May I make a suggestion, or two, three, or...
 
Foods: Don't know if there already is data on these things so VETS/ANIMAL
DIETICIANS/OTHER RELEVANT SPECIALISTS, please, let us know if you are aware
of any.  Perhaps it would make sense to do something like the glucose
tolerance tests where levels before and after foods are eaten (Can low
enough levels of blood be used?) comparing the blood changes among foods
to compare starches and their actions in FERRET bodies (since an animal
which doesn't metabolize starches well might differ considerably from human
nutrition studies).
 
Linda, could you ask the vet you know who quoted the rice concern to you if
ferrets have been studied for this or if it is extrapolated from another
animal type and if so what type (human, cat, dog, etc.)?
 
Secondly, since the amount of corn appears to affect the pH aspect with the
urine (Going from James Fox's vet text and the result that a pH too high
can cause bladder stones to form -- a not small problem.) perhaps it would
make very real sense for some urine to be tested.  If it's like testing
water then it's easy and cheap to do, and can be done at home.  Is it?  (I
don't know.) VETS?  Doing that would settle the question.  According to Fox
what is wanted for bladder health is a pH below 6.4.  You can check this
easily enough by going to page 166 in the Nutrition chapter, section titled
"Dietary Imbalances and Toxicities" of the second edition of _Biology and
Diseases of the Ferret_.  It seems silly to go on just personal impressions
IF testing options exist and are safe and especially if they are easy and
cheap.
 
The final result may be that neither corn nor rice is particularly good
for our furries, or perhaps no starch is, or maybe that rice or corn will
be best avoided if certain illnesses are already present (since diet after
a disease is present can be a far cry from assumptions of causes -- so
further work would be needed to know if a dietary factor might help
contribute to an illness), or that percentage of any of the possible
starch ingredients affect results, or that other starches might affect
other health aspects, or that some other starches might actually be safe
alternatives and should be encouraged by the ferret community if we ever
find that out from reliable testing or things like blood urine.
 
Heck, so much is still being learned about human nutrition, for example
the recent work indicating that taking large doses of vitamin C from pills
(rather than from natural sources) might thicken human arteries badly, that
we can't very well expect much to be actually known about ferret nutrition,
so all that any of us can do is to try our best and do what comparisons we
have available.
 
VETS: would the testing be feasible?  Personally, I suspect we'll wind up
down the line with some disease specific diets and also knowing more if
some ingredients might worsen (or even help trigger) certain health
problems, and changing foods and opinions many times as the state of
information requires.
 
Abuse: I really think that the recent discussion shows the importance in
places which host ferret shows having a set of abuse accusation rules in
place (and posted).  Perhaps an inquiry on first report with notification
that the first report (of from only one individual) goes in the record and
must be seen as a warning but carries no punishment.  Second is harder.
There could be people together trying to cause difficulties for someone.
Should it be a final warning, or a an expulsion from that particular show
but not a ban from future shows?  I don't know -- only show organizers can
know because they are used to this topic.  At some point along the line
there need to be clear rules on when expulsion happens, when suspension
happens, and when full prohibition happens.
 
Possibly even more important for spelling out PUBLICLY: a set of "Rules
of Conduct", a "You may NOT bring a ferret with a behavioral problems
that could result in injury to anyone to a show." rule, and rules of what
sorts of treatment of a ferret are NOT allowed -- not hitting, no shaking
(especially no hitting of head or face), no spraying of noxious things on
ferret's face or in ferret's mouth, etc.
 
It makes sense to me (perhaps to only me) that ANY group running ferret
shows could benefit from having up such rules to protect ferrets, and it
is an educational opportunity.
[Posted in FML issue 3007]