Give supplemental Brewers Yeast if there is DIABETES.
Do *****NOT***** give supplemental Brewers Yeast if there is
INSULINOMA.
It also has its uses for healthy ferrets in the small levels that are
useful for balanced nutrition that are found in many ferret foods.
The chromium in it lowers blood sugar. Since most humans with
pancreatic problems get diabetes the old health food store types of
descriptions for that used to be "pancreatic adjuster", "pancreatic
balancer", or similar things. It doesn't adjust or balance anything.
It lowers blood sugar. That is great for diabetes but dangerous for
insulinoma.
Check DATES and SOURCE of references -- and remember that not everyone
who carries references follows copyright laws so there are things out
there without permission, things that have been altered, and things
that lack dates so be wary! This is a topic on which we all learned a
decade maybe 15 years or so ago. See ferret vet references that have
those experts' own words like:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG4476
which dates this in 2001 but you can see the same thing in more current
related topics like
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG376
BEGIN QUOTE
Sorry it has taken awhile to answer the questions about Brewers
yeast/chromium and insulinoma treatment. I had a computer problem, but
I am back up and running again. Seems like there are 3 basic questions:
1) is chromium good to give to insulinoma ferrets(no),
2) is chromium safe to give to healthy ferrets(yes), and
3) can chromium possibly prevent insulinomas in healthy ferrets(maybe).
I will try to clear up some of the general information first, then
answer those 3 questions. Brewers yeast is a common ingredient in pet
foods because it provides some of the B vitamins (esp. Thiamine B-1)
and chromium. Thiamine is a very important B vitamin that is needed
by ferrets and most mammals. Chromium is the part that causes the
confusion.
1) Chromium is NOT a good thing to give an insulinoma ferret because it
actually lowers blood glucose levels. Chromium also has some insulin
like properties. Clearly we do not want to lower an insulinomas already
low blood glucose level. Nor do we want to give something that acts
like insulin when there is already to much insulin being produced by
the insulinoma. Chromium is a good thing to give to diabetic people
and pets, but diabetes is rare in ferrets.
2) Yes chromium is safe to give to ferrets without insulinomas. Again
brewers yeast has a lot of the needed B vitamin thiamine. Chromium
does not cause problems in the healthy ferret.
3) Can chromium prevent insulinomas? This is a good question that
needs further research. Since chromium helps to lower the post meal
glucose surge, it may help to prevent stimulation of the pancreas
that occurs after eating a meal with carbohydrates in it. It is this
overstimulation of the pancreas after eating carbohydrates (sugary
treats, rice, etc.) that cause an insulinoma to form. If we had a
ferret diet with a low carbohydrate level (10%) instead of the 20-30%
carbohydrate diets that we currently have, If we had a diet with
carbohydrates that produced lower post meal glucose peaks (sorghum,
corn, barley) instead of rice that produces the highest post meal
glucose peak, If we had a diet with enough chromium to lower the post
meal glucose peak, then we might prevent insulinomas from occurring in
ferrets. Again this is an area that needs further research. Based on
what we currently know, chromium is a good thing for healthy ferrets,
but a bad thing for ferrets with an insulinoma.
Hope that clears up the confusion,
Jerry Murray, DVM
END QUOTE
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 5969]
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