Interesting assertion by the vet. Sounds a bit like Hills rep hype to
me.

The peas used in extruded kibble are of the dried variety (legumes).
As such, they are considered to be a low-oxalate food source. Dried
peas are a source of essential amino acids like lysine, methionine
and linoleic acid. There are also studies showing that in dog and cat
diets, dried peas contribute to faster glucose clearance rates and
slower circulating insulin levels.

By way of contrast, foods made with grains are known to create alkaline
urine in dogs and cats, making them susceptible to struvite stones.
Obviously ferrets are not dogs or cats, but we do know that struvite
stones are most common in ferrets as well, followed by oxalate stones.
Ferrets tend to have acidic urine (pH <6.4). The amino acid found in
dried peas, methionine, helps acidify urine. Grain based diets, on the
other hand, cause urine pH to become alkaline which in turn increases
the likelihood of stone formation.

I will also add that I have been including most of the food brands
mentioned by Randi in my shelter mix for 2 years now. We only feed
grain-free foods. I work in a veterinary hospital, so I do necropsy a
majority of my ferrets when they pass on. I can confidently say that
since we began feeding grain-free diets, we have had one ferret with
renal failure, no urolith cases, decreased numbers of insulinoma
diagnoses and no gastric lymphomas (nice healthy intestinal tracts).
I conclude from this that I am either extremely lucky, or there is
something to be said for grain-free diets in ferrets.

Bonnie Tormohlen
Managing Director
Northern Arizona Ferret Alliance & Rescue, Inc

[Posted in FML 7656]