Ruprect Kirche Von Gelehrsamkeit schreibt: [G.] Robert Church of
Erudition wrote:
>Frozen mice or pinkies are good, as are poultry hatchlings and soft-boiled
>eggs (raw egg whites have a protein which binds to iron, causing anemia).
>The goal is to try and expand the ferret's olfactory horizons so that they
>will be open to new foods later on.  This is the only effective method to
>insure the ferret will be open to dietary changes down the road.
 
Und eduardisch Lipinski, der Frettcheneinsicht Untersucher bittet [G]
and edwardian Lipinski, the ferret-intelligence investigator asks:
 
Oye Ruprecht, speak to the issue of Fe binding in relation to the eating
of raw egg white (albumin) and the consequent "anemia." Give a little more
laymanistic verbage that explains your statement, and in so doing please
expand on the very basic assumptions that eduardisch (pronounced
"oohedooahr - as in "Ahr Matey" - dish) sucked up some time ago, to wit:
 
Egg white (uncooked) the albumen contains an inhibitor of biotin called
avidin.  These two are easy to remember in association since they ryme ...
avidin / biotin.  Biotin in the (ferret's) body is super super powerful
when chemically bonded with avidin to the extent that this compound is
activated in concentrations of 1 part in 400 X 10 to the 9th power or1 part
per 400 billion parts.  Biotin, an AB vital amine called vitamin H ("H" for
Health?) plays a very important role in the overall health of the ferret,
so that the compound, I'll call it avidotin (avid in + bi otin) is
absolutely vital in several ways not completely understood.  but is
believed to be synergistic to the process of assimilation of food breakdown
products.
 
The awarding of raw eggs to ferrets is dangerous since the avidin in the
albumen when consumed uncooked is reactive with the extremely minute
quantities of biotin resident in the ferret's body.  The massive
concentration of avidin "locks up" the biotin in a chemical bond so strong
that it essentially denies the ferret's system any biotin whatsoever.  The
"avidotin" is then excreted from the alimentary canal leaving the ferret
completely devoid of the vital amine vitamin H.  In simplicity, raw eggs,
when eaten by the ferret, flush clean any available biotin with the result
that the ferret's health suffers, its intestines are affected to a degree
that may be contributory to enhancing the explosive and uncontrolled growth
of normal gut bacterial and amobeic flora and thus may lead to the natural
malady of coccidiosis and/or viral (?) ECE.
 
To realize the great importance of biotin one has only to read the very
last ingredient listed on a common bottle of Ferretone: yep - it's biotin.
 
Would'st thou , Herr Kirche, amplify everyone's knowledge by contributing
your eruditidnous injection of molecular iron into this relationship
between avidin and biotin.  This is a new slant with which I'm not
knowledgable.  Also, if there are a few biochemists who could contribute,
I'm certain we'd all be appreciative.
 
As an aside, let it be known that here at Ferrets NorthWest FNW, between
4 to 6 shelled eggs are cooked with the ferret meat/vegetable soup LUMPS
daily.  Eggs are a very cheap source of highly nutrituous food for all
mammals.
 
Edward Lipinski,
who just learned what a zebra is.  As I understand, its 26 times larger
than an A bra.
[Posted in FML issue 2546]