Message Number: FHL2111 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: Sukie Crandall
Date: Sun, 05 Aug 2007 14:17:19 -0400
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: ferrets in grass
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=20
herbicides are used any longer, but is about an herbicide associated=20
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=20
> Association With Dog Owner's Use of 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid=20
> Herbicides
>
> Howard M. Hayes*,1, Robert E. Tarone1, Kenneth P. Cantor1, Carl R.=20
> Jessen2, Dennis M. McCurnin3, Ralph C. Richardson4
>
Heck, one herbicide, Agent Orange, is now considered to be a cause of=20
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=20
pancreas.)
Ferrets do differ from other animals, including us, but I figure that=20
if there is cause for caution you will want to take it, so if there=20
are fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc. used on your yard then=20
look them up in relation to health.
Check the ferret for things like ticks in their early instars when=20
they are very tiny. A flea comb may be useful in that regard after=20
reentering the home. Don't let puddles or ponds be used for water=20
due to the possibility of a few infections from contaminated water.=20=20
I don't know how your area is for ticks but ours has some incredibly=20
bad tick years so we tend to be aware of them.
You've probably already thought of those things and more. Here are=20
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=20
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=20
> by anticoagulant rodenticides in France: implications for=20
> conservation of European mink (Mustela lutreola).
>
> Fournier-Chambrillon C, Berny PJ, Coiffier O, Barbedienne P, Dass=E9=20
> 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=20
> rodenticide residues in polecats (Mustela putorius) from throughout=20
> 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=20
rodents; you never know where they may have gotten into=20
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=20
> (Mustela putorius) from Switzerland.
>
> Mason CF, Weber D.
> Department of Biology, University of Essex, Colchester, United=20
> 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=20
> 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=20
> reproductive performance and survivability of mink and European=20
> 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=20
> 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=20
resources to avoid or treat poisoning incidences. We used the first=20
ourselves one day when a climbing ferret got to a bucket in which a=20
garment was forgotten to be soaking in a laundry detergent. Luckily,=20
with that particular type of detergent at the dilution level we used=20
care face washing, artificial tears in eyes, and extra fluids orally=20
were enough but we knew what to do if they weren't thanks to the help=20
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=20
from what poisons humans, but it has great photos to help identify=20
plants and then the animal poison control lists can be used in=20
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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Send comments to Pam at pjdutche@email.unc.edu. Please note that this address is only useful for questions about the FHL archive. Questions about ferret health, or those intended for the FHL, should be sent to the Ferret Health List.