This was done for the FML but then I realized that the links and
figures might also be useful for the FHL.
The point is that there is a safer (in several ways) alternative than
raw regular whole eggs, and there is an option for runny egg yolks
which may be a useful support food and healthy treat for ferrets. The
data are simply to support that conclusion and others may come to other
conclusions, some with data and some without it.
To get an idea of rates and numbers I will resort to using human
figures. In a 2010 outbreak of human salmonella cases from eggs that
1. got bad enough that people went to the physician and
2. were bad enough that the physicians actually tested for the cause
of the GI problems
3. and then could definitely be traced to the eggs (which means a
sample of the item needed to still be around)
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/enteritidis/
>From May 1 to November 30, 2010, approximately 1,939 illnesses were
>reported that are likely to be associated with this outbreak.
Things then returned to the baseline number of salmonella cases and for
such figures see:
<http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/785774-overview#a0199>
Reported and recorded numbers all are after all those things which
do not include: people who did not seek medical care, people whose
physicians did not test, people who no longer had the product around
(to test for the source because it was eaten or tossed already). They
do not include the animals with it.
<http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/salmonella_enteritidis/>
>According to estimates from the 1990s, about one in 20,000 eggs is
>contaminated with SE. With approximately 65 billion eggs produced
>per year in the United States and 30% sent for pasteurization, an
>estimated 2.2 million individual eggs remain contaminated with SE.
>BUT notice that when a private study of grocery store chicken was done
>22% (See Pubmed links below in this post to get those particulars.)
>had salmonella while the CDC page's data was created before that, so
>if the rate has worsened in chickens it may also now be worse in
>their eggs, though it may be a difference in how, where, or how often
>measuring was done:
>Based on sampling at processing plants in 2007=962008, USDA-FSIS
>estimates that SE contaminates about one in 250 broiler chickens
>(USDA-FSIS communication, October 2010).
Notice that it is thought that only 3% (three percent) of salmonella
cases have the testing done so there is another 97% out there:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/785774-overview#a0199
>United States
>Prevalence estimates vary secondary to inconsistent diagnosis and
>reporting techniques. It is estimated that only 3% of Salmonella
>infections are laboratory confirmed and reported to the Centers for
>Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[4] However, an estimated 1.4
>million people in the United States are infected with nontyphoid
>Salmonella annually. The incidence of nontyphoid disease in the
>United States has been stable since 2004
The stability of rates say volumes about people being more aware and
more careful now.
http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellaeggs/
podcast for listening:
http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=2775446
link to more
http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/785774-overview
including
>Reservoirs of the bacteria include humans, poultry, swine, cattle,
>rodents, and pets such as iguanas, tortoises, turtles, terrapins,
>chicks, dogs, and cats. Up to 90% of reptiles and amphibians harbor
>Salmonella in their gastrointestinal tracts and 6% of nontyphoid
>disease is related to direct contact with these animals.[5]
so that answers the question of how many don't come from herps such as
lizards. Since 6% of the cases come from those animals another 94% do
not, but the chances of getting it from them is pretty high if someone
is not careful since so many of them have it.
The number of reported human cases of salmonella from eggs is despite
the fact that most eggs eaten by humans are fully cooked these days,
and that those who want runny eggs usually now know to buy pasteurized
eggs at those grocery stores which sell them to the general public.
Pasteurized eggs are also sold by the gross to some places in the food
industry, though many restaurants still just use pooled regular eggs,
so do not assume a place uses pasteurized eggs unless they emphasize
that they do.
People can pasteurize their own eggs which is possible to do with
great care and using the right type of thermometer, with instructions
probably online, so select a reputable site (but know that most
instructions are instead for using sous vide which is very expensive).
For most it is better to Google on pasteurized eggs and then use those
companies' websites to find where they are sold in your area. You will
find resources such as
http://www.safeeggs.com/store-locator
and those will probably let you get safe, runny egg yolks for your
ferrets. Cool, huh? It is great to have options.
I do NOT know if the whites of pasteurized eggs would pose the same
biotin and thiamine deficiency problems as raw egg whites pose and
don't have time to look that up, but the yolks should be fine for
ferrets that way (since they are for humans and we humans get
salmonella poisoning more easily than uncompromised ferrets do), and
probably easier to eat, so I suspect that runny, pasteurized egg yolks
might make a fine food for ferrets, including sick ones. Just expect
yellow feces with a very sulphur smell from egg yolks. For runny yolks
for humans and ferrets this is the best of the options, and since a
best option exists, then why not use it, right?
The rate of salmonella in grocery store chicken might be higher than
thought previously per a study done in Pennsylvania with 22% having
salmonella:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20443729
Efforts to subtype to better track and thus prevent salmonella
infections:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21571881
and another important question:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20409496
another:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20181876
Some of the other relevant recent work:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19388831
Now, ferrets ARE much more resistant to salmonella than people are,
so they are less likely to get it than people, and some other forms
of food poisoning are much more dangerous in them, for example, shiga
toxin producing E. coli which can damage their kidneys even when they
survive it (See past posts and links on those.), but there certainly
HAVE been ferrets who have gotten salmonella and it is incredibly hard
to treat in them when they get it.
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG9058
Another vet I know feeds raw chicken BUT she gets the raw chicken from
a small farm she knows and from a flock of chickens she personally
inspects to be safest. If your area has some small farms and if your
vet also treats poultry at any of them then your vet might be able to
recommend a source that is better than grocery store chicken, though
sadly not all farms use vets much.
For the nutritional problems with biotin and thiamine deficiency that
raw eggs can cause (though certain forms of marine fish and squid are
more common causes of thiamine deficiency) see page 168 of the
veterinary text, _Biology and Diseases of the Ferret, 2nd ed_).
Nutrient problems pretty often are treatable IF the problem is noticed
soon enough and IF the vet knows what was fed which is yet another
reason to always be frank with a vet about what is fed. Not everyone
is frank, and since some medical problems can mimic others in outward
signs there can be confusion which is perpetuated by the client not
being frank. Seeing honest with a vet about what is fed and about
things ferret might have gotten into is essential for more accurate
care.
So, do I think that everyone's ferrets are going to be at salmonella
risk from raw eggs? Obviously not, but I DO think that I would terribly
remiss and actually irresponsible, as well as unfair and disrespectful
of the intelligence of others if I did not give people full information
for when they make their own choices. When people make their choices
they SHOULD have all the information and SHOULD be trusted to use the
full range of information to make their own decisions in their own
ways. I know fully well that some others will make choices different
from mine and I'm fine with that. Heck, everyone should be fine with
that concept. Besides, having full information allows people to best
protect ferrets, and ultimately sharing relevant information IS all
about the ferrets.
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/
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)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:04:13 -0700
From: Nancy Park <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: raw eggs
Thank you Jaclyn for the great post. I know what the vet reference says
that was quoted and there are many who disagree with feeding raw eggs.
Coming from years of experience, I have added in raw egg to one of my
"soup mixtures' for over 10 years with no health problems. I also used
your same reference information to decide what is ok and what wasn't to
use. I do now use only the egg yolks in the mix as this is the fatty
part of the egg. I do try to find the freshest organic eggs I can. I
have passed on this recipe to many who use it and their ferrets love
it but are reluctant to admit they use raw eggs. There are other
ingredients in it, also, that some would say are not good but it has
worked for myself and the people before me for years. No ferret from
all of us in at least 10 years have gotten sick from it to my
knowledge. It is a fairly simple recipe given to me by another old
time breeder and is used as a good fatty supplement.
The funny part is that the ferrets know when the ingredients are not
exactly right as they will look at you as if to say 'hey this isn't
my usual stuff and I'm not eating it!"
Nancy Park FerrettownUSA.com Ferretown.com
[Posted in FML 7193]
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