>Gary Holowicki <[log in to unmask]>
>I think americans avoid raw meat because our supply is in so terrible
>shape, health wise.  I don't know if it makes the news over there, but
>people die here from eating even restaurant hambergers that are not
 
I wish I knew more about the %age 'contamination' of E. coli and salmonella
in raw meats, their sources, etc.  However, my point here is just to respond
to Gary and back up the point that he made later in this paragraph - If
you're really committed to feeding your ferrets a good, raw-meat based diet
(or if you want good, clean meat for your family) you should look up the
local branch of the Organic Farmer's association and find somebody in your
area to buy your meat from.  Many slaughter, clean and dress, package, and
deliver - perhaps more so if you're in an urban area, because they probably
already sell to a local organic foods store.
 
>Jennifer Coyer
>There are a few problems that I see with their diet, though.  First off,
>the tinned cat food.  Canned food is really bad on the teeth, and plainly
>is just not good( doesn't have the right nutrition) for their bodies.
 
Tinned cat food is perfectly acceptable as a diet supplement.  Somebody else
(sorry to forget your name!) asked why adding water to wet cat food resulted
in a much lower percentage - if you work out the #'s, the protein
percentages are really quite equal.  I personally think of tinned cat foods
as dry food with 70% more water, and if you look at the ingredients lists of
lots of wet foods, the only thing they're lacking is the preservatives,
oftentimes.
 
As far as wet cat food being bad for teeth, nobody argues that - if wet cat
food is the ONLY diet, you get some skanky dental buildups.  However, Kaye
also mentioned giving her ferrets chicken wings, which are some of the best
natural toothbrushes you could ask for.  Bone actually - the teeth-cleaning
action of chewing on a bone isn't duplicated by feeding any packaged diet,
and I'm willing to bet Kaye's ferrets have never had anything but pure white
teeth.
 
>again :).  Some of the ferrets relatives eat fish, like the polecat.
 
Actually, I believe the polecat's diet consists mainly of amphibians, small
rodents, squirrels, and bugs.  (circa Bob C, bone guy).  Polecats do eat
fish, but probably eat much more of the above list than they do fish.
 
>strongly disagree to feed ferrets any dairy products- especially milk.
 
I believe that ferrets, like cats, don't get lactose intolerant if dairy
products are a regular part of their diet.
 
>try to substitute the milk treat with something else, like perhaps bananas
>or raisins.
 
I think that these are good treats, but have as many problems as milk.
Raisins certainly contain undigestible plant fiber and lots of sugar,
neither of which ferrets need.
 
It's up to an individual owner as to what treats to give (always in
moderation) to their ferrets.  I personally can't resist giving my ferrets a
smidgen of whatever they want to taste, but that happens quite rarely (a few
times a month, maybe).
 
I strongly encourage everyone to keep an open mind about ferret diets and
differences therein.  I know ferret owners who only feed their ferrets once
a day and always have; those who include (clean, fresh) occasional roadkill;
those who include other things like wet puppy food, baby chickens, raw
bones, live mice, along with milk and canned cat food.  Some vets I have
heard referred to as saying that dry food is bad because of the incidence of
kidney problems seen in pets fed only dry food.  These people have owned
ferrets for as long as anyone else I know, and their ferrets are as healthy -
often healthier - than ferrets I know personally.
 
There are many different ways to approach pet diets and lots of them are
right.  However, lots of things aren't always right for every single case.
The biggest thing I've learned in casually researching ferret nutrition is
that it's very difficult to say what is absolutely right and what is
absolutely wrong for everyone.
 
Troy Lynn: good post on the knowledge and experience of lay-people. :)
 
Melissa
 
 __ Melissa Litwicki ____ [log in to unmask] __
 By the whole newsgroup devoted tennis showing
     it after scarfing fork and laughters
[Posted in FML issue 2124]