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From:
sukie crandall <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 24 Jun 2005 12:09:55 -0400
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There are two things which are downright obvious in relation to
making ferret foods better:
1. No chunks of veggies or fruits since those can cause blockages.
2. The protein source should be entirely or almost entirely animal
   based
 
Other than that it is essential to recall that what are being dealt with
are hypotheses.  For instance, as anyone with a ferret who developed
cystine stones can tell you, and many people with ferrets who developed
kidney disease with age or misfortune will tell you -- the high protein
trend does not suit all ferrets and can definitely harm the health of
some.  We don't even at this point know how many ferrets it may help,
given that the possible reduction in insulinoma cases which may result
from fewer carbs in a ferret diet is hypothetical (based upon about a
half dozen stacked hypotheses which begin from actual work into diabetes
(not insulinoma) in cats (not ferrets).  That does not mean that it won't
pan out, just that we need to keep open minds because it might or it
might now.  Nor do we know yet what the typical rate of insulinoma even
is to do a comparison to see how much it helps -- if research shows that
it helps.
 
Here is the most recent, up-dated, and complete write-up from the vet who
first developed the concept that reducing carbs might lower insulinoma
rates.  It is an excellent read.  He personally tends to think that it
will work, but he realizes that it might not and that if it does we need
the baseline work to know how much of an effect it might have on rate.
He is very frank about what is hypothetical in the concept.  Sadly, it is
no longer on the site, but if you ask around you will be able to find a
vet who can let you photostat a copy from that vet's files, or you can
write to Dr. Mark Finkler and request a reprint (paying for the copying,
time, and postage, of course).
 
JEMM&S, volume 2.2, Dec 2004, Article by Dr Mark Finkler:  "A
Nutritional Approach to the Prevention of Insulinomas in the Pet Ferret"
 
That is a peer-reviewed article, and was published by the Association
of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians.
 
It does have a nifty bibliography which cites the works of Weiss,
Williams, Scott, Caplan, Peterson, Mullen, Vondruska, Jenkins, Brown,
Lewington, Kirk, Debraekeleer, Armstrong, Jenkins, Hore, Moody, Bowman,
Lang, Bell, Fox, Mc Lain, Rand, Lutz, Michel, Hess, Hoenig, Curry,
Morris, Rogers, Freedland, and Mugford.  I am sure people will recognize
the names of a number of vets they know or have read.  Veterinary
research to benefit ferrets is sorely underfunded so much of this work
has been done bit by bit until ferret owners finally catch on that the
route to faster progress is to fund reputable veterinary researchers.
Most of the vet research done to help ferrets is done on a shoe-string
piece by piece as funds allow due to the deep need for donations going
into all types of ferret veterinary research.  Since we all have had
ferrets ill with an assortment of things i know that we are all grateful
for the advances made possible by the past donations, and hopefully, now
that the importance of supporting ferret health research is becoming more
known, people will decide to give to give more to that.  Giving to health
research literally is a situation where the ferrets you save may be your
own.
 
Dr. Finkler is with the Roanoke Animal Hospital in Roanoke, VA.
 
Personally, I think that we will ultimate need a RANGE of food types,
with animal protein levels going from the 30th percentile range into the
50th percentile range.  Most ferrets should be able to deal with animal
protein levels in the low 50th percentiles since mice are 52% protein,
but those who have kidney disease many times will not be able to cope,
and in the last year-plus the number of cystine stones seen from ferrets
in the urolith laboratory of UC Davis has markedly risen.  These are
kidney and bladder stones which form when there is too much of certain
amino acids -- the building blocks of proteins -- in the diet.  Since
they can be fatal it is probably wise for anyone who is feeding a high
protein diet to check urine pH since the pH is acidic typically in the
vulnerable ferrets when they get high protein diets.  That precaution may
protect some ferrets and is easy and cheap to do.  It's not perfect but
it sure is an improvement.
 
Note, too, that it is easy to make demands, but it those demand are not
based upon actual knowledge -- such as what nutrients are needed, what
balance of the types of fatty acids, etc. ignorance could accidently
lead to a "fashionable" but harmful food.
 
Recognize that we don't know what it optimal for the older senior
citizens of any species in terms of foods.  It's mostly guesswork, sales
jobs, assertions, individually tailored approaches.  A well- written
argument is simply words, a popular trend is merely fashion.  Neither is
proof.  We need proof, and right now what we have that for are the chunks
that can causes blockages being bad and for ferrets having a hard time
digesting plant origin nutrients.
 
Finally, notice that the manufacturing processes themselves can place
certain restrictions on the food makers.
 
None of that is to say that there are not lousy foods out there, but
unless someone has a doctorate in veterinary nutrition if the person
is going to frank then gaps in the knowledge base have to be admitted
as existing.
 
Again, I suspect that what will ultimately prove to be needed will be
a range of food types.
[Posted in FML issue 4919]

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