Sorry, I forgot to answer a different question from another FML member.
I should have included it in the first post. My mistake. Sorry.

The question was, "Will switching over to a whole-prey diet reverse
dental tartar and periodontal disease?"

I've been sent a good number of such reports suggesting it does --
all anecdotal -- but can not statistically prove it. Personally, my
research suggests that if the existing problem is not fixed, while the
switch does not cause further problems, it generally does not do much
to cure existing disease unless it was minor to begin with. However, if
the teeth are cleaned and the ferret then eats a diet more in line with
the evolutionary diet (or the owner starts a program of toothbrushing
and vet cleaning), then it does *prevent* a statistically significant
percentage of the disease.

One other thing I did not explain is that tartar seems to accumulate on
older ferrets at a FASTER rate due to two basic factors. First, they
have been eating non-evolutionary food for a longer time so there is
more time for the tartar to accumulate. Second, older ferrets have more
scratches, pits, microfractures, and other morphological features that
allow plaque to stick, increasing relative rates of tartar deposits.
This means you have to work harder to keep teeth clean in older
ferrets. A young ferret might need to see a vet once every couple of
years to keep their teeth clean, but an older ferret might need to see
them once, even twice a year.

The same FML questioner asked if I was back in the "ferret-show talk
business." I skipped most of the 2008 and 2009 shows because of the
Ferret Project, the flu, and helping with Kim Schilling's child
adoption. I am accepting invitations for 2010 on a first come, first
accepted basis. The Ferret Project has given me some very interesting
data on feral ferrets, husbandry-based disease, and many other
important topics.

Ok, *now* I am back in lurking mode, so if you have replies or
questions and want notice, since my FML time is rather limited of late,
simply forward the question or reply to my email box. Or, if you are a
friend, you can ask me on Facebook. Those of you on Facebook will soon
be noting a large number of dental disease photos (and other pathology)
that will be in an album that friends can see. It will take most of the
week to convert and resize the photos, but they will be there soon. You
can also see my personal ferrets as well. No one has cuter ferrets! ;-)

Bob C
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[Posted in FML 6588]