This ferret may simply be more vulnerable if that is it.
Here is one VIN article from less than a month ago due to too much
Vitamin D in Blue Buffalo foods and resulting hypercalcemia in dogs.
Ferrets are also vulnerable to too much D intake and to developing
hypercalcemia:
<http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/veterinarians-reporting-possible-blue-buffalo-dog-food-concerns.html>
>The company's focus has been on Blue Buffalo Wilderness Chicken
>Recipe, manufactured in April 2010 with a best-used-by date of July
>2011.
>
>Vitamin D toxicity, or hypervitaminosis D, induces bone loss and
>abnormally high serum calcium levels, which could result in kidney
>stones and the calcification of organs like the heart and kidneys if
>left untreated.
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/
doesn't have this new problem yet, showing the 2007 melamine problem
with Blue Buffalo as the latest for that maker:
<http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/brand_list.cfm?Trade_Name=BLUE%20BUFFALO&pet=Cat%2C%20Dog>
[A later P.S.]
It COULD be from that food. He may be more personally vulnerable.
Read the VIN article and consider if it might have too much Vitamin D
for him.
DO get a urine pH on him as well as urine concentration numbers. THOSE
ARE IMPORTANT! If he is genetically prone to cystine uroliths then the
high protein food will be causing kidney debris. If his pH is too
acidic that could well be your answer.
There is no good reason for a ferret who gets cystine stones to not
live a full life once the crisis is over by simply keeping the protein
intake down to about 35%. Most ferrets who get those stones do not need
meds for them. We just lost Hilbert after he got over SEVEN ADDITIONAL
YEARS of life, dying just short of 8 years old because we restricted
his protein intake when his cystine problem was discovered in his first
year of life. He had two other kidney crises later from other causes:
diabetes, and a severe infection.
(The urine concentration number will help tell how extreme to be in
supportive care, BTW. Don't stint on IV.)
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.htmlhttp://www.miamiferret.org/http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/http://www.ferretcongress.org/http://www.trifl.org/index.shtmlhttp://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
On change for its own sake: "You can go really fast if you just jump
off the cliff." (2010, Steve Crandall)
[Posted in FML 6837]
