Here's a question for the scientific types.  I've repeatedly seen statements
that plant protein is not digested as well by ferrets as animal protein.
Does anyone have an explanation for this factoid?  I'm aware of the fact
that ferrets have a short digestive tract and that non-plant sources of food
generally have more concentrated nutrition, i.e., a greater proportion of
protein and fat than plants a have.  BUT, what is it about plant protein
that's less acceptable for ferrets?  Certainly ferrets don't macerate plant
food the way a herbivore or an omnivore (like a human) does, and if you
don't break open the cell wall, you don't digest what's inside.  That's not
an issue with a processed plant food like peanut butter which has lots of
protein and fat and which most ferrets love.  Why would the protein in
peanut butter be less accessible than the protein in chicken for example?
Protein is protein (assuming the amino acids are all left-handed) and it
gets broken down by digestive enzymes and the amino acids are taken in
through the gut.  What's the diff?
 
--Jeff (I'm-an-epidemiologist-not-a-protein-chemist) Johnston
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P.S.  I'm not contemplating putting my guys on a vegetarian diet.  I just
don't understand the reasoning behind the accepted wisdom.
[Posted in FML issue 1498]