>From:    "Michael P. Lepore" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Totally Ferret So Great???
>ethoxaquin to preserve their food.  Ethoxaquin causes cancer (adrenal and
>otherwise) in dogs (this is scientifically proven)...
 
Unless you have a new study you can cite for us, no this hasn't been proven.
A study of feeding ethoxaquin to rats did cause some health problems, but
they were feeding it to the critters in enormous amounts.  Much more than
animals will ever get from pet food.
 
Not to mention, you have no way of knowing if your "ethoxaquin free" food is
actually free of it.  The preservative could have been added to the fat
before it got to the pet food plant.  You just know the pet food people
didn't add any.
 
>(in fact Iams Kitten Food also uses ethoxaquin which is why many ferrets on
>kitten food may come down with cancer).
 
That is total conjecture.  The speculated reasons for cancer in ferrets are
numerous, as AFAIK, ferrets that are fed ethoxaquin free foods suffer just
as much as ferrets that are fed foods with ethoxaquin.  We've never had a
case of cancer among our pet ferrets, and have usually fed them a mix of
ethoxaquin free and ethoxaquin preserveed foods.  Right now we feed them
just the Eukanuba, because they are doing very well on it.  Our little girl
with the heart murmur has gained weight and has more energy than she has
ever had, which no other food as done for her.  And TF is unavailable in
this area without special ordering it, which costs an arm and a leg.
 
>I hope this helps.  For me, even the chance of giving my fuzzies cancer is
>enough to pay the (much) higher prices for the totally ferret food.
 
So, I take it you've also isolated them from the other speculated causes of
ferret cancer?  You have them in their own room with full specturm lights on
a timer than you reset to keep up with the changing seasons?  They are not
early spays or neuters?  You have bred them yourself from ferrets that are
from a cancer-free line (if such exists)?  You feed them bit of a wild type
diet, as does Bob Church?
 
You aren't going to protect your ferrets from cancer just by the type of
processed food you feed them.  Cancer is much mroe complex than that.
 
Michelle
Flutist
[Posted in FML issue 2121]