In commenting on Judi Bell's Book, Debbie Riccio commented that:
>In the section under flea control, she mentions that cedar is a good flea
>deterent and is not harmful to ferrets nor does it cause an allergic
>reaction.
 
Yes, cedar does work to control fleas, but it is totally untrue that cedar
is not an irritant.  People in our local ferret group and some on the FML
have asked for the papers backing up the claim that cedar is hazardous, so I
began with a few literature searches.  The web server for our ferret group
has a review of the biomedical literature on cedar and pine exposure that I
put together in my spare time
(http://doomsday.phy.duke.edu/ferrets/cedar.html).
 
Particularly for cedar, the studies overwhelmingly show that it is a major
lung irritant and can cause asthma, which is often irreversible after
exposure to cedar has ended.  Pine causes problems, too, but less so than
cedar.  If I have the opportunity, I will update the cedar FAQ to include
references from the 1940s through 1970s.  I'm certain I will easily end up
with more than 100 references documenting the respiratory hazards of cedar.
 
Judi Bell may have based her recommendations on her own experiences, but a
single search of Medline would have instantly revealed that cedar causes
problems and this has been known in humans and in other animals for decades.
I would recommend people to never use cedar around their ferrets, and to
convince pet stores that ferrets or other small mammals should not be kept
on cedar bedding.  One of the few acceptable forms of cedar for pets would
be the cedar-chip filled beds for large dogs.  The cedar is enclosed and the
dog wouldn't root through it, so the risk of lung problems would be minimal.
Otherwise, I suggest keeping all fuzzies away from cedar.
 
--Jeff Johnston  ([log in to unmask])
[Posted in FML issue 1541]