Nor is that the only disease which may be passed in raw foods.  There are
quite a few.
 
One very avoidable one is bovine tuberculosis.  Cases of this have almost
stopped appearing in ferrets in the U.S.  now that almost no one gives
raw milk from cattle, goats, etc.  or raw ungulate meat to ferrets.  It
is a larger problem in some areas where that practice still occurs.  It's
not common but it is an avoidable death sentence.
 
When ferrets do get TB is usually the avian form which is omnipresent in
the environment because so many wild birds have it, and even then the
ferrets need to be immune suppressed usually to get it.
 
They can catch the human form but that is very rare.  This is also a
death sentence.
 
Meanwhile, the bovine form in ferrets can be avoided by keeping any
ungulates healthy and tested, and by not giving raw animal products.
 
Another still UNanswered question about out domestic ferrets is what
protein level will give optimal health results.  A dietary protein level
in the low to mid 50 percentile range is more natural, but again our
domestic ferrets in the U.S.  have many generations behind them of not
facing the physiological demands of that high a protein level and our
current "pet stock" in this country has generation of breeding for
factors other than health and longevity.  (I really wish appearance was
less important to people.)
 
I was reading an article by Dr. Mark Finkler "A Nutritional Approach to
the Prevention of Insulinomas in the Pet Ferret" from Exotic Mammal
Medicine and Surgery recently and noticed a few things in this excellent
and completely honest synopsis of what things are known and which are
postulated.
 
First: Although I already knew that the low starch and high protein
concepts were based upon hypotheses I had not realized quite how very
many stacked hypotheses they were based upon.  On asking around with
research vets who study these questions (in case there might be new solid
data) I found out that this "stacked hypotheses" observation is a correct
impression, so if the approach works there will still be the question
whether it works for the postulated reasons which are ultimately largely
based upon diabetes work, especially in cats, from the sounds of it, or
if the approach works but the hypotheses fall apart.
 
Second: There is no way to even know if it would work.  It turns out that
there are NOT reliable rate data on insulinoma RATES according to those I
asked.  How is that for a sad eye-opener?
 
It would be a very good thing if perhaps a large group of vets who
actually look for insulinoma would agree to keep a hospital tally of
the number of ferrets they treat, the number with insulinoma, the
markings/coloration of the ferrets, age of on-set, and the diets given
those ferrets including treats.  (BTW, our own household rate of
insulinoma PLUS the pancreatic carcinoma and pancreatic lympho cases we
have encountered -- just in case they also had insulinoma going on --
has been around 20% or so over 24 years.  I'd have to do the numbers
to be really sure but that's the estimate and all here were at least 6
years of age.  We personally give a few dried cranberries and a little
Nutrical/Nutristat among the treats we use but they are not the primary
treats, we do not give starch treats or things like Yogis, and we
returned to an about 35% protein level when we found that two of our
ferrets formed cystine stones when they ate higher protein foods so we
need to shape around their personal vulnerabilities.  To each his or
her own.)
[Posted in FML issue 4777]