Now, I know that some people give very low levels of probiotics for
very short periods of time to their ferrets.

Today I heard about something else. It is a probiotic product that
is marketed for what sounds like a range of small animals including
ferrets. The reason I heard about it off-list is because the person's
ferrets became ill after use.

This raises several questions:

1. Ferrets simply do not have the concentration and range of bacteria
in their digestive tract that species which normally eat vegetable
matter do (Bacteria help digest plant matter.), and they lack an
appendix. From recent research the function of the appendix seems to be
to serve as a safe-house for needed bacteria during bouts of diarrhea.
(See: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17936308 ) So, when a large
amount of other or additional bacteria are introduced to the digestive
tract might they mess up the needed balance of symbiotic bacterial
species? That itself can cause illness (including long term severe
diarrhea) in other species so can such an imbalance do that same thing
in ferrets?

2. The product says that it should be given for a month. Well, I am
sorry, but if a ferret has severe diarrhea then a vet visit is in
order, not an over the counter product. Diarrhea and the resulting
dehydration are not only problems in themselves but they can cause
further problems like malnutrition and kidney damage. Would people
use such a product instead of getting veterinary care and therefore
undermine the health of their ferrets?

3. Given that the medium is conducive to the 2 species of bacteria in
the product how easily might it also prove to be a happy home for other
bacterial species? In other words, does the very nature of the product
make it ripe for contamination, with worse bacteria being given as a
result?

4. Is this yet another case of taking a product that is designed for a
very different species, for example, humans, and just repackaging it
for other species' use?

5. Why would people expect such a product to generalize among a range
of small mammals with entirely different dietary needs and foods?

I don't have firm answers to these questions but they sure are waving
warning flags for me, especially after that one person's ferret became
so ill after use of the product.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 6274]