Marie wrote about ringworm:
>Come to find out that ringworm can be picked up from the dirt, grass,
>etc.. I had trouble trying to get rid of it, meds after meds. Then
>this little old lady that rented from my folks told them to soak
>tobacco then apply it 3 to 4 times a day. By golly it worked! I
>have scars from them.

In Suriname the gummy resin from tobacco is used to force out bot
flies, too.

But NEVER use tobacco on a ferret! Tobacco is poisonous for ferrets,
cats and dogs. Ferrets also can get lung tumors from second hand
tobacco smoke and certainly it harms other ferrets, especially those
with allergies or heart disease.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/

<http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/index.jsp?page=25>

>Clinical Signs: Hyperexcitability then depression, vomiting,
>incoordination, paralysis, death is possible.

from

<http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/tree-tobacco.html>

<http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/cigarettes.html>

>Cigarettes and other tobacco products can be dangerous for pets,
>Marla. These products contain nicotine, which has the potential to
>produce severe vomiting, depression, elevated heart rate, a drop in
>blood pressure, seizures, respiratory failure and, in severe cases,
>even death. Based on this information, it is advisable to keep tobacco
>products out of your pet's reach. If an accidental ingestion occurs,
>seek veterinary help immediately.

A number of members of Solanaceae have compounds that are also
neurotoxic, if memory serves. Ah, yes, that is so:

http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_solanaceae.php

and

Page 59:

<http://books.google.com/books?id=CZPDzu2dGDEC&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=solanaceae+%2Btoxins&source=bl&ots=tlzH4Twnye&sig=-JfAaa2_HnsnauXDl1Kh8OtgELg&hl=en&ei=xLqzSriHJY-F8QbrrciFDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ctresult&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=solanaceae%20%2Btoxins&f=false>

Certainly, Jimson Weed has killed a number of teens and young adults
through the years because they failed to look into the weed before
believing recreational rumors. It is not a gentle way to depart. Just
as it pays to learn about what is poisonous to protect ferrets it
also pays to learn to protect one's offspring. Luckily, the internet
(multiple university sites teach about poison safety) and libraries
are good places to learn.

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=

[Posted in FML 6460]