With pyrethrin type pesticides there are a few things that matter. Some of the synthetics are bad enough for ferrets that they have been mentioned as a way to kill them (the article that is no longer on the web which I talked about in yesterday's FML.). Even the safer ones need to dry. The natural version should not be overdone. Kevin on the FML wrote in late 1999 of losing a large number of ferrets when a housemate over-did it.* The types differ, and a great many new types have been developed since 1995 as well as data added. Sharon gave detailed advice of what turned up for very specific types and that is smart because lumping all together isn't right. A person needs to know that some types are unsafe and then find which ones are safe while knowing to avoid the others till enough is known. If they are planning to use any other version of pesticides rather than those Sharon gave careful details for be extra sure to check ahead of time with one of the Animal Poison Control places mentioned, and it never hurts to check even when given detailed advice when something so serious is being discussed, especially when those of us (like Sharon and me) who are saying what we found are *not* experts and would appreciate people doing further checking and supplying the info help all. Pesticides vary, even within categories, and so do the companies applying them. We almost suffered some pretty terrible results decades ago when a pesticide company (instead of digging trenches in outside soil which was required by law for the termite pesticide they planned to use) drilled holes in the building. Some of the holes came right through the wall into our bedroom and living room, thinking they were hitting the crawl space (which would not have been a legal use for that pesticide, either). Since they were not applying that day I asked the name of what they would be using. Then I called our state DEP and found the right person to ask. It turned out that providing that pesticide in that way would not only have poisoned our ferrets but it would have poisoned us and resulted in the complex being condemned, so I arranged for that expert to be able to talk to the landlord's head manager of their properties. The upshot was that company which make the mistakes had to repair the damage they did, and a different company which did the job right was used. The landlord always liked us a lot after that, and when our condo was behind schedule we were allowed extensions at a very reasonable cost. A state Department of Environmental Protection can be good place to find detailed information at times. *Overdoing natural pyrethrin in humans is also dangerous. Here is some info *from 1999* that I looked up to help him just after Christmas that year (both human references): http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind9912&L=FERRET-SEARCH&P=R38649 >I checked in the _Handbook or Poisoning_ (an OLD book) for you and the >symptoms of pyrethrin poisoning (IN HUMANS) which that text lists are >skin sensitivity, and convulsions or coma. It does not have checks for >GI or respiratory irritation, liver or kidney damage, or blood pressure >drops. Neither the livestock poisoning book nor one with picies list >this particular mum or its components. > >From _Physicans' Desk Reference of Herbal Medicine_ (newest version -- >the most reliable source I included in my checking, again from humans but >maybe there's something useful here): "No health hazards or side effects >... with the proper administration of designated Therapeutic dosages ... >doses up to 2 g ... are non-toxic" >OVERDOSE: "Headache, ringing in the ears, nausea, parathesias, >respiratory disturbances and other neurotoxic symptoms" > >For treatment they have: " gastric lavage with burgundy-colored >potassium permanganate solution and installation of activated charcoal >... possible cases of acidosis with sodium bicarbonate infusions... in >shock plasma volume expanders should be infused... monitoring of kidney >function ... intubation and oxygen respiration may be necessary" You will want to discuss such procedures with your vet if that is the likely cause from a medical standpoint. -- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my private posts) Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love them: Ferret Health List http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ AFIP Ferret Pathology http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html Miamiferrets http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ International Ferret Congress Critical References http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5247]