I appreciate comments like those of Dr. Ruth Heller, MC, and Kevin
Farlee in the FML and the FHL because all are well experienced and
knowledgeable, and presented their contributions to the subject of
carcinogens in wood dusts in helpful ways in the two fora. Why do I
so appreciate knowledgeable response?

The first reason is that they emphasize that info on this topic is
still in the early stages (which was also said in several of the
abstracts I included and is important to remember).

The second is that individuals can vary in vulnerability, as all too
sadly happened with Dr. Ruth's ferret who had a fatal allergic reaction
to pelleted pine litter.

The third is that what may hold true for mice and men might not do so
for ferrets (and vice versa) or that a change might be small enough to
be in the noise.

Many years ago there was a GREAT post to the early FML (so I think it
precedes the archived posts) which was from Dr. Bruce Williams. It was
so marvelous and so startling that I think that others here who have
also had ferrets for a long time and have read the FML during those
years will also remember it and might recall details I have forgotten.
People were discussing three preservatives found in a number of foods
used then and confusion and worry abounded.

Then Dr. Williams spoke up. He noted that not preventing some types of
fungus and bacteria from growing in food is worse for malignancy rates.
He pointed out that preservatives work only so long because they work
by being preferentially oxidized and once they have all been oxidized
the food then begins to rot.

He pointed out WHICH types of malignancy INCREASES had been associated
with one of the preservatives under discussion (and I can't recall
which one, nor what he wrote about the other two). Then he not only
pointed out the amounts to get that result (which were enormous)
but he also pointed out that there were studies in which that same
preservative had different malignancy type DECREASES. (There are
hundreds of types of "cancers" and many have subcategories, too, and
they can differ a great deal.) Then he showed which of those specific
types of malignancies were seen in ferrets. It turned out that the
malignancy types which were increased in the studies of that
preservative were malignancies ferrets only rarely get, while some of
the types of malignancies which decreased when that preservative was
used were ones which ferrets are more likely to get.

He presented the info, pointed out what was intriguing, and then left
people to make their own choices based upon those data and their own
experiences which is how I also like to do things when there are
options or when a topic is not studied enough (as with the wood dust
topic, especially for hard woods which are just beginning to be
studied at all decently, and also as with the shark cyanobacter-origin
neurotoxin mentioned later) since I do think that people need info
to help in their choices, but that the choices are theirs to make.
Different people will reach different conclusions when enough data are
lacking, and sometimes they are just as good as each other in the long
run, and need to be respected.

Sukie (not a vet)

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)

[Posted in FML 7353]