When we first had ferrets 20 years ago the use of grocery cat food was
common.  We had ferrets for a good many years (many) without having any
insulinoma, and early adrenal growths weren't even mentioned then so who
knows if early ones even existed then.  It was a long time before we
encountered those illnesses.  The ferrets were usually robust and
reasonably long lived -- about the same lifespans as are considered
reasonably long lived now with sporadic very old ones just as now (and
that really was on Meow Mix with a few occasional raisins since most
folks then used things like Meow Mix and other cheap cat foods).  There
was more poop and it was stinkier, but we did not encounter rampant
insulinoma, we did not have obese ferrets with sarcopenia (low muscle
levels) or fragile bones (in fact, we have never had a ferret with a
broken bone at any age).  We used dog killed-virus vax.  The sky never
fell.
 
Personally, my suspicions are that genetics and the currently seen
infectious diseases that weren't seen then in family ferrets (ex: ECE,
ADV, etc.) could play a much greater role in any possible changes in U.S.
ferret health since then, remembering that any such possible changes in
rates certainly are not firmly known.  Never forget that many of the
fancies came originally from fur farms which selected for appearance
rather than for health or longevity reasons, nor that there have been a
number of breeders since who did so at first.  Note, that I use the word
"suspicions" since this, too, is hypothetical.
 
I'd like to see someone with a doctorate in veterinary nutrition get into
this discussion, someone like Tom Willard or another, even one who is in
development of supplements rather than food.  That could be a major
learning opportunity.  There is much more that all of us do not know
about food than we do know.
 
We can't know for sure what the ancestral ferret diet was like.
Environmental destruction and changes leave us unable to know that for
sure.  As a result, even when we discuss natural dietary components we
have to recall that we don't know this info for certain.
 
Also, in the wild ferrets normally have shorter lives.  While a wild diet
may be right for early years (and may not since the data simply are not
in) we can not then assume that the same things are right for older ages.
 
This does not mean that it is not good to try to take into account what
pre-adaptations may exist; merely that they can't be automatically
assumed to be better.
 
Because ferrets are descended from crepuscular (dawn and dusk activity
peaks) animals who spent much time in burrows, and because of some
malignancy studies we like to provide a lot of true darkness.  It's a
choice made from hypotheses not from firm information.  It's a choice
we have made.
 
There's more which has been recently said that raises questions, but
I don't particularly chose to debate this topic.  I'd rather see real
experts step in, and have chosen to stick to what I say below after
today:
 
What we have now are anecdotal evidence, hypotheses, observations that
lack control for many variables, a lack of hard studies, and other holed
arguments.  That does not mean that some of the ideas may not be good
ones.  Some subsets likely will pan out and others will not, but only
good studies will tell us which is which.  This means that without hard
data we all simply do our best with the bits and pieces we have.  Don't
panic, don't accuse, don't pressure, don't preach, don't fight about this
topic.  What exists simply is not worth those actions.  We are all
reasonably intelligent folks here and can do this.
 
Oh, interestingly, the giving of breakfast cereals as treats is quite
recent.  We don't personally do it ourselves.
[Posted in FML issue 3945]