Maybe some of you have noticed that I have found one particular aspect
of the food discussion upsetting. If so, you are right. I am deeply
bothered by people who do not accept the downsides of their own
choices.

The reason is simple: too many times, because of my being known here
and because of my being a co-moderator on the FHL, I have had people
ask me behind the scenes for information on how to treat possible food
poisoning from raw food given to ferrets. I am not a vet! Besides that,
there are multiple possible causes so the meds vary. All that I could
do each time was to pass on related posts and info from texts (_Biology
and Diseases of the Ferret_ being best in this regard of the texts I
have) while knowing that the ferrets needed to be tested and begging --
and i do mean begging -- the people to be frank with their vets.

Every diet out there has its downsides:

I have seen many who feed kibble show awareness of possible dental
concerns and that perhaps carbohydrates might contribute to the
development of insulinoma. (Studies specific to ferrets to back this
hypothesis are still lacking and existing studies in multiple species
when taken in entirety paint a conflicting picture and are almost
completely in relation to diabetes rather than insulinoma or other
pancreatic problems.)

Raw diets can cause infection. Yes, ferrets do tend to be resistant to
such infections BUT when they occur they can be extreme and it is not
terribly unusual for them to be fatal.

The frustrating part is when people who feed raw refuse to accept that
side of heir choice even when past vet posts are provided illustrating
how hard the diseases can be to treat and that the vets who wrote those
posts do have experience with such infections.

I know what that too often leads to. Way too many times when a ferret
does become infected instead of being frank with the treating vet --
the approach which has the best chance of helping the ferret -- a
person approaches me asking what medications to suggest to the vet.
Again: I am not a vet. Do you have any idea how it feels to have
people who won't be honest with their vets after not being honest with
themselves talking to me off-list trying to find medical help, and at
the same time have others on a list repeatedly demanding to see proof
of such infections and then ignoring the proof when given? Is it any
surprise that i become frustrated? A few people here already know that
I face this frustration; a few other people here have put me in that
spot, actually, so they know, too.

I don't give a dang what anyone feeds as long as it is balanced, and as
long as the person pulls his or her head out of the sand and recognizes
what can go wrong, and as long as the person is frank with the treating
vet. That is all that I ask. Why the most head-in-sand behavior seems
to involve infections from raw food, I don't know. Are they rare? Yes.
When they occur can they kill? Yes.

How does it feel to help people while begging them to be honest with
their vets and at the same time get nastiness which acts like it is
okay to pretend that such infections don't occur? What do you think?

Sukie (not a vet)

P.S. Maybe I was wrong and "Jihad" is an applicable term in the
discussion if taken in the fullest meaning of the word where self-
improvement can come from challenge and discomfort.

Also, no discussion is going to define the perfect food for ferrets
because that varies among individuals and perhaps across ages, and too
many gaps still exist in the knowledge. Face it; that's where we are
currently stuck till more careful peer reviewed research exists, and
words won't change that. So, make your own choices and accept those of
others -- just be honest about it.


Reminder:  THE FERRET HEALTH LIST IS MOVING.
To join, click on the joining link at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth and then follow the
directions.

OR just send a blank mail to the automated joining address:

[log in to unmask] and then follow the directions.

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/

[Posted in FML 5429]