>Ask older people about how they used to raise their animals and the
>lower incidence of diseases back then, and the answer is there as to
>why health problems are on the rise.
>
>Amy
 
What gives you the impression that there was "less disease back
then"??? I think frets have always had some problems due to their
physical makeup that are just unfortunate part of who they are. As I
see it I think ferrets are living longer as a direct result of folks
like you and me going to the breeders and asking for a better "product'
and to the food manufactures and asking for a better fret diet formula
and getting both things. Yes I am not happy that a lot of our fuzzies
are dying from Cancers like a plague BUT maybe that is just the breaks
of having frets. But to say that "back then" there were no health
problems or that there were less of them is not an accurate statement
in itself.

I know of a lady who has had ferrets for over 30 years and she tells
me that frets always had certain dispositions toward certain health
problems. True feeding live or frozen prey may in itself help with some
of the dietary problems that we are seeing such as IBD which really
isn't IBD (more Symposium info folks...LOL) and some of the urinary
blockages and such and maybe we ought to do some blind end studies to
see if it does improve overall fret health BUT you will be required to
show proof it works.. ie. having to sacrifice some of your babies to
the study and such nonsense as that. But in the end if our babies live
a healthy life with love and caring, then isn't that why we are in the
fret Bizz to begin with?

best to all
 
Fred Hurd
Reno Ferret Rescue

[Posted in FML 5704]