Raisins: just a reminder.  Just as with dogs there have been ferrets who
have had renal failure from raisins or from grapes.  I wasn't at the IFC
Symposium but apparently the hazard level has been reduced to something
like as few as 7 or 8 because according to those who were there such
number came up in a talk on the problem.
 
Here is a resource from the ASPCA toxicology papers on this poisoning
hazard when it occurs in dogs, so just know that it is similar:
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=grapes
That site sometimes has trouble with it's links to tox pages so if that
doesn't work for you then you can go to the main page
http://www.napcc.aspca.org/    ASPCA National Poison Control Center
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=apcc  (alternative link to
above site) and just click open the toxicology publication with bunch of
grapes next to it.
 
Deva wrote:
>I am sure there are lots of other things, too.  Now, if we could come up
>with this on a DVD and get a show on TV, "Exercising with Ferrets" we
>could make enough money to support all of out shelters--It was just an
>idea.
 
You SO had me laughing!
 
(To be kindest to ferret skin, though, you will wind up burning fewer
calories because you don't want to bath them too often.)
 
On politicians and their rabies (and protecting ferrets from the bites
of politicians): Bill and Alexandra you made me laugh so loud that Steve
yelled out from the other room to hear what was said!
 
Debbie, these are among the useful resources for that:
FHL Archives   http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
http://miamiferret.org/fhc/physiology.htm
 and
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/Clin_Path/ClinPath.html
 
for example (quoted with permission):
>Probably the most common misinterpretation that I see on a routine basis
>is in the area of hepatic enzymes.  Remember, that the ferret, being by
>nature an obligate carnivore, has an extremely short digestive tract,
>and requires meals as often as every four to six hours.  Should food not
>be available, it possesses the ability to quickly mobilize peripheral
>fat stores in order to meet energy requirements.  When this physiologic
>mechanism is activated, the liver is literally flooded with fat, which
>results in hepatocellular swelling which may be marked.  The result of
>this swelling is the leakage of membrane enzymes such as alanine
>aminotransferase, and as the hepatocellular swelling increases,
>occlusion of bile canaliculi occurs, resulting, over time, in elevation
>of alkaline phosphatase.
>
>In conjunction with this physiologic change, elevations of ALT up to
>800 mg/dl can be seen, and alkaline phosphatase up to approximately
>100 mg/dl.  This often causes confusion to practitioners, who render an
>erroneous diagnosis of unspecified hepatic disease.  However, hepatic
>disease is quite uncommon in this species; the most common cause of true
>hepatic disease in the ferret is neoplasia, with lymphosarcoma causing
>95% of cases.  Rarely bacterial infections of the liver or biliary tree
>may be seen.
>
>The diagnosis of hepatic disease in the ferret must be based not only on
>ALT and alkaline phosphatase, but other clinical indicators in the CBC
>and chem panel.  Clinical elevation of icterus or an elevated bilirubin
>is an excellent indicatior of primary hepatic disease, or concomitant
>leukocytosis or pyrexia may lend additional credence to a diagnosis of
>primary hepatic disease.
 
(Source: Dr. Bruce Williams, DVM and veterinary pathologist ferret
expert)
 
There is lots more there!
[Posted in FML issue 4891]