On Sep 8, 2004, at 4:00 AM, PAUL WHYLES wrote:
>We normally use Ferretone but it seems to be in short supply in the UK
>at the moment so I thought I'd give ferretvite another try.
 
Be careful with giving vitamins as treats.  Some vitamins -- the
fat-soluble ones -- are actually toxic in high doses (at least to
people; the standard example is polar bear liver, which has so much
vitamin A that it is toxic).  Treat ferretvite like a mediciine --
know what dose you are willing to give, and don't let big sad eyes
sway you into giving more!
 
Taurine is considered 'safe' and does not have an overdose level;
however, like many amino acids, it is not recommended for use by
children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or
kidney disease.  That's for people; ferrets, since they are obligatory
carnivores (and taurine is a meat-origin amino acid) probably do a
better job of dealing with high amounts of taurine.
 
I periodically give my guys olive oil or flaxseed oil instead of
ferretone.  They know the difference, and give me a "hey, what's with
this?" look, but they also happily slurp it.  (I do this because
sometimes the pet store is out of ferretone, and I want them to accept
substitutes; same reason I periodically give them iams kitten food -- I
have to travel a ways to get ferret food, and they don't always have it
in stock, and I don't want them to starve if for some reason I run out.)
 
Claire and the kids
[Posted in FML issue 4630]