On Jan 29, 2013, at 12:27 PM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> http://ebm.rsmjournals.com/content/234/11/1287.long
>
>Response to Fasting in an Unnaturally Obese Carnivore, the
>Captive European Polecat Mustela putorius

Warning for those who are interested.

I just had time to see details. The animals were fur farm fitch living
in nasty fur farm conditions but with supplemented food, and later were
euthanized, so many will not want to read in detail.

The useful parts are seeing the problems that obesity can cause for
ferrets because that can help people avoid or respond to a health
situation, and that the bodily responses to obesity and to fasting
while obese include at least some of the same ones as humans can
suffer.

So, the abstract may be sufficient for many.

Sadly, the article does not seem to have what I was hoping to find.

I was actually trying to find a very specific thing for someone: if
anyone has done studies that specifically measure things like glucose
and insulin levels in blood and urine in ferrets in response to dietary
intake challenges, and that data appears to be lacking in what I can
find, yet such data would be essential to the foundation of multiple
hypotheses and arguments (sometimes intrinsically self-contradictory
arguments on some popular websites as my find noticed) in relation to
some pancreatic and intestinal health statements being widely made.

It would not be an inexpensive study so any vet undertaking it might
need help affording it, but it may be one that would a great senior
project for a veterinary student depending on facilities, equipment
and testing options offered by the school.

Sukie (not a vet)  Ferrets make the world a game.

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://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)

A nation is as free as the least within it.

[Posted in FML 7687]