Dear Abby,
 
Hi!  Just my two cents worth.....When it comes to raw meat, err on the side
of caution would probably be the safest strategy.
 
Pork (in the US) no longer has a worry about trichinosis which is why they
have lowered the cooking temperature recommendations for it.
 
Chicken on the other hand has an extremely high rate of salmonella, which
for humans at least, can mean big problems if not cooked enough to kill the
bacteria in it.
 
Ground beef has been publicized for all the E.Coli dangers and my
understanding is that ferrets can be subject to E.Coli (I am not a vet so I
can't confirm this) but beef that comes from a "cut" is probably pretty safe
raw.
 
As with anything, the fresher the meat, the safer and higher quality it
would have.
 
I do know that one of my ferrets LOVES cooked meat which is all I have given
to them.  Meat's protein value should not be damaged by cooking.
 
Everyone has differing opinions.  Mine is based on human nutrition which I
have studied extensively.  I tend to follow the medical community.....First
do no harm.  I would be careful but not overly paranoid.  Try a little raw
meat and see how it affects your fuzzies.  Any change in diet will show up
in the litter box.
 
Karla
Meep and Daisy
[Posted in FML issue 2323]