Hello.
This is my first post and i've only been a ferret owner for 7 months, so
bare with me!  This is a little long.
 
All this talk about Mazuri being responsible for the death of ferrets is
really frightening me.  I have 2 ill ferrets and one 25lb bag of Mazuri!  I
told my dad about ferrets getting sick and some dying from this food and we
are heavily considering changing their food.  Dakota, my ferret, has been
eating Mazuri since June and he has had 3 cbc's and has cost us over $300
dollars in vet bills (my parents paid $200 of it).  It started with a lump
and enlarged lymphs, the cbc said they weren't cancerous BUT his blood
sugar was high and my vet wanted to retest him for insulinoma and put him
on amoxi for his lymphs.  Well, their was a death in my vet's family and
she was out of town for a week and Dakota got sick.  He threw up and we had
to call the cats and our dogs vet.  He does house calls and doesn't know a
whole lot about ferrets.  he did a cbc on him (a $90 cbc <sigh>).  That cbc
said that he doesn't have insulinoa but their is something wrong with his
liver (by the way, since that vet didn't know anything about ferrets, he
scanned the results to my vet and she called me when she got back and told
me the results).  So he has been on some VERY helpful herbs for a month,
they have given him a ton of energy (i don't know if they helped his
problems in any way).  Well my vet said that normally with cats or dogs
what a vet would do is to switch them to a lower protein diet (for their
liver problems), but you can't do that for a ferret (she said that).  I
looked at the Mazuri bag of food and it has 38% protein, could i switch
him to a 34% protein food??  Well, Dakota's feeling better, but his little
sister Autumn isn't.  She's been on Mazuri for a long time, she ate it at
the shelter we got her from and she's been eating it since she's been here
(2 months).  Lately she doesn't want to play, she'll play for 10min
sleep/rest for 10min.  We are going to take her to the vet sometime soon.
 
But what should i do with that HUGE bag of food, their is at least 10lbs
left.  I'm NOT saying Mazuri caused this all.  maybe just bad luck, but i'm
not taking any chances.  I don't want to give the food away and possibly
get others sick.  Could i return the food?  I bought it 2 months ago.  What
other food does anyone recommend?  I can't afford or find totally ferret
around my area.  Has anyone tried that new 8 in 1 food?  Dakota used to eat
8 in 1 before i got him and he liked it a lot, I'm considering going back
to that.
 
Sorry if i bored, confused or angred anyone (I meant well =0).
 
Dakota, Autumn and Annamarie
p.s.  if you want to email me, [log in to unmask] is my main email
address, and PLEASE be nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Posted in FML issue 2503]