The lists of products have increased. For the LONG list of human
products, please go to the URL provided. The human reports vary between
saying 2 in hospital and 2 possibles, and 4 in hospitals in the U.S.

The data on ferrets and botulism largely comes from 1981 and before,
and a hefty portion of that is from raw fed fur fitch (and to a lesser
extent other raw fed ferrets). Until learning about that I had not
realized that raw meats could be a source of botulism. The reason I am
including that note is because of the info on how botulism presents
in ferrets included in the FDA press release below. (Among humans one
usually things of improperly canned, low acid foods.) High heat for
long enough destroys it. See
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/botulism_g.htm
for that sort of info.

Here are some snippets from the latest press release to help people
here including dog foods because some use those for treats for ferrets.
The stars are mine to make sure you do not miss that section

>There have been no reported illnesses linked to Natural Balance canned
>pet food, but Castleberry's recommends that all these products should
>be discarded. While botulism can affect some pets, dogs and cats are
>inherently resistant. The disease has only been seen occasionally in
>dogs and has not been reported in cats.
******************************************
>Ferrets are highly susceptible to botulinum toxin. The incubation
>period can be two hours to two weeks; in most cases, the symptoms
>appear after 12 to 24 hours. Botulism is characterized by
>progressive motor paralysis. Typical clinical signs may include
>muscle paralysis, difficulty breathing, chewing and swallowing,
>visual disturbances and generalized weakness may also occur. Death
>usually results from paralysis of the respiratory or cardiac
>muscles. Pet owners who have used these products and whose pets
>have these symptoms should contact their veterinarian immediately.
******************************************
>
>Consumers with any questions should visit Castleberry's Web site
>(www.castleberrys.com). A toll-free hotline is also available for
>consumer questions at 1-800-203-4412 or 1-888-203-8446.
>
>In addition, the following canned Natural Balance brand pet food
>products, which Castleberry's co-packs for Natural Balance, are
>being recalled. These include:
>
>Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Irish Stew With Beef, Potatoes &
>Carrots, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359860) 
>
>Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Chinese Take Out With Sauce With
>Vegetables and Chicken, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359861)
>
>Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs HOBO Chili With Chicken & Pasta,
>15 oz can (UPC 2363359863)
>
>Natural Balance Eatables for Dogs Southern Style Dumplings With
>Chicken & Vegetables, 15 oz can (UPC 2363359862)
>
>Consumers should not use these products even if they do not look or
>smell spoiled. Consumers with these products should dispose of them by
>double bagging in plastic bags that are tightly closed before being
>placed in a trash receptacle for non-recyclable trash outside of the
>home, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Additional
>instructions for safe disposal can be found at
> www.cdc.gov/botulism/botulism_faq.htm.

Notice that they increased the number of things covered including
adding many human products so it might pay to check carefully into
any Natural Balance food they make just to be safest. Better safer
than sorry.

For more info:
> http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html
> http://www.fda.gov/opacom/Enforce.html

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/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5678]