About the Diamond cat food:
 
>From: [log in to unmask]
>
>Well I have been using that brand for about 2 years now, I had been using
>IAMS before that, I found that my ferrets have seemed to like it better, and
>they have thrived on it, not just survived..
>
>All my ferrets
>are full coated and bright eyed, with mountains of energy...My vet says that
>I have the prettiest, cleanest, and most friendliest Ferrets she's ever saw.
>
>Although not too many other people have heard of Diamond the ones who I've
>talked to also like it very much.
 
But...
 
>From: [log in to unmask]
>
>[the vet] had terrible things to say about that diamond cat food.  he says
>that all the ferrets he's seen on it have had terrible fur and listless, and
>just, in general, not well.
 
But then again...
 
>From: "Stephen R. Horton" <[log in to unmask]>
>
>I am currently using a mix of Diamond Professional and Iams, My baby
>Calvin has only been fed the Diamond ( he is a Masketeer Ferret ), and
>he has the softest fur I have ever seen, and he is also large for his
>age, and not the least bit listless.
> I have seen a video of Michelle's ferrets who were raised
>on Diamond, and they are all beautiful, large ( an understatement on a
>few) and very happy and playful.  I just wonder what bad experience your
>vet has had with Diamond food?  I have had only good....
 
I wonder too. Could the ferrets your vet was talking about have been eating
Diamond Maintenance? It has lower percentages for protein and fat than the
Diamond Professional, and lists Ground Corn as the first ingredient rather
than Chicken By-Product Meal. The Maintenance is also quite a bit cheaper
(at least at our stores), so maybe it's just a poorer food overall. Maybe
you should ask him about that; he may be giving a good food a bad rep.
Speaking of price:
 
>I get it at our local "Pet Supplies Plus"..the pet store where all
>pets are welcome to browse...
>Any way I get it in the 20lb bags for $9.95. but have paid as much as $13.00
>for it at other pet and feed stores.
 
At all the local stores I've checked, the high quality kitten foods are
generally about $11 or $12 for an *8* pound bag (Diamond included), and
around $20 to $25 for a 20 pound bag. Mind you these are Canadian prices;
it translates to about $15 to $19 US for a 20 pound bag. Any Canadian
subscribers know if our prices are always that much higher, or am I
shopping at the wrong places?
 
John, Buddy, and Cassidy
 
[Posted in FML issue 0778]