may also interest some here:
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 1990 Nov;45(5):689-96.
Links
Organochlorine residues and heavy metals in kidneys of
polecats (Mustela putorius) from Switzerland.
Mason CF, Weber D.
Department of Biology, University of Essex, Colchester,
United Kingdom.
PMID: 2124938 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 1987 Apr;38(4):618-26.
Links
Toxicity of thiram (tetramethylthiuram disulfide) to mink
and European ferrets.
Hornshaw TC, Aulerich RJ, Ringer RK.
PMID: 3567399 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 1984 May;13(3):357-65.
Links
Effects of chronic dietary hexachlorobenzene exposure on
the reproductive performance and survivability of mink
and European ferrets.
Bleavins MR, Aulerich RJ, Ringer RK.
PMID: 6742893 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
J Toxicol Environ Health. 1982 Dec;10(6):929-40.
Links
Excretion and placental and mammary transfer of
hexachlorobenzene in the European ferret (Mustela
putorius furo).
Bleavins MR, Breslin WJ, Aulerich RJ, Ringer RK.
etc.
Not everything has relay (secondary) toxicity, apparently:
http://www.jwildlifedis.org/cgi/reprint/34/2/362
Of course, there are poisons in homes, too. Here are
some fine resources to avoid or treat poisoning incidences.=20
We used the first ourselves one day when a climbing ferret
got to a bucket in which a garment was forgotten to be
soaking in a laundry detergent. Luckily, with that particular
type of detergent at the dilution level we used care with face
washing, artificial tears in eyes, and extra fluids orally which
were enough but we knew what to do if they weren't thanks to
the help we got.
Poison Control and helpful poisoning prevention references:
ASPCA Animal Poison Control:
http://www.napcc.aspca.org
Angell Memorial's ASPCA Poison Control:
http://www.mspca.org/site/PageServer?
pagename=3Dpoisoncontrolhotline_pagewrapperlanding
Poisons to avoid:
http://www.avonvets.co.uk/2ndyr_hands/Poisons.html
Poisonous plants with photos to help identify after an incident:
http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/index.html
That last is a human resource and what poisons ferrets
differs often from what poisons humans, but it has great
photos to help identify plants and then the animal poison
control lists can be used in conjunction.
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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