Well, actually, we recently twice ended that type of discussion by mutual
consent and one forestalled one in recent weeks.  Nor are the reasons a
secret; they were clearly posted.  The main three are these:
 
1. Smartgroups is still undergoing repairs and has asked that
conversation traffic be kept down when possible.  With the raw food
subject it has come up so recently and so many times that the info is
fully available.  Notice that although I myself do not feed raw the two
I permitted that were not from medical or biological experts actually
advised raw feeding.  The reason I permitted those two was because they
both gave information that was not currently in the FHL archives so could
be useful for FHL members.
 
2. The topic did come up recently and has a tendency to get out of hand
virtually always (huge numbers of posts and people forgetting their
manners and acting like some people act about matters of faith).  Large
numbers of FHL members complain when it is allowed to blossom too often,
but as you know yourself, when there is something new like those two raw
posts I approved days ago (One from Chris and one from Shirley, as I
recall.) then that can be a different matter altogether, and of course,
posts with such resources as the URLs of peer reviewed articles are
always welcome, ditto expert posts.
 
3. We have had one of our most hard working moderators out ill for about
3 weeks now and repairing from a very major operation, and he will be
repairing for some time, so those of us handy are tackling our normal FHL
work (and there is a lot of work behind the scenes as well as the work
that is seen), the Smartgoups repair communications during their still
on-going repair work, and are guest moderating or guest administrating
some of Mike's non FHL things.  So, we are busier than usual, one heck
of a lot busier than usual so that people can get essential information
to help save ferret lives.
 
It doesn't help that our local cable provider is digging up cable locally
and replacing it so that work is some days rushed to be done during times
when service is up, even if that means delaying sleep or postponing
meals.  Hey, anyone here who is list moderator where health things get
tackles knows exactly what that is like because every single one of us
does it when needed.  So, thanks to the rest of you, like Bill Gruber,
who may sometimes think that no one knows and appreciates you, because I
do and I am not alone in being grateful.  Nothing like experiencing it
to know... :-)
 
Any of those three is enough of a pressure to at times curtail what is
allowed in a discussion to avoid anything that is repetitive and easily
found in the archives.  All three together is one heck of a cumulative
reason.  This information WAS posted on the FHL, in fact, some parts were
posted more than once, and some of the info was also posted here on the
FML before now.  It would be a kindness, though, if people who have taken
my time and benefited from it would understand that sometimes I have very
little of it.  None of the FHL moderators (and often moderators in
general) are not exactly stingy with giving time to help others so when
there are curtailments they can usually be assumed to have danged good
reasons.
 
Tony Sullivan/Toram Oslo, hey, I am afraid that if you don't choose to
believe vets' own words in the FHL archives that is your choice, and
there isn't anything anyone will ever do to change that so I am not going
to worry about it.  It would kind of be silly for me to continue after
being told that anything will be ignored, anyway, except if i changed my
own conclusions.  You have as much right to your choices in life as I
have to mine.  We'll agree to disagree on the results we reach from the
data.
 
In relation to the archives and other veterinary resources: the fact of
the matter is that I do believe those vets and I also do believe vets
like Susan Brown who came to a different conclusion from the same data.
There are valid points on both takes from the data, also there are
concerns on each side.  The topic of raw feeding is not one in which the
conclusion is obvious, and personally, I prefer when people are willing
to see a discussion include both the up and down sides of each approach.
 
I also prefer when they just stick to the topic and don't resort to
personal attacks just because someone has come to a different conclusion
when the data is so very imperfect that all anyone can do is make one's
own choice while knowing that the data is imperfect and hoping that we
will all have more information in years or decades to come.  It does
worry me when something imperfect and unproven is treated as if it were
perfect and were proven.  That is not fair to anyone on either side.
BTW, behind the scenes I am getting beaten upon by some who are rabid
about feeding raw and some who are rabid about not feeding raw, and i
am hearing complaints about not emphasizing this or that which I did
clearly include in my posts.  The fact is that both sides have upsides
and downsides, and our own personal take and that of our vet is that
currently feeding raw is not worth it to us.  It reminds me of coping
with people who are trying to sell me their religion -- and that is true
for people who aren't hearing that both sides are imperfect, no matter
which side you are on.  If you don't like that my hubby, vet, and I
decided that we will not feed raw, well, too bad.  If you don't like that
I am not pretending that imperfect data is perfect, well, too bad, no
matter which side you fall on in your choice.  Tough nuggies, as we used
to say as children.  LOL!  Maybe when there is further data, or better
approaches for some of the illnesses we will change our minds.  Knowledge
is always in flux.  Maybe -- and I sure hope not -- you will lose ferrets
in the future to one of the disease risks and then you will change your
mind.  No one can predict the future.  It is best to not act like areas
where knowledge is imperfect should be set in stone despite that; doing
so is usually asking for really big trouble.  Meanwhile, we will make up
our own minds and keep them open to future information and trust that
most others do the same.  Weigh things as you will.  No matter what any
of us choose on this topic we each -- no matter what the choice is --
will be both wrong and right.
[Posted in FML issue 5161]