Just a note to answer the tons of mail I have been getting on the diet posts
(actually to try and fend it off until the end).
 
The reason I am explaining kibbled diets so carefully is for two reasons;
first, because everyone uses kibbled foods for their ferrets, and second,
because it gives people a reference point for understanding the
"educational" part of the posts.  In other words, if I want you to
*understand* how to get ferret teeth naturally clean, I think it is
important to understand how kibbled diets cause them harm.
 
The "educational" part of the posts is almost over and will be followed by
a couple of posts on how to specifically counteract the problems caused by
kibbled diets, how to introduce such foods to kibble-hardened ferrets, as
well as a few recipes.  Then I will answer specific questions as well as I
can.  At least to government food-processing standards.
 
I knew this would be a long monkey read when I started it because so many of
the questions have been argued in the FML for years without real resolution.
Without the *reasons* behind my arguments, I felt this would be just another
"he said, they said" post that would amount to nothing; also known as a
waste of time.  So, in order to make some of the arguments I wish to make,
I had to make sure everyone had a basic understanding of what I was talking
about.  Its kind of hard to say "bone is a good food," if people don't
understand *why* it is a good food.
 
Put it this way; anyone can say a combination of fresh meat, softened
kibble, small portion of fresh or dried fruit, and fresh bone is a better
diet than just kibble, but its a lot harder to get people to believe it
without evidence.  Its even harder to explain why a varied diet will upset
stomachs used to a single food, but the ferret will get used to it rapidly
and will be healthier for it in the long run without people having some
basic idea *why* that statement can be correct.  The comparison of kibble
to a natural, evolutionary sound diet provides that evidence, as well as
bringing people up to speed on basic nutrition for carnivores.
 
With that in mind, I've had single complaint asking me not to pick on kibble
so much (printed in the FML); still, I'm sure many others have at least
thought it themselves.  However, another 23 letters have been from people
thanking me for showing them what the ferrets were actually eating.  To be
honest?  Neither have made the tiniest bit of difference to my writing
decisions.  The best way to understand good nutrition for ferrets is to
understand what is wrong with what they are already eating.
 
As for the rest of the remarks and stuff? Well, you'll just have to wait
and see...  ;-)
 
Bob C and 20 MO Raisin Snarfin' Jerky Sloberin' Sofasharks
[Posted in FML issue 2315]