Jennifer, thanks for posting that information. I had been unaware of
this new version of the Epigen 90. This is very good to know. Also,
I very much enjoyed meeting you this past weekend at the 2011 Ferret
Symposium in Phoenix.

Any opinions expressed in the remainder of this post are my own, and
are not meant to reflect the positions of any organizations I am
involved with.

When Epigen 90 first became available, I had purchased some to try.
Because of the low fat content, I mixed it sparingly into my kibble
mix, but soon found that the ferrets who will eat kibble liked it,
and chose to eat it over some of the other brands in the mix.

Like you, my personal ferrets eat primarily a raw diet, but I always
train my kits to eat kibble, because I realize that not everyone is
willing to feed a raw diet. Some of my personal ferrets will also eat
kibble if they become hungry before it is feeding time.

I have found that Wysong is a food company that listens to the public,
and tries to meet our needs while also providing proper nutrition.

Also, like you, I try to avoid starches, for the same reason. Further,
I try to avoid any foods that rely on plant proteins to raise their
protein level. I really like that Epigen 90 gets a minimum of 90% of
its protein from animal matter, rather than relying on plant proteins.
Plant proteins are not good for ferrets (there is some research to back
that statement up), and while small amounts of plant protein may not
be harmful, they also may not be usable by a ferret, because they are
obligate carnivores. Foods that contain plant proteins may not really
be providing ferrets with the protein level they need, as a result.

Another company that I have found listens to customers is Oxbow -
makers of Carnivore Care. I stopped by their table at the Symposium.
They have a new ferret treat product, and were giving out free samples.
I did take some to try, but discussed with them the fact that I prefer
items that do not contain grains or other plant matter, and would
prefer to see a treat that was made primarily from meat and other
animal products. They listened, and seemed to agree with me that
leaving out the grains might make a better product. However, since a
small amount of plant matter is likely not harmful, and since their
new product is a treat and not a diet standard, I was happy to take a
sample to try.

It is great that some animal food producers are listening and trying
to provide the best possible commercial diets for our beloved ferrets.

Danee DeVore

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

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http://help4adv.terrabox.com/

[Posted in FML 7088]