WHICH IS BETTER, HILLS SCIENCE DIET or IAMS?
 
After extensive courses in animal nutrition and investigating ferret dietary
needs, I would recommend Iam's KITTEN food over Hill's S.D.  products hands
down.  Hill's was sold about a year ago to another company that decided to
use cheaper products, so the corn content is very high in the SD product,
accounting for much of the protien percentage, and ferrets do not use
protien from vegetable sources.  Additionally, the round or ball-like
pellets are difficult for ferrets to eat, and often get stuck in the roof of
their mouth.  Iam's kitten food has higher protien levels from meat sources,
a good fat content, reasonable fiber levels, and is in a "star" shape that
ferrets like.  Actually, I mix Totally Ferret with Iams Kitten.  I am also
testing a new ferret food from ZuPreem that will be on the market soon.
 
VITAMIN A TOXICITY - LINATONE/FERRETONE
 
I have my own documented case of Vitamin A toxicity in ferrets, and my vet
has several more.  I rescued a 5yo BEW MF male who had been fed 3-4
tablespoons of ferretone each day in an effort to correct balding due to
adrenal problems.  His fur was so brittle that if you "scrunched" it it
would break.  His sebaceous glands were overproducing so much that he had
orange crust all over him that had to be scrubbed off with warm water and a
toothbrush every other day.  He also lost his eyesight.  There is an
excellent article on vitamin A toxicity in the Fall 1996 issue of LIFE's
Independent Voice.  Check it out!  Note that Ferretone has slightly less
Vitamin A than Linatone, and other supplements have dangerously high
amounts.  I give about 3 drops per day.
 
Thanks!
Erika Matulich  (and the delightful dozen)
President, Ferret Lovers' Club of Texas
[Posted in FML issue 2154]