Q: "Please excuse my dumb brain but I wonder that if the carbohydrates in
    kibble are so bad, would sugar treats be bad as well?"
 
A: I'll forgive your dumb brain if you forgive my smart ass.
 
The truth is, IF sugary treats are indeed treats (that is, they are only
given in small quantities on occasion, NOT in large quantities all the
time), AND they are given to healthy ferrets, THEN they are harmless.  They
are the "evolutionary diet" equivalent of finding a berry or other fragment
of fruit.  There is only a limited amount of simple sugar contained in the
treat and the sugars will probably be digested and metabolized rapidly.
Some sugary treats are better than others; I prefer the idea of giving my
ferrets their sugary treats in the form of a few licks of maple syrup or
honey, or small fragments of dried fruit rather than from starch based
carbohydrates.  But, in all honesty, I cannot see the occasional cheerio as
a bad thing.
 
This is a moot point when it comes to ferrets eating a kibbled diet
anyway.  Kibble is approximately 50% starchy carbohydrate, which (at least
theoretically) can be converted into, you guessed it--sugar.  Now, the
amount converted depends on the exact carbohydrate, processing and length
of time inside the ferret, but even if only half of the carbohydrate was
converted to sugars, it would mean the ferret was eating 2.5 lb of sugar
per each 10 lb bag of kibble.  Next to that, a few cheerios just doesn't
seem to matter much.  I mean, after a baby has hosed you down, what
consequence are the sprinkles at the end?
 
Now, just to be fair, I readily admit the EXACT amount of kibble converted
to sugar is, in fact, unknown.  I cannot quote a single source of
information which confirms experimentally what percentage of kibble is
converted by ferrets into sugar.  I know of no published study.  BUT we do
know a good part of it is converted into sugar.  So, what percentage would
be good?  40%?  30%?  10%?  Even if only 10% of the kibble was converted
to sugar (translated as 20% of the total carbohydrate in a kibble that is
about 50% starchy carbohydrates), it would mean your ferret would be eating
a pound of sugar for each 10 lb.  of kibble.
 
Pour a pound of sugar out on your table.  Is that ok for your ferret to
eat?  The occasional sugary treat is insignificant to what they are getting
in kibbles.
 
Q: "So, what are good treats?"
 
A: Some of that good old Bob sugar (I'm so sweet, I sweat honey).
 
Well that depends on your ferret.  Most animals love the taste of sweets,
so it is not hard to convince them to eat something sugary.  One taste and
they will probably say the ferret equivalent of "please mum, may I have
some more?" Other treats don't fair as well because of olfactory
imprinting.  If the treat doesn't smell "right," it is usually rejected.
Plus, you have the problem of taste preference--some ferrets simply like
one treat better than another.  What can you do?  I love Pepsi and hate
Coke.  I spurn the evil empire and bought an Apple Macintosh G4, so
advanced it makes the pentium act like a potato chip.  Hey, preference is
all about freedom of choice, and a ferret will chose what it likes.  Go
figure.
 
Bear's favorite treat is homemade beef jerky (stay AWAY from salt).  Tui
LOVES pepperoni.  Chrys would die for a cheerio.  Forget Chrys; he would
die for anything.  Fraggle loves peanut butter and nutrical.  Daye will
climb glass walls for a raisin.  Micky Moose would chew off his own tail
for ANYTHING.  Ok, especially anything that smells like a mouse.  And
believe it or not, Carbone has a cricket fetish.  They all love meaty and
sugary treats.  I just give them sparingly; after al, they are not a proper
meal.
 
Bob C and 16 Mo' Living Treats
[Posted in FML issue 3023]