It's been almost three years since I last wrote to the FML and almost
as long since I last had ferrets. I'm considering some new additions in
the future so I've been poking around the world of ferrets to see what,
if anything, had changed over the past few years. In doing so, I read a
few things that got me thinking.

One note first.... This is my own thinking coupled with what are (to
me) logical sounding statements. I'm not planning on doing anything
with this; I'm definitely a "think before you act" kind of guy. I'm
bouncing it off the FML because this is arguably the best place for
such ideas.

One item I read about ferret nutrition raised what I believe to be
valid points. This article theorized that a number of current ferret
health problems are diet-related. Ferrets, it's explained, are pure
carnivores and as such they lack the body chemistry and physiology to
properly digest things like sugars and plant matter. It's theorized
that the inclusion of sugars into ferret diets by way of treats like
raisins, cereals, and a variety of other "treats" causes the ferret's
pancreas to become hyper-responsive to sugar as the ferret ages. This
can cause medical conditions such as diabetes, insulinoma (tumors,
etc), often treated with steroids as a control solution. (I've had
three or four ferrets with this condition so I can readily attest to
this.)

Similarly, humans feed ferrets a lot of plant material. The second
ingredient in the popular "Totally Ferret" food is rice flour, followed
shortly by wheat flour and corn meal. Other ferret foods are similarly
designed. For a pure carnivore, the inclusion of plant materials into
a ferret diet is questionable at best. Couple that with things like
fibery raisins and Cheerios and it's not hard to wonder why a carnivore
is eating so much plant material.

So here's the question: What would happen if you fed a ferret nothing
but meat? If all of the above is true (and, as I said, it sounds
logical to me) then the natural assumption would be that reverting a
ferret to a 100% meat (and water) diet would result in a resoundingly
healthy and long-lived ferret. For example, at the local warehouse
supermarket they sell "fajita beef" in bulk packs. This is a five pound
wad of thinly sliced steak, designed to be grilled or stir fried or
(obviously) put into fajitas. Each slice is about 1" wide by about 6"
long and about 1/8" thick. Let's say I fed a ferret two or three strips
twice a day, plus as much water as he'd drink. No treats, no raisins,
nothing other than that (and, of course, the things which makes a
ferret tick -- plenty of sunshine, play, regular vet checkups, etc).

Has anyone ever done anything like this before? If so, what were the
results? Purely as a theory I'd imagine that the ferret's waste would
be less both in quantity and odor, and I'd suspect a longer and higher
quality life. I'll be honest: It makes so much sense to me that if I
were to get a ferret right now (and, no, I'm not) I find little reason
not to put it on that kind of diet.

Anyone have any stories, experiences or facts to share about this?

[SH]

[Posted in FML 5768]