Water is as important as food quality and proportions; perhaps more.  Water
is a natural solvent for many substances, and is critical in cellular
function, metabolism, and nutrient transport (among uncounted thousands of
other equally important functions.) Because the chemicals disolved in water
can have a critical impact on the metabolism of various foodstuffs, a source
of clean, uncontaminated water is essential.
 
There is a lot of advice about water, and groups of people have lined up on
both sides of the issue regarding fluoride and chlorine additives.  I will
not be pulled into that debate, any more than I wish to argue if color
therapy works.  People have a right to their own opinions, and as far as I
am concerned, they have the right to subsitute any sort of water for tap
water if they desire.  So I will only explain the differences, and you can
decide for yourself if you need to make changes.
 
To begin with, bottled water is just that.  Unless the label specifically
states it is distilled, mineral, sterilized, filtered, or any other such
term, you cannot assume it is.  In a few cases, bottled water is nothing
more than municipal tap water.  Read the label.  Spring water comes from a
spring, and regardless of the packaging, is only as pure as the surrounding
aquifer.  So if the aquafer is polluted with gasoline, so will the water
"springing" from that aquafer.  Mineral waters esentially contains dissolved
minerals, which, considering the fact that *all* water (except highly
purified water) has disolved minerals, could cover just about anything.
Mostly, depending on the source, mineral water traditionally refers to water
containing phosphates, carbonates or sulphates and other trace elements.
Distilled water has been evaporated into a gas (usually by heat) and then
condensed back into water, which, depending on the number of times done, can
result in as close as you can get to pure water.  Ph neutral water has been
buffered so the pH is neutral or as close to 7 as it can get; distilled
water is typically slightly acidic because is absorbs carbon dioxide from
the air, creating a mild carbonic acid, with a pH between 7 and 6 (acidic).
 
The water in most larger USA cities has been chlorinated to kill bacteria
and viruses, which is precisely why cholera and typhoid epidemics are so
rare in the States.  Before *anyone* argues chlorine is bad and should be
taken out of the tap water, they should travel to a country where such
epidemics take place, and watch the little babies and old folks die.  I have
seen it, and I support the use of chorine in water for just that reason.
It is added to water bwteen 0.5 and 1 part per million; that is, 1/2 to 1
part chlorine to 1,000,000 parts water.  This concentration is *less* that
the amounts you get from naturally occurring chlorine in many plants, such
as cereals (up to 20 mg per kg of dry weight).  If your ferret is sensitive
to chlorine, or you do not wish your pets to drink it, either use bottled
water or simply let the water stand and the chlorine will naturally
dissipate.  You could also buy a chlorine neutralizer, which is added to
water to make it safe for hobby fish, or expensive filtering systems.
Chlorine *can* be a deadly toxin, but without it, your red blood cells
could not effectively exchange carbon dioxide gas (look up "chlorine
exchange") and you would die.
 
Fluoride (usually sodium fluoride) is added to water in some cities because
it is a proven defense against tooth decay.  It is added to water at about 1
part per million.  This is far more controversial, but the concentration is
not beyond which is naturally found in many mineral waters, not to mention
toothpastes.  I don't think fluoride will evaporate from standing water like
chlorine does because the ions don't normally spontaneously form the gas,
but the other methods mention are effective if you wish to eliminate it.
One side note; I have a vegan friend that used to rant about choride and
fluoride, but ate cereal each day, and quaffed tons of mineral water.  When
I finally tired of the ranting, I determined how much choride and fluoride
he was ingesting from his diet, and it turned out to be almost 10 times what
he would get from tap water.
 
This is not defending tap water over any other source; some tap waters are
pretty bad, even by third-world standards.  What I am saying is, before
people start yelling about additives that have a *proven* track record in
saving lives, they should see if they are naturally found in other sources.
People or animals with chemical sensitivity are exceptions to the rule, of
course, and the should avoid such water.
 
As for the "natural vs unnatural" chemical source debate, I agree in many
cases, such as with some vitamins, a natural source is probably best.  This
is not because I think the "artifical" source is poor, but because I think
they can lack trace compounds found in the natural nutrients.  I don't feel
that way about elemental nutrients; pure sodium chloride (salt) is sodium
chloride regardless if it was created in a lab, evaporated from the sea, or
dug up in mines where it orginally evaporated from the sea millions of years
ago.  Elements is elements.
 
Fiber and bulk are often used as synomyms, but there can be some differeces.
Bulk can be anything; fur, feathers, clothing fiber, cellulose, saw dust,
undigested skin or tissue.  It refers to undigestible bulk which helps move
the digesta down the bowel.  Fiber tends to refer more to plant cellulose,
and is what you get when you eat lots of bran.  It acts in a similar
capacity.  All digestive tracts require bulk for proper elimination,
cleansing, and nutrient absorption, even those of primary carnivores such as
ferrets.
 
In the real, wild world, polecats eat a wide variety of things which contain
lots of bulk, such as fractured bits of bone and fur.  Ferret and polecat
digestive tracts absorb nearly all the proteins and fats from an animal
carcass, which leaves behind a bacteria-filled sludge, held together with
mucous.  Without bulk, the intestines have a more difficult time getting rid
of everything, which can be a factoor in intestinal diseases, maybe ECE,
constipation, hemmorroids, and prolapsed rectums.  Some foods add ash to the
kibble mix, but ash is minerals, not necessarily bulk.  Too much bulk has
it's downside as well, and can cause the runs, gas, and it the anus drys
out, cracked tissues and bleeding.
 
Bob C and 20 Bulky Poopmeisters
[Posted in FML issue 2322]