In looking through both Hillyer and Quesenberry's book and Fox's book I
found no mention of either of the rodent diseases; there was, however, in
the Fox book on page 213 a mention that new strain of Mycoplasma had been
isolated in some mink farms in Denmark, and in some ferrets in Japan.  The
Japanese ferrets were asymptomatic.  (See Salih, Friis, Arseculeratne, and
Fruendt, Int. J. Systemic Bacteriol.  33:476,1983, and Koshimizu, Kotani,
and Syakudo, Exp. Anim., 31:299, 1982.)  What symptoms are you dealing with?
If it's one of the two things you mentioned as your vet's inclinations I'll
hope for infection.
 
Poisonous plants: Here are a few from a text on the subject.  By no means
consider the list to be complete.  Do remember that compounds from poisonous
plants have often been the bases for medicines through the ages -- both
modern medicines and herbal medicines (from which many modern medicines were
derived) -- so knowing reliably the amounts in a dose is essential; do not
assume that hearing of something used in a medicine means the plant is safe
since it could mean exactly the opposite.  Also, remember that the reactions
here can vary from rash to death so look up any you might have (I do NOT
have time to handle those requests.), also recall that some reactions are
amount-dependent.  Common posionous plants: Arum family (calla lily,
elephant ear, Philodendron, Dieffenbachia, etc.), Oleander, Pokeweed, Rubarb
leaves, Numerous Solanaceae members such as blue or black nightshades,
jerusalem cherry, green potatoes or new potato sprouts, Yew, Akee, castor
bean and jeguirity bean, fava beans or pollen for those with Favaism,
hemlock, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, false hellebore and death
camas -- Veratrum and Zygadenus, baneberry, betelnut seeds, bird of paradise
seed pod, bleeding heart, bloodroot, boxwood leaves and twigs, buckeye,
horse chestnut, burning bush, spindle tree, calabar bean, celandine, cherry
seeds and leaves, china berry chrysanthemum (This one surprised me because
there is an asian edible chrysanthemum.  The reaction is a dermatitis.),
corn cockle seeds, christmas rose (Helleborus), ranunculus, buttercups,
marsh marigold, daffodil bulbs, daphne, elderberry, finger cherry, glory
lily, holly, hyacinth, hydrangea, Lobelia, Iris, jessamine (Gelsemium),
jetberry, jute, Lyburum, golden chain, kentucky coffee berry, Lantana,
laurel, lily of the valley, locust seeds, lupin, lupine, manchineel, mango
skin or sap, mexican poppy leaves and seeds, mistletoe, moonseed, nutmeg,
physic nut, poinsetta, primrose, privet, rayless goldenrod, snakeroot,
rhododendron, sweetpea, tung nut, wisteria, yellow oleander.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2296]