Quick point: while there are meds derived from compounds first found in
certain plants it is also possible for other compounds in those SAME
plants to be poisonous.  For instance, you will notice that yew is
included in a list by a specialist -- Dr. Jill Richardson, a Veterinary
Poison Information Specialist with the ASPCA National Animal Poison
Control Center -- in poisons found among members of Carnivora to be
dangerous.  The list appears in multiple places, but here is one of them:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/poisonous_plants.htm
 
That list should be of use to you and everyone else here!
 
>Thirdly, cedar shavings: It's not just an issue of ferrets having
>allergies to them, it is a matter of cedar and _certain_ other woods
>causing documentable respiratory problems besides allergy reactions.
>This is the same reason you're not supposed to burn pine in your
>fireplace at home-it is bad for your respiratory system.  You may not
>see obvious or short-term effects from housing your ferrets on cedar or
>certain other wood shavings, but the long-term effects can shorten your
>ferret's lifespan and cause avoidable illness.
 
Yes, cedar has some very dangerous compounds and is best avoided.  There
is actually a lot on this by experts, and a fine over-view out there, but
I don't have time to search it down right now.  If you go to
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
and click on Critical References, then go to something like "Further
Resources" you'll find the info you need.
 
Pine is the one to which some individuals are allergic (sometimes
severely so) but most don't seem to be; whereas cedar is considered
nastily dangerous for them.
 
Sukie (who has extra-dimensional sore leg muscles and foot blisters
today -- really...)
[Posted in FML issue 3951]