Pork.

[charmantpapillon]

It was recently brought to my attention that pork might not be very good for ferrets.. does any one know if this is true and if so why? (not bacon or ham just PORK like tenderloin or chops)

[Forum Administrator]

The reason people advise against feeding raw pork is because of the potential risk of trichinosis. However, in recent years trichinosis has become a lot less common in the united states. Its up to you whether you feel the benefits of feeding pork outweigh the risks. IMO pork is a wonderful source of taurine rich, fatty meat, and I will continue to feed it to my ferrets. I get a yearly fecal test done at my ferret's yearly check up to test for worms, but I have never once had a single worm found in their feces.

Here is a thread on a DOG raw feeding forum that discusses "what's up with pork"
www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/556635

Ultimately the choice is yours. What is an acceptable "risk" for you, and what isn't?

[charmantpapillon]

i think it may be worth the risk since i cannot find hearts anywhere and they ned taurine plus its his favoirite treat. thanks giuli

[Forum Administrator]

Honestly I don't think its that big of a risk since the occurance of trichinosis has significantly decreased here in the US. My guys love pork and its a nice cheap, nutritious meat. I've never had an issue with pork and I know alot of raw feeding dog, cat, AND ferret owners who havent had issues either. Could he get trichinosis? Sure. But what is the likelyhood of that happening? Honesty I dont think that high.

Here is some info from Wikipedia (I know its not the best source to use, but there are citations for each thing below listed on the site):

Infection was once very common, but is now rare in the developed world. From 1997 to 2001, an annual average of 12 cases per year were reported in the United States. The number of cases has decreased because of legislation prohibiting the feeding of raw meat garbage to hogs, increased commercial and home freezing of pork, and the public awareness of the danger of eating raw or undercooked pork products.[1]

In the developing world, most infections are associated with undercooked pork. For example, in Thailand, between 200 and 600 cases are reported annually around the Thai New Year. In parts of Eastern Europe, the WHO(World Health Organization) reports that some swine herds have trichinosis infection rates above 50%, and there are correspondingly large numbers of human infections [2].

*Link to rest of article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis

[ferretpalooza]

Does this include all pork as a source of taurine Guiliana??? I am getting ready to make a grind mix and am having the same problem with finding hearts. I have some country ribs I am grinding up tomorrow, is that a source of taurine??