In actual fact ferrets do not *chew*. (that is a term I use because I
am too lazy or short of time to go into detail)

*Chewing* is the action of repeatedly masticating a piece of food into
tiny fragments as it mixes with saliva so it can be swallowed.

The function of ferrets' teeth is to *cut* flesh, much the same as
scissors do, and to crush bone. The upper and lower carnassials (back
teeth, or cheek teeth) have a fit that is so close that they do so
beautifully. The action that we see of a ferret repeatedly (I'm not
sure how well you may be able to understand my description here) going
"yang, yang, yang" first on one side and then "yang, yang, yang" on the
other side of its mouth is the action needed to *cut* the meat and
crush the bone into pieces small enough to swallow. This action
"sweeps" bacteria from the whole surface of the teeth and encourages
the flow of saliva to further clean the teeth. It is also a very
enjoyable and satisfying action for a ferret to perform.

When fed a meal of kibble, the ferret cracks the kibble once or twice
before swallowing it. There is no contact with the the teeth other
than at the cutting edge before it is swallowed. The tiny fragments
still remaining in the ferret's mouth mix with saliva and "stick" to
the teeth. If you realise that much of the kibble is composed of
carbohydrates, you'll see that this is not a good environment to
sustain a healthy mouth. Over time, the kibble also wears down the
teeth and can even crack them.

I still use the term "chew", however, because I can't think of another
single word that decribes a ferret eating a raw meaty bone. I don't
think yang" is in any way a good substitute.

Shirley

[Posted in FML 5414]