Sukie wrote:
>Shirley,
>Yes, ferrets are resistant to several dangerous food borne pathogens.
>They *can* still get them, though, and when they do those illnesses can
>be fatal, in fact, some of them, like bovine mycobacteria, always are
>fatal one way or another. It's just that they usually don't get the
>sicknesses.

Sukie,

There are risks with everything you do, but I feel the benefits of
feeding raw far outweigh the risks. I *can* be struck by lightning, or
hit by a car if I walk out my door today, but that doesn't mean I will
not be going outside. Currently I have 7 ferrets, some eat raw and some
eat kibble. My ferrets that eat the raw diet also eat kibble and visa
versa. I give them that choice. No one here has ever been sick from the
raw diet. I do make sure to take care when preparing it (common sense;
IMO). I don't feed old meat, I don't leave it laying around all day,
etc.

Kibble can have its adverse affects also. For instance I have read of
ferrets dying by choking on a piece of kibble, but statistically I am
sure the chances of that happening is quite small. I suppose I could
write about those cases, without providing statistics or the facts,
however I wouldn't do that because personally I wouldn't want to scare
people away from feeding kibble. For those who feed kibble, that's
their choice and I would never judge them or use scare tactics to try
to prove my point.

Do you happen to have the statistics on ferrets getting ill from
feeding a raw diet? If so I would sure like to see it.

Thanks

Kris 

[Posted in FML 5419]