Q: "I object to you saying kibble was nothing more than meat powder and
   sugar.... I think kibble saves lives [both prey animals and ferrets]."
 
A: I think kibble makers roll in dough.
 
The chicken protein in the kibble has to come from SOMEPLACE; I doubt
if chickens are donating protein in some Far Side equivalent of a blood
bank, so I can't understand why you would think feeding kibble saves
animal lives.  The amino acid sources in kibbles are derived from a
variety of sources, but are ultimately some combination of meat and plant
proteins.  Honestly, the body cannot tell the difference if an amino acid
was initially constructed in a plant or an animal, so it makes little
difference where most of these building blocks of protein originate.
However, ferrets requires a substantial amount of amino acids that are
ONLY made in animals (essential amino acids), as well as some essential
fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, which is why they are termed an
"obligate carnivore" (they are obligated to eat animals).  In polecats,
the progenitor of the domesticated ferret, more than 95% of their total
food intake is animal carcasses, also making them a PRIMARY carnivore.
In contrast, humans also evolved as obligate carnivores, but have never
been a primary carnivore.  As a result of this diet, ferret digestive
organs and physiology are specifically adapted to consume a diet
primarily composed of animal bodies.  Ferret are NOT designed for a
vegetarian diet, specifically, the consumption of large amounts of
starches and carbohydrates.
 
Kibble is essentially unleavened bread, cooked hard.  In order to retain
shape and resist decay, kibble MUST have: 1) a significant amount of
carbohydrates to form the initial dough, 2) all original components must
be of a size small enough to mix consistently and react uniformly during
the extrusion process (a powder), 3) contain only a slight moisture
content to resist decay (kibble is 10% or LESS moisture, green bone
averages 7%), and 4) include preservatives to prevent oxidation of
those essential nutrients replaced after cooking.  In effect, kibble is
mummified, preserved, meat- and vitamin-fortified bread.
 
You can argue the esthetics of forcing an obligate, primary carnivore
to consume mummified bread containing meat powder all you want, but that
is another subject.  The problem is the carbohydrates.  As far as the
physiology of ferret digestion is concerned, there are only two types of
carbohydrate: those that can be digested, and those that cannot.  Because
plant grains are an important source of the final protein percentages in
kibble, they have to be highly processed in order to "release" the amino
acids so ferrets can digest them.  That's fine, but it also changes the
structure of the carbohydrates, making them also much easier to digest.
All carbohydrates are nothing more than long chains of sugar, so when
they are digested, those parts make--you guessed it--sugar.
 
You can be obtuse and argue all you want about what percentage of sugars
are actually absorbed by the ferret, but you would miss the important
point that ferrets are obligate, primary carnivores that have a digestive
tract and physiology adapted to a diet containing less than 5% plant
material.  Forgetting for the moment that kibble is mummified bread,
the carbohydrate content is AT LEAST 35-40% of the total (in the best
kibbles), and perhaps up to 60-70% in the cheaper housecat brands.  It
is not conjecture that even PART of such a carbohydrate load results in
significant physiological changes in ferrets, especially in the pancreas
and it's glucose-insulin feedback system.  I believe this carbohydrate
load directly results in a decline in oral health, is the driving force
behind the apparent rise in insulinoma, is probably correlated to
bacterial overgrowths in the gastrointestinal tract, and, because it
promotes obesity, a factor in cardiovascular and other aliments.  There
is overwhelming evidence a diet rich in calories shortens lives by as
much as 25% or more!  So even though kibble may be harmless to some, it
is very likely it SHORTENS the lives of ferrets (and people blame ferret
farms for shortening the lives of American ferrets when compared to those
from Europe, ignoring issues of diet, overcrowding, photoperiod, cage
stress, inactivity, boredom, and early neutering).
 
Kibbles are doughs made of meat and processed carbohydrates finely
divided into roughly and finely ground powders, hard-cooked into a
crunchy bread.  The carbohydrates are highly processed, making them
highly digestible.  Digested carbohydrates are broken down into sugar.
A diet of excess sugars in humans results in horrific problems, ranging
from obesity to cancers.  The important question is, what is the impact
of such a diet on an obligate, primary carnivore, even more adapted to
a meat diet than humans?
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4114]