Don't misunderstand; I am not afraid of healthy, constructive debate,
and I prefer it as long as it is allowed to progress without one side
unfairly censoring the other.  I am perfectly happy if your vet is in
attendance and I would actually prefer it; I can easily answer questions
at their level of expertise.  I may not be a vet, but I have already had
the work inspected by some of the top ferret vets around the world, and
it has passed their scrutiny with the common comment, "publish it!"
Anyone who has already seen my presentation knows I can easily recognize
the difference in wear caused by cage chewing (I can even tell if they
pull at the cage or gnaw at it), fabric chewing, tooth fracture caused
in falls or other high energy impact, and other environmental agents.
Dental wear is predictable (enough so I can use it for aging), it can be
easily identified by nearly anyone once they are shown what to look for,
and the increased rate of wear caused by kibble can be easily proved with
light or scanning electron microscope images of the wear patterns
(scratches, pits, etc.).  I can even explain why dental wear is different
in male and female ferrets of the same age.  I have looked at more than
700 pet ferret, black-footed ferret, European polecat, steppe polecat,
and New Zealand feral ferret skulls, and I would be surprised if more
than a few people on the planet could lay claim to that one.
 
To me, this issue (as the issues of diet and enrichment) rises above ego,
marketing, or any other petty complaints, and I am prepared to put my
money, time, and energy where my mouth is by hauling my butt all over
the country.  In the last two weeks alone, I've accepted 9 requests for
talks.  Ask me to talk to your group and I'll make it there, and I can
talk about the dental problem, diet, enrichment, domestication, or
anything else not a direct veterinary question.  As any group can
testify, I will talk until the last question is asked, regardless of the
time or where I have to be the next day.  I have even answered questions
in the parking lot next to my car.
 
I'll be honest; I'm trying hard to get as many opportunities as possible
to talk about this problem.  I've never actually "pushed" myself as a
speaker before, and I don't know how long I'll be able to afford
continuing to take time from family, ferrets, and work to travel the
country to discuss these issues.  I see ferret dental disease as a
horrific problem, so misunderstood that I recently heard a well-known
ferret vet speak of periodontal disease in ferrets as an insignificant
problem (periodontal disease destroys bone that supports teeth and
introduces bacteria into the bloodstreambut hey!  What?  Me worry?).  I
can show you mortality tables having death profiles that suggest ferrets
should be living between 8 to 10 years, rather than the 5 to 7 years we
commonly see in North America.  Part of the problem might be due to
consuming a large carbohydrate load, some is stress, but certainly
part is due to the effects of dental disease.  Heart, kidney, spleen,
gastrointestinal, pancreas, and liver disease are commonly associated
with periodontal disease in all species studied, including humans.  As
a general rule, you can expect up to a 10% to 20% reduction in lifespan
due to the effects of dental disease, regardless of species.  In a human,
that means gingivitis and periodontal disease can sap 7 to 10 years of
your life expectancy; in a ferret, that could be up to a couple of years
(think of those mortality profiles).  Breeders should be aware that
dental disease is linked to low birth weights, premature births, and
miscarriages.  Anyone investigating insulinoma should know dental disease
has a profound effect on the pancreas; in humans, it increases the risks
of diabetes.  A LOT of research has been done on periodontal disease in
ferrets (they are extremely prone to periodontal disease).  Nearly all
these studies where done for human applications, but little has been done
to demonstrate the actual repercussions of those problems in our pets.
Consequently, we are forced to use other animals as our models, but that
is ok because the problemsat least in a general sensetend to be
universal.
 
But you don't have to accept that generalization, however true it
ultimately turns out to be.  All you have to do is accept that ferrets
have the same type of pain receptors we have, and feel pain in the same
way (although they tend to hide it to prevent predation).  I may not yet
be able to prove to you that many ferret ailments might be traced back
to dental disease, but I can graphically show changes to their bones and
teeth that HAD to have been extremely painful.  Chronic pain causes
chronic stress, it makes ferrets not want to eat or play, and both
chronic stress and pain is thought to reduce the immune response to
malignant clonal cells (cancers/lymphomas) as well as external invaders
(bacteria and viruses).  While ulcers in ferrets are caused by
Helicobacter infections, they are also linked to stress; how many ferrets
with chronic stress and pain caused by dental disease die from bleeding
ulcers?  In my necropsies, every single ferret that died from a bleeding
ulcer also had poor dental health.  Whatever the specifics are for ferret
dental disease, they are bad, and we can prevent it for the most part.
THAT is why I think it is so important, and why I decided I would go
anywhere and everywhere to educate people about the problem.
 
Invite me to come and give a talk to your ferret club or group.  Laugh at
my shirts, or the ruggedly handsome pirate mustache and beard thing I now
sport.  I'll prove to you that dental wear is CAUSED by kibble, and show
a strong argument that dental disease is shortening the lives of our
ferrets.
 
Bob C  [log in to unmask]
 
Among the Riverboro girls of her own age was a certain excellently named
Minnie Smellie, who was anything but a general favorite.  She was a
ferret-eyed, blond-haired, spindle-legged little creature whose mind
was a cross between that of a parrot and a sheep.
~ Kate Douglas Wiggin.  1903 Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
[Posted in FML issue 4876]