While some people might think all I do is ferret oriented, what I really do
is zooarchaeology.  I'm the guy that takes all those tenny tiny fragments
of bones and tells the archaeologist what animals they are and what they
mean, and if you think that is easy, you haven't tried it.  I am also
involved in issues of domestication and evolution, so I have a pretty full
intellectual plate.  On that plate right now is some cutting edge stuff
regarding the human diet; its very exciting.
 
Without boring you with long explanations of biochemistry, the gist of this
research is that HUMAN bodies have not yet adapted to agricultural foods
nor cooking, and many diseases, including cancers, are a direct result.  In
other words, while humans play with computers and explore the universe, our
bodies are still stuck in the Stone Age.  We have gigantic technological
brains but puny hunter-gatherer bodies and modern high-temperature cooking
and complex grain exploitation practices are not as benign as we thought.
Unfortunately, some of this stuff is yet to be published and it is
unethical for me to provide copies to people (the papers are marked "do not
cite without permission").  This is SOP in scientific publication so errors
do not reach print or become "common knowledge." But I can say some of this
can be found if you search the web and journals for "The Prehistoric Diet."
You won't find the papers I have just read, but you can find out some good
stuff.
 
Why is this important in talking about ferrets?  Because it is the first
substantial evidence that diets closest to the diet consumed during the
evolution of the organism are best for it.  In other words, humans should
be eating small to moderate amounts of very lean meats, small amounts of
lightly cooked carbohydrates, moderate amounts of raw vegetables, and
seasonally available raw fruits and nuts.  Leave the highly processed
grains off the plate.  This is, by the way, a perfect diet for bears,
raccoons and other omnivores.  Zoo research has been documenting the same
types of results (in terms of health, life span and reproduction) for both
herbivores and carnivores.  A glance through pet magazines catering to
top-end private breeders of dogs and cats confirms some of this research
has already trickled down; the diet of choice for carnivores is becoming
raw or lightly processed whole (bone included) meats.
 
What are the results of a processed, carbohydrate-heavy diet?  Obesity,
heart disease, pancreatic and bowel disease, various cancers and arterial
disease, among others.  Complicating the question is a lack of exercise,
for both humans and pets.  Part of the problem stems from "carbohydrate
intoxication," as well as unstudied biochemical reactions during the
cooking process and their combined effects on biological systems.
 
So why are mice (Bob's Chicken Gravy is, in fact, meant to be a simulated
mouse) good for ferrets?  Because they supply the proper nutrients in the
proper amounts WITHOUT the addition of heavy amounts of carbohydrates to
cheapen the mix, provide a base for the kibble, or artifically increase the
amount of protein using plant sources.  So why are uncooked foods better
than cooked ones?  Because cooking destroys many nutrients, but also
because recent research indicates cooking can result in unknown biochemical
reactions which may be instrumental in increasing certain types of cancers.
Think about it for a moment and use your common sense.  For the daily
double, which country has the highest obesity and cancer rate in the world
and what do those people eat?  What is the USA and fat-cooked
carbohydrates, Alex?  Pass the bacon gravy and biscuits.
 
Finally, a comment about sugar.  Some people are worried about the amount
of sugar added to Bob's Chicken Gravy (maybe 1% by weight).  Why aren't you
worried about the amount of sugar (50% or more) added to kibble?  Oh, the
package doesn't say "50% sugar;" it only lists the various carbohydrates
that add up to 50% or more of the finished product.  Well, my friends,
carbohydrates ARE sugars; if a sugar was a piece of popcorn, a carbohydrate
would be a Christmas tree garland.  The body just cuts the string into
shorter pieces until you end up with various complex and simple sugars.
These sugars are metabolized inside the intestines until you end up with
glucose; which is EXACTLY what I suggest adding to Bob's Chicken Gravy
(honey is mostly glucose with some fructose).  I believe it is the
unnatural sugar load caused by the metabolism of processed carboyhdrates
which may be driving pancreatic disorders-- including insulinoma-- in
ferrets.  It may also be why some people report their ferrets sleep so
much; on Bob's Chicken Gravy, my ferrets are much more active.  And why?
What do you do when you suck down a load of sugar?
 
If you make Bob's Chicken Gravy correctly, you have about (in wet weight
proportions) 49% protein, 29% fat, 19% bone and fiber, and 3% other stuff
which would include about 1% sugar.  The honey is added to simulate sugars
found in the bowels of consumed prey.  IF sugar is nasty and you are afraid
of adding honey to the gravy because you fear problems in sick ferrets, WHY
feed kibble at all?  Kibble MUST be at least 50% carbohydrates, or it will
not cook into a biscuit.  That means, kibble is at least 50% sugar.
 
It doen't take a genius to map out the increase in disease in certain
digestion-related organs.  The ECE virus probably exploits an intestinal
environment vastly different from that of a wild carnivore.  Intestinal
bacteria also have a new environment filled with partially digested
carbohydrates; hardly found in a wild carnivore.  Why the recent increase
in pancreatic disorders?  Is it a function of older ferrets, or diet?
Those are the questions that pet food manufacturers need to answer.  Until
then, try out a few natural foods and cut down the amount of kibble and see
if it makes a difference in energy levels and disease.  It certainly can't
hurt and may make the world of difference.
 
Bob C and 18 MO' Phatt Pherrets
[Posted in FML issue 2809]