The problem is that kibble is made from finely ground materials and baked
into a biscuit having less than 10% moisture.  This accomplishes two
things: it preserves the kibble so it doesn t spoil, even if left out for
extended periods of time, and ferret owners can leave bowls of the stuff
out so they don t have to worry about providing a proper feeding regime.
This is what consumers want and it is unlikely that a wacky guy posting
on a ferret mailing list will ever convince a billion-dollar industry
to take the high road.  The trouble with kibble is twofold; the small
particle size of the ingredients and the low moisture content conspire to
create an abrasive, hard food.  If a ferret eats kibble, while the damage
is a slow process, it WILL wear down and damage their teeth.  You can
moisten kibble to soften it with a number of liquids; water, electrolyte
drinks, broth, duck soup or Bob s Chicken Gravy, even a little milk or
cream (not much).  Heating the kibble in a microwave after first spraying
it with water will help soften it somewhat.  When I wean an adopted
ferret off kibble, I cut pieces of turkey or chicken to about the same
size, mix it in equal portions with kibble, spray the mixture with
chicken broth, add a couple of drops of Ferretvite, then heat the meal
in the microwave until warm; this softens the kibble considerably.
 
Periodontal disease is perhaps the worst of the three and is a direct
result of dental calculus (tartar).  Tartar exists on 94.1% of all
ferret teeth and 72.3% or more of them will have significant periodontal
disease.  That means if you go to a shelter or any home with a large
number of ferrets and randomly pick up any 10 animals, the chances are
really good that between 7 and 8 of them will have a serious dental
disease.  In humans and multiple species (including ferrets, cats, and
dogs), periodontal disease has been linked to atherosclerosis, bacteremia
(bacteria in the bloodstream), blood clots, bone marrow depression,
cardiomyopathy, Crohn's disease, degenerative joint disease, dental
abscesses, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, endocarditis, esophageal and
gastric disease (including ulcers), glomerulonephritis, heart disease,
hyper- and hypoimmunity, increased inflammatory cytokines, irritable
bowel syndrome, lesions in the brain, lungs, and liver, leucopenia,
long-term weight loss (wasting), low-grade systemic infections, organ
disease (brain, kidney, liver, pancreas, spleen), oral-nasal fistulas,
osteomyelitis, palatine bone erosion, pancreatic disease, rheumatoid
arthritis, pre-term low birth weight, polyarthritis, pneumonia, salivary
gland problems, septicemia, splenomegaly, and urogenital and uterine
infections (probably caused by transferring gram-negative bacteria while
licking or grooming the pubic area).  Does this mean every ferret with
periodontal disease will suffer these diseases?  Of course not!  You
simply cannot predict what will happen, and many of the problems will
take a long time to exhibit themselves.  Also, I suspect there are a
number of misdiagnosed and undiagnosed cases that are never recognized as
originating from periodontal disease.  For example, if severe periodontal
disease is present in the mouth of a ferret, and the same ferret has
cardiomyopathy, splenomegaly, and kidney disease, how often will a vet
make the connection between these diseases?
 
I understand the difficulty in associating periodontal disease with these
other problems; how can one disease have so much of an impact on so many
other organs?  The answer is actually quite simple.  The build-up of
dental calculus (tartar) is the key domino of the entire row.  Dental
calculus is hard, abrasive, and can possess numerous sharp projections.
The trouble starts when dental calculus touches or extends under the
gumline (and it ALWAYS touches or extends under the gumline).  Tartar
irritates and abrades the gums; this causes them to recede from the tooth
and bone, leaving a gap that can be exploited by bacteria for food and
shelter.  It also scratches and nicks the extremely vascular gums, which
is why bleeding is a common sign of periodontal disease.
 
It is the scores of scratches and cuts in the gums that allow bacteria to
gain access to the bloodstream, but that is only part of it.  The other
part is as plaque thickens and calcifies, the bacteria that live in it
change from mostly benign gram-positive aerobic to mostly nasty
gram-negative anaerobic.  And if you think that is bad news, wait until
you hear it is not one, but more than 250 species of gram-negative
anaerobic bacteria that inhabit the plaque-tartar complex.  As these
bacteria enter the blood stream through the cuts and scrapes made in the
gums, they can coat and damage valves in the heart, cause the formation
of blood clots, release toxins poisonous to white blood cells, and
ultimately result in all the stuff I've listed above.  It is these
bacteria that are responsible for the long list of ailments associated
with periodontal disease, and why it is so important to fight the
disease.  As the attentions of researchers are directed more and more
to the impact of periodontal disease, the number of these disease
associations will be increased.
 
Prevention is the key to controlling periodontal disease.  Because
virtually all the ferrets in the skeletal study subsisted on a kibble
diet, we know that eating kibble will not prevent dental calculus
(tartar) or periodontal disease (if it was effective, then it WOULD have
been effective).  We know that dental calculus and periodontal disease
are rare in wild polecats and feral New Zealand ferrets.  We know that
it is not the food being consumed, but rather the lack of appropriate
mechanical abrasion that allows dental plaque to get out of hand,
precipitating the crisis of periodontal disease.  That leaves you with
two basic choices: you can either feed your ferret a diet of whole
prey carcasses, or you can institute a program of dental hygiene that
includes daily tooth brushing and yearly dental cleaning, polishing,
and treatment.  THAT is the bottom line.
 
In the next installment will be a few acknowledgements, then questions.
 
Bob C
Questions?:  [log in to unmask]
Communications?  [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 4524]