M N <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I'm not interested in hearing about the whole kibble vs. raw vs. live
>debate. I've heard the arguments before. I just want some advice on
>brands of kibble, supplementing with raw, and eggs and how to cook
>them.

Hi. My advice is to choose several kibbles that are grain free. Grains
are known to cause certain health problems in some ferrets.

There are studies that have shown that a diet that contains plant
protein (and plants do contain protein - some more than others) can
cause ferrets to develop bladder and kidney stones. Corn, wheat and
rice contain as much protein as most meats, so if a kibble has 1 pound
of chicken meat (usually weighed wet) and 3/4 pound of wheat, corn or
rice (weighed dry), then that kibble is very likely getting more of its
protein content from plant sources than it is from meat sources. Most
of the time, meats are weighed wet, while the grains will be weighed
dry. So, the same weight of a wet meat and a dry grain will actually
be more grain.

Plant proteins alter the pH of the urine, making crystals more likely
to form. So, feeding the same amount of protein strictly from animal
sources will be less likely to cause bladder stones, because the pH of
the urine will be such that it will not promote crystallization of the
magnesium ammonium phosphate. This information can be found in a number
of places, but I am taking it from my Fox "Biology and Diseases of the
Ferret".

Most ferret bladder stones are caused by an improper pH in the urine,
which can be caused by plant proteins. Metabolism of the organic
acids in plant proteins produces an alkaline urine that promotes the
crystallization of minerals. The normal pH of the urine of an obligate
carnivore is too low to allow crystallization to take place. There is
a type of bladder stone called a cystine urolith that is not caused by
an abnormal pH, but it is not very common, and those are most commonly
related to a genetic defect that causes excretion of high levels of
cystine in the urine due to an inherited transport defect in the
proximal renal tubules.

Plant proteins can cause other problems as well. Grains, are often a
source of food allergy, and food allergies can be responsible for
causing IBD and IBS. Ferrets with IBD should be fed a diet that does
not contain grains. Now, that can be accomplished in several ways. Here
in the US, we do have commercially prepared foods that do not contain
any grains.

Some of the kibbles I recommend that do not contain any grains (and
these are all foods I use) are:

EVO - either the cat or the ferret one - http://www.evopet.com/

Nature's Variety Instinct (a cat food) -
http://www.naturesvariety.com/instinct_cat

Wellness CORE (another cat food) -
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_wellness_dry_index.html

Orijen Cat and Kitten Food -
http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/catkitten.aspx

All of the above can be purchased online, so you do not need to worry
about finding them in a local store. Under each food I gave a website
where you can learn more about the food.

Do not overlook canned foods. Again, there are some good ones available
that get most of their protein content from animal sources, and contain
no grains. Here are a few I recommend. Again, these can all be
purchased online. These are not meant to be used as a primary diet,
though, and should be used more to supplement and add variety to the
ferret's diet.

Wysong canned meats (called Au Jus) -
http://www.wysong.net/ferret-food.php

Merrick Before Grains canned foods -
http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/bg_canned_dog_food_132.php

EVO canned meats -
http://www.evopet.com/products/default.asp?id=1501
 or -
http://www.evopet.com/products/default.asp?id=1662

Nature's Variety Instinct Canned -
http://www.naturesvariety.com/instinct_cat_can

There are also commercially prepared raw foods available. I use the
Nature's Variety Raw, also. This you would need to find at a local
supplier, but the website offers a "store locator" feature to help
with this.

http://www.naturesvariety.com/raw_productsCAT

I feed my kids some egg, both cooked and raw. The problem with raw
eggs is that the egg whites contain avidin, which will bind with biotin
and cause a biotin deficiency, which can lead to hair loss. Cooking
destroys the avidin. So, either feed only the egg yolks raw, or feed
raw egg only occasionally.

When cooking eggs for my ferrets, I scramble them and use a fish oil to
coat the pan. You can get fish oil supplement at most pet stores. It is
usually in the dog area, and is a supplement to help the skin and coat.
Here is a link for the one I usually use.

<http://www.grizzlypetproducts.com/salmon_oil/salmon_oil.html>

You could likely also use something like Linatone (ferrettone) or olive
oil to coat the pan for scrambling the eggs.

Another thing to consider is dried or dehydrated meats. Many places
offer these - usually for dogs. A dehydrated meat can be reconstituted
with water, and the dried meats (jerky) provide good exercise for the
jaw muscles.

Finally, here is a link I often share. The article is geared primarily
toward dogs, but much of what it says can be applied to cats and
ferrets as well. It discusses various feeding methods, and the pros
and cons of each. But, it also lists things to avoid when choosing a
commercial food, as well as things to look for. To me, that is the most
important part of the article. Here is the link, and what I consider
the most important part of the article.

http://www.petsynergy.com/overview.html

"Avoid any artificial coloring, flavoring or preservatives especially
Ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT which can cause liver problems and cancer.
Animal Fat does not necessarily mean good quality oils, and can be
by-products of animal processing, so be sure to look for specific oils
like Flaxseed Oil or Salmon Oil.

Avoid the following ingredients:

Beet Pulp which has too much sugar and fiber and is a poor filler.

Beef Tallow comes from the tissue of cattle in the process of rendering
and is low in linoleic acid, which is needed for skin and coat health

Corn and Corn Gluten Meal which is the dried residue from corn after
the removal of the germ, it causes the kidneys and liver work overtime
and Corn is thought to be the #3 common cause of food allergies in dogs

Rice Bran which is the outer coating of the rice kernel, with little of
the starchy part of the germ and is basically floor sweepings. Rice
Gluten is similar to corn gluten with little good nutritional value.

Sorghum is the ground grain of the sorghum plant and it is low in
digestibility

Soybean Meal is the product obtained by grinding the flakes which
remain after removal of most of the oil from soybeans by extraction.
It is "a poor quality protein filler and one of the main causes of
allergy of dogs.

Wheat and Wheat Gluten - filler and highly allergenic.

Any other filler that you don't know the name of!

Good Things to look for!

Food Grade ingredients

Organic ingredients

No by-products

Meat based not fillers"

I hope this information is helpful.

Danee DeVore

ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know! 
For more information visit: 
<http://www.ferretadv.com>
ADV - Find out how you can help:
http://help4adv.terrabox.com/

[Posted in FML 6468]