Concerning cataracts and milk replacer -
 
        It is well known that the incidence of cataracts is increased on animals
which are reared on milk replacer.  This cuts acreoss all species lines, but is
best documented in puppies.  I'll have to check on the mechanism of this - I
can't say off of the top of my head.
 
        I don't think I would want to label one food, such a s"Whiskas", or one
type of milk replacer as causing the problem, because as far as I know, the
semi-moist cat foods have not been incriminated as causing the problem, and
it has been seen in a wide variety of milk replacers.
 
        Also, the cataracts may be genetic or not related to food at all.  We
shouldn't take one possibility and point a finger at it like it is definitely
the cause.  We only have one ferret that has cataracts - what about the
others that had eaten the food.
 
        Cataracts are common in ferrets - more common than in most other
domestic species - the truth is, we'll probably never know what caused them.
But we also know that ferrets get around very well with impaired vision, so
rather than start incriminating food by association, let's try and make life
easier for these impaired ferrets.  (I have one blind ferret myself.)
 
Bruce Williams  email.afip.osd,mil  (Usual network down at the moment)
[Posted in FML issue 1061]