Inge asked: >Okay, I have read the pros and cons of raw feeding. > >My question is, is there anybody out there that had serious health >problems, confirmed by a veterinarian, with their ferrets because >of it? Oh, gosh, yes! That is exactly why I posted that there are something like a half dozen vets whose posts I have found in the past in FHL and FML archives who have said that they don't raw feed themselves and advise against it (though some other vets like Susan Brown weigh things differently and do raw feed). You can find those in the two sets of archives. Also, you can find descriptions of some of these illnesses in ferrets in some of the ferret veterinary texts. _Biology and Diseases of the Ferret_ has the most detailed info as I recall from when I needed to look up salmonella after one report of that situation. Anyway, if you look in those places you will find vets' own mentions. Honestly, it is not a clear call necessarily. Both have their upsides and downsides, so different people -- including different vets -- will weigh things differently. We personally prefer to avoid any risk of illnesses that can get so completely out of hand and which can have long term consequences even when they don't, but others will come to the opposite conclusion and go with raw because the rate of serious infection is low. Here are some past posts for you, but I am just looking roughly so you can get more specific: http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG6258 http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG6619 http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG12118 (in this one Dr. Bruce Williams did not encounter as bad a case as was described by one vet in _Biology and Diseases of the Ferret_ and speaks of more usual presentations) http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG12104 (quotes and paraphrases from that vet text) http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG11357 (from a human medical professional) http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG11178 (Among other things notice treatment for ferrets from Dr; Jerry Murray: > Now to clear up the aminoglycoside antibiotic(gentomicin, neomycin, > streptomycin, amikacin, tobramycin,and kanamycin) questions. > You can add Amikacin and Tobramycin to that list of aminoglycoside > antibiotics. Tobramycin can be used for eye drops, but you do not > want to use Amikacin or Tobramycin by injection unless there is no > other choice. In general, aminoglycoside antibiotics are used for gram > negative bacterial infection (ie E. coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas,etc). > Ferrets seem to be prone to kidney (and hearing) damage when amino- > glycosides are used. Dehydration {and/or using a cephalosporin > (Cefa drops, Keflex drops)} will increase the risk of kidney > damage, so you do not want to use aminoglycosides for cases of ECE. > In ferrets, we generally use Baytril (enrofloxacin), a fluoroquinolone > antibiotic, for gram negative bacteria. Another choice would be > Cipro (ciprofloxacin). Plus there are 3 other veterinary > fluoroquinolone antibiotics. http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG8628 http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG6601 but that is just a smattering, and there is more in the archives from more ferret vets, so look more widely yourself, please, if you need more. Hope that helps answer your question, even if you do need to search more widely. -- Sukie (not a vet) Ferret Health List co-moderator http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives fan http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ replacing http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org International Ferret Congress advisor http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5159]