When it comes to cystine stones vs.  insulinoma, as I said before even
though the rates of neither is truly known (as per what several highly
knowledgeable vets have told me) my own gut feeling is that insulinoma
will turn out to be far more common that cystine stones BUT that isnt'
what what will matter when assessing diet in regard to them.  What WILL
matter once there is a grasp of rates is HOW MUCH OF A CHANGE IN THE
RATES is seen between the diet types, and HOW MANY FERRETS THAT CHANGE
IN RATES AFFECTS.  It may be that there will wind up being few who get
cystine stones but a substantial improvement in the number who avoid
insulinoma.  Then it would pay to always go with a high protein diet
*unless* you wind up with ferrets who get cystine stones on the high
protein diets as we have (in their case their susceptibility so far is
in diets over about 35% to 40% protein levels), or your ferrets have some
other so far not spotted personal vulnerability.  On the other hand it
may turn out -- once people actually know the rates at both the about 35%
protein diets and the 50th percentile diets that the insulinoma rates
change too little compared with the rates of cystine stones.  Either one
is possible in the U.S.  right now because we do have a population with
a long history of 35% protein diets so vulnerable individuals for many
generations did not go through the die-off they would have with higher
protein diets, but instead reproduced .  I personally suspect that it
will probably be the first of the two possibilities (as I have said
before) but I could easily be wrong so there is no way -- especially
having almost lost one of our two here due to cystine stones -- that I am
about to come out and strongly say that a guess is a definite during a
time when we are all so information deprived simply due to the current
state of the knowledge on these things.
 
Meanwhile, if people and their vets at least know about all factors and
continue making sure that learning happens -- whether about insulinoma,
cystine stones, raw diets, kibbled diets, some entirely new approach down
the line, cooked foods -- whatever as long as it is good enough -- then
ferret lives get saved and that is ultimately what it all has to be about
instead of it being about what anyone (including me) may favor at any
point where it still remains a hypothesis.  Knowing the difference
between what is a hypothesis and what isn't is a great way to avoid
heartache when a tried hypothesis doesn't pan out because all that any of
us can do is to try the best we can with all the info get gather for the
needs of our own particular family ferrets.  We all need to know that
each of us will be wrong on some things and right on others, and that is
understandable because each of us is only human so trying the best we can
with what is known and possible to do at any given time (like using vet
care options out there) is the most we can do.  Ferrets may be perfect --
or danged close -- but we humans can't be by definition.
 
So, each person on the list will learn and will share info, and will
weigh, and then will make their own choices -- just as I choose to go
with what veterinary urologists say about cystine stones specifically
because we have two with them in our family.  FML members are good at
all of that.  They know that ultimately none of us reads crystal balls
(except the Oracle, of course!  :-) ) and that none of us should be
expected to be super humans, and that time and research will tell so it
pays to make sure that the research gets done so that we all ultimately
have enough information to save as many ferrets as possible because
getting those firm answers down the line -- no matter what those answers
may be -- is what will best help all of our ferrets and therefore also
ourselves.
 
(YEAH, I know: I risk once again get beaten on by people who feel
strongly about any of those viewpoints on any side.  At least it will
get the pros and cons on every side mentioned and evaluated *IF* people
stay civil enough.)
 
-- Sukie who is still waiting for someone to write _Klingon for Ferrets_
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/rsi/page.cfm?pageID=1601
(some F&G info that you NEED to know)
http://tingilinde.typepad.com/starstuff/2005/02/more_on_ferret_.html
(ride the link for the comic and go GLACK! about the ferret)
http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=111784 (important
pregnancy news)
http://www.sterlingjewelrybox.com/flowers-meanings.htm (because
Valentine's day will be here tomorrow and knowing that a few FMLers
want to send me stinkweed -- at least I didn't recommend learning
yodeling for a Valentines' Day gift, unlike my darling Steve)
[Posted in FML issue 4788]