Blue Buffalo has several varieties. Recently I added the Blue
Wilderness Grain Free (potato binder) chicken *cat* food to my ferrets
mix. I know several people that feed this to their cats and ferrets. It
appears to be a quality *cat* food. I emphasize *cat*, as this food was
not meant to be for ferrets.

The kibble is very small round pieces. Some of the pieces are *coated*
with something that supposedly keeps the added beneficial bacteria more
viable.

Yesterday I rushed one of my ferrets, Knut, to my vet. He had vomited
his gravy, and was in what seemed a seizer. Knut is almost 7, well
maintained on pred and a DES implant adrenal preventative implant.

We did a BG check, 79. When my vet palpated his tummy, Knut was
obviously uncomfortable.

We did a x-ray hat showed a distended tummy, fluid and gas. Possible
blockage. We agreed to do surgery.

My vet found about a inch long what felt like hard stool at the sight
that enters the colon (illume?).

She was able to message it through and everything else looked OK. She
decided not to cut into the intestines as she could see nothing to
indicate any other *blockage*.

Last night Knut passed the *biggest poop I've ever seen come from a
ferret* according to the vet techs on duty.

Today I experimented with the Blue Wilderness food. I soaked the
lighter colored uncoated pieces of kibble and the darker *coated*
pieces in water. In 5 minutes the uncoated was soft and mushy, the
*coated hard as a rock. In a hour the *coated* was softening, sticky
and hard/dry in the center. In two hours it still had a hard center.
Sent this info to my vet. She is *highly suspicious* the hard kibble
had backed up and caused the problem.

Contact the manufacturer? This is *cat* food. My ferret ate the *wrong*
food.

Tonight Knut is doing well. I pulled the Blue Wilderness from their mix.

Ardith
Reno, Nevada

[Posted in FML 7778]