>X will be starting a diet of Hill's z/d to try and resolve the EG
>symptoms.  The vet was out of z/d so she's still on the a/d right now.
>I'm also getting some ground emu as a backup since it's my understanding
>that they can rebound from the new food and you should have something
>"waiting in the wings" so to speak.
 
I've got to say that's a new one on me.  Ground emu.  (I guess there was
no pun intended, as all emus are ground birds.)
 
>From what I'm reading (please correct me if I'm wrong) because she has
>the insulinoma the Essiac would not be good for her.  I have been
>sprinkling a small amount of Slippery Elm Bark on her a/d to sooth her
>tummy and was considering adding some acidophilus to her diet.  Would
>there be any benefit to the acidophilus?  Her poopies look like puddles
>and aren't formed at all.
 
Well, I can't comment on the Essiac or Slippery Elm, but if she has EG,
acidophilus is probably not the solution here.  The digestive distress
caused by eosinophilic enteritis is because the inflammation chews up the
lining of the intestine, resulting in irritability, increased transit time,
and loss of significant surface absorptive area and enzymes.  The use of
acidophilus is predicated on the theory that the normal flora are altered
in the intestine.  While this may be the case, it is such a small part of
the overall problem that supplementation probably will be of little use.
Additionally, we really are not sure what role acidophilus bacteria play
in the ferret GI tract, if any.  Remember that obligate carnivores with a
normally fast GI transit time would be expected to have a different
bacterial makeup than humans.
 
>Are Ferretone and Ferrevite now out of the question for her?  What
>treats would be good for her?  She doesn't see baby food as a treat,
>it's a dietary staple for her now.
 
Ferretone and Ferretvite may be a bit difficult to absorb without some
improvement in her GI tract.  Both have high levels of fat, which at this
point may be the most difficult for her to absorb.  Baby food is actually
a very good supplement for ferrets with IBD, and she can continue on this
alone for a month or so to give the anti- inflammatory medication some
time to work.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
 
[Sukie Note: in past FHL issues Tom Willard whose doctorate is in animal
nutrition has had posts on the topic of ferret digestion.  They are in
the past posts, and I think that at least some of them may also be in FML
files at http://listserv.cuny.edu/archives/ferret-search.html.]
[Posted in FML issue 3519]