Dear all,
 
I would like to sum up something because I've got too many responses to
leave without an explanation.
 
Now I know it's a common dilusion, but in Hungary at present is believed
that the following ferret feeding is right:
 
According to a famous Hungarian veterinarian:
the ferrets should be given 70-80% meat and 20-30% side-dish.  The
side-dish may contain thick-soup, vegetables, rice, pasta, boiled
potatoes, anything we (humans) can eat.  Feeding with kibble is not
recommended.  Kibble shouldn't be continuously available for the ferret.
Feeding once or twice daily is enough for an adult ferret.  We can give
raw vegetables for the ferret.  The ferret should get not just meat
because it eats fruits in the wild as well.  The ferret in the wild eats
the digestive tract of the prey first, to get the vitamines and the
vegetable-originated food, the fibre.  The fibre is an important part
of the ferret diet.  (He actually tells more but it would be too long,
you get the point)
 
Everyone in Hungary believes in it (except from today, me, and later
others :) ).  This is because this vet told us, and he is said to be a
ferret expert.
 
Now I know that (thanks Sukie for the information):
Polecat relatives don't tend to eat veggies and only rarely try some
fruits in a seasonal situation.  The amount in the GI tract of a prey
animal is WAY below 20% of the animal's weight, let along caloric
measure.  Polecats aren't too big on eating the GI tract.  What is in
the GI tract of those prey animals is largely pre-digested.  Ferrets do
not have the capacity to sufficiently digest fruits or vegetables.  Many
vegetables and some fruits can cause fatal blockages and certainly cause
intestinal irritation.  It is postulated that sugars and starches may
increase the development of insulinoma, a beta islet cell tumor which
produces too much insulin, the functional opposite of diabetes.
 
Thanks again, FML, for your help,
Balazs
 
Ps.: Now I only need to explain everyone who doesn't read FML and doesn't
read English why I know this better than this vet...
[Posted in FML issue 4717]