http://www.womenshealth.gov/news/headlines/667727.cfm

These additives which cause endocrine disruption and appear to be
estrogenic which is not good for ferrets, as well as causing problems
with celluar calcium ion transport which weakens muscles including
heart muscles, also are under investigation for worsening the
prevalence of antibiotic bacteria. That topic is discussed here.
Certainly, many of us have had ferrets fighting antibiotic bacterial
infections.

In addition, an FDA study shows that they are not any more effective
than sufficient hand washing with plain old soap.

The current leaning is to suggest removing them from consumer products
and restrict them for specific hospital needs.

People will want to check their products at home, especially ones
marked as antibacterial.

Three other things that can lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria are:

1 Giving too many antibiotics to food animals which is currently
beginning to be tackled

2 People insisting on antibiotics when they actually have a virus
which is a misuse

And

3 People stopping a course of antibiotics prematurely. Antibiotics
should never be stopped too soon.

See recent FHL and FML posts to learn more.

You also can look for the topic online, including partial lists of
products containing these compounds.

[P.S.]
LOL! after saying "Never say "never" to Deb I notice that I used it
here, so let me clarify.

There ARE situations in which medical professionals will have people
stop antibiotics before a full course is run such as allergic reactions
or bad side effects, BUT people who are not medical professionals NEED
to let the medical professionals make that judgement.

Sukie (not a vet) Ferrets make the world a game.

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html

"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
On change for its own sake: "You can go really fast if you just jump
off the cliff." (2010, Steve Crandall)
A nation is as free as the least within it.

[Posted in FML 7522]