Hi there all you great fmler's and thanks BIG for posting my opinion of TF
for everyone to see!!  I thought it would be my last comment on food for
the fuzzies, but I read some stuff on the fml today and guess what...
there's more to this food thing.  Wanted to clear the air and let ya'll
know that ferrets are absolute carnivores.  They cannot process or digest
plant and vegetable matter period.  That's right kids, I really hate to
say this, but even your beloved raisins can and sometimes do cause you
problems.  Firstly??, the metabolic rate of a normal ferret is 3-31/2 hours
from one end to the other.  Breaking it down, this means that when a ferret
eats something, that meal is processed and comes out as a present for us
3 -3 1/2 hours later.  I'm really trying not to be gross.  Plant and
vegetable matter normally breaks down in the system of a carnivore,
omnivore and a vegetarian in between 6-8 hours.  Some animals systems
are slow enough to accomplish this task and process, digest and extract
nutrition from the plant source.  Secondly, ferrets don't have a caecum,
which is a part of the digestive tract that has the ability to break down
plant and vegetable matter.  So, I am really hoping that the next time you
think about giving the kids a treat that is plant or vegetable in nature,
think about the $500 obstruction surgery you may getting ready to pay for
and the pain and misery your little fuzzy will be going through.  I have
clients who become clients when they rush their poor little fuzzy to us in
the middle of the night when no vets are around, or they can't afford to
pay for the vet visit and they want me to do something about it.
Unfortunately, there are ferret foods and treats out there that have stuff
in them that is dangerous for your ferret.  It is quite obvious for some of
them.  I hate to repeat that we had almost 2000 ferrets come to our shelter
last year, but we did and we saw too many obstructions caused by things
given to ferrets that they shouldn't be eating.  We even had three cases
of ferrets( young) that had been getting fed rabbit food for months.  All
three cases the ferrets were close to death when they came to us Good
nutrition is the key to a long and healthy life for your beloved fuzzies.
The extra buck you spend on good food will save you great amopunts of money
in the long run.  Give 'em all a hug from the ferretguy and nuff said!
[Posted in FML issue 2995]