Shona, you'll find past vet posts on documented things like salmonella,
mycobacteria (TB), and other problems that ferrets have gotten in the
past from raw foods in both the FML Archives and FHL Archives.
 
The problem with some fish sucvh as oily marine fish or mollusks (squid
used in one case) when they are in the diet in too high proportion is
that yellow fat disease (nutritional steatitis) can occur from much
polyunsaturated fat in the diet.  Adding vitamin E to the diet and by
injection corrects the problem.  Uncorrected this is fatal and kits are
especially strongly affected.  See James Fox's vet text _Biology and
Diseases of the Ferret_.
 
With high levels of mercury found these days in some fish that also has
to be considered if amount of fish given is high.  Also in the above
mentioned vet text this is discussed.  Actually, the description of
clinical signs (in a discussion of this being acquired by eating chickens
who had consumed feed with too much mercury in it) sounds much like a
ferret I've heard of recently who had been a mystery since that one also
had signs like ataxia, trembling, weakness, apathy and sometimes periods
of circling and excitation, subacute ventricular dilation.  Sadly, there
is no treatment for this.
 
That is not to say that fish is bad; it has a great omega fatty acid
blend, for instance.  It's just one of those "all things in moderation"
type of protein sources.
 
Oh, but don't let them have aquarium fish or water.  A number of cases
of giardia have happened from that.
 
Poisonous plants: the link is the ASPCA Poisoning Center one in the
Critical Refs section (click on the menu to your left on the IFC
homepage) of http://www.ferretcongress.org
 
The plant section in that ASPCA site has many groupings to click upon for
more data.  Unless there is a common name I don't know (always possible)
Anthurium is not in EITHER of their lists of plants and animals -- not
the poisonous list OR the safe list, so you will want to look up their
consulting information on the site which reads:
 
>The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center is the premier animal-oriented
>poison control center in North America.  So it's the best resource for
>any animal poison-related emergency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
>Make the call that can make all the difference: (888) 426-4435.
 
There can be as high as a $50 per case charge.
 
Oh, WAIT: FOUND IT!  YES, IT IS POISONOUS for pets.  I Googled till I
found a site with common names.  Here is what the ASPCA site says of it:
http://www.aspca.org/site/FrameSet?style=User&url=../toxicplants/M01947.htm
 
>Toxic Principle: calcium oxalate crystals
>Clinical signs: oral irritation, intense burning and irritation of
>the mouth, lips, tongue, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty in
>swallowing
 
so you had better contact them, or your vet, or both and follow
instructions.
[Posted in FML issue 4639]