Most digestion happens in the small intestine. Crediting the cecum
with that is incorrect. The break down happens mostly in the first two
portions of the small intestine and the nutrient absorption happens
mostly in the final segment of the small intestine. The Cecum comes
later.

The cecum is most likely to be lacking in carnivores, especially
obligate carnivores but current thinking is that may have mostly to do
NOT with digestive actions directly, but with who most needs hideaway
for symbiotic bacteria. Symbiotic bacteria are largely used for
digesting plant matter (and their actions also are the origin of much
of digestive gas).

This has a reasonable and very accessible description:

http://www.mamashealth.com/organs/intestine.asp

Here is where the confusion is happening. People are thinking that the
cecum is the small intestine. It is NOT.

This will help:

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2658

>Cecum: The cecum (also spelled caecum), the first portion of the
>large bowel, situated in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen.
>
>The cecum receives fecal material from the small bowel (ileum) which
>opens into it. The appendix is attached to the cecum.
>
>The word "cecum" comes from the Latin "caecus" meaning "blind." This
>refers to the fact that the bottom of the cecum is a blind pouch (a
>cul de sac) leading nowhere.

Now, ferrets lack an appendix. The appendix, BTW, in recent studies
appears to be a very useful hideaway for the symbiotic bacteria which
are so important for the digestion of plant materials. When they suffer
a natural assault (diarrhea from illness, for example) the intestinal
tract can repopulate from the ones that hid away in the appendix.

This is good for accuracy, and very accessible for more detail:

<http://www.sparknotes.com/101/biology/nutrition_and_digestion/components_of_the_vertebrate_digestive_system.html>

including
>The small intestine is split into three sections: the duodenum,
>jejunum,and the ileum. Chemical digestion takes place in the duodenum
>and the jejunum. The ileum, the final section of the small intestine,
>is where most absorption of the nutrients takes place. Small
>projections called villi cover the ileum walls. Cells lining the
>villi are covered in folds of plasma membrane that form even smaller
>projections called microvilli. Villi and microvilli increase the
>ileum's surface area, providing more surface across which nutrients
>can be absorbed. Nutrients pass through capillaries in the lining of
>the villi and into the bloodstream, where they circulate first to the
>liver, then throughout the rest of the body. Villi and microvilli
>projections also contain digestive enzymes to further digest food.

The large intestine works mostly to remove water and create feces.

Now, do people see why the commonly repeated statements about the
cecum are incorrect?

Sukie (not a vet)

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/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 6245]