Q&A: "I am really worried about my ferret. He is 6 years old, has
really bad teeth that you pointed it out at [location deleted]. They
were ground down to his gums from kibble. Now that he is eating your
chicken gravy, he hardly drinks anymore. I am worried. Is this normal?"

A: You are asking me about normal? You've met me; am I normal? If I
said it was normal, would that make it abnormal?

I remember your little guy; he was a really sweet thing and loved the
face bonding trick I showed you. If I recall correctly, you were
worried about his recent weight loss and anorexia. I believe he had
extremely worn teeth, red and swollen gums, and bad breath. I told you
to immediately see a vet, which you wrote that you did, and after some
extractions, antibiotics, and tests, he started to eat again and is
putting on weight. I hope I remember that correctly; please correct
me if I am wrong.

Kibble is 10% or less moisture, guaranteed. The 10% guarantee is a
maximum level of moisture; the kibble could actually be much lower,
which is why it says "10% or less moisture." Kibble has to be
re-hydrated before it can be digested, which takes a lot of water. The
ferret does this in their stomach using body moisture stores from their
blood and other tissues. In comparison, meat is between 65% and 80%
moisture. Catch the difference? That is one reason I always recommend
that sick or ill ferrets, especially those with gastrointestinal
problems, be put on a more liquid diet, even if it is kibble soaked in
chicken broth, or perhaps an electrolyte solution recommended by your
vet. No sense stressing the GI tract; let them get better first.

I've actually been testing water use by ferrets who eat kibble, looking
at volumes consumed and comparing it to urine specific gravity and pH.
I'll talk more about this later in the diet posts, but I can tell you
some of the results are frightening. Part of the problem is that I am
not sure published baselines used for evaluating ferret urine values
are accurate. If those baselines are constructed from ferrets on a
kibble diet, there could be significant differences in various values
from what could be seen in a wild polecat or feral ferret eating an
evolutionary diet. I am also looking into a possible correlation
between kibble consumption, water requirements, and gastric disease.
It is possible that ultra-dry kibble in a ferret stomach, especially
one with illness or stress, could initiate an inflammation that in
some cases could result in ulcers. I also have a hypothesis, based
on urine specific gravity, that some older ferrets are chronically
dehydrated; they just don't drink enough to offset the loss caused
by eating kibble. I'll talk much more about these in the diet posts.

Back to your ferret. I cannot tell you why he is not drinking as much.
I suspect it is because he is getting a good part of his water needs
from the chicken gravy. However, because he had such extensive gum
infections, there is a possibility that he has an organ problem
secondary to periodontal disease. I recommend you see your vet, have
blood and urine tests to check for organ disease and kidney and liver
function, and ask the vet to evaluate his degree of hydration. If the
tests are negative (values good), the ferret is properly hydrated, and
your vet can't find a problem, then your ferret is probably meeting
much of his water needs from the chicken gravy.

I have a ferret, Bruizer, who has little coordinated limb function. He
doesn't have the coordination to drink from a water bottle, and he
spills water from a dish. I feed him Bob's Chicken Gravy diluted 25%
with Pedialyte (= pediatric electrolyte) and Bob's Vitamin Mix, which
meets his water, caloric and nutrition needs. I offer him water every
day, but while he licks a bit, he doesn't drink more than a few drops.
His kidney function and urine tests are fine.

Please, see your vet about this. I just can't say that enough!
Periodontal disease can cause a lot of problems in mammals, and it
is important to rule those possible complications out before you can
rest at ease. Your vet is the only one who can do that. Good luck!

MRSA: My confession I had contracted MRSA during a recent surgery
brought in some very interesting mail. Thanks to all who wrote and
gave words of support, and some who have suffered though it that
offered helpful hints. There are two minor points brought out that I
thought I should comment about.

MRSA can be an extremely dangerous infection and it is one that you can
give to your ferrets. I got it in the hospital. I have it in my throat
and upper respiratory tract, so I am potentially spreading it every
time I breathe. Coughs or sneezes can get the bacteria on my hands,
which can cause direct contamination. BOTH risks giving MRSA to my
ferrets. Because I have autoimmunity problems, my immune system is
artificially suppressed, which is probably why I got the bug. I have
several older ferrets, one who is unable to walk, and one with terminal
cancer. Those four are at far greater risk of contracting MRSA because
they could have (or do have) depressed immune systems.

To protect them, the four at high risk were placed on suitable
antibiotics to help prevent infection. All my ferrets had throat
cultures and a detailed skin exam for infections. I take their
temperatures twice a day (they are now hiding from me). I did NOT stop
interacting with them because I had already contaminated them for a
month before my doctor gave a proper diagnosis, and now that I am on
the correct antibiotics, I am not as infective.

MRSA can also be contracted in health spas and gyms, but in those
situations, it generally infects the skin. These are also infective
and need a doctor and/or veterinarian to treat properly.

I'll be touching more on this subject in the part of the diet posts
that discuss the risks of ferrets eating raw or natural foods. You
should be somewhat entertained when I compare hospital disease rates
and extrapolate them to vet hospitals. I don't want to give too much
of a spoiler, but statistically, a ferret has a much higher risk of
bacterial infection from visiting a vet clinic compared to eating raw
chicken sold for human consumption. Hey, it not a spoiler; its a tease!
Cool!

I recommend FML people should get on the internet and read about MRSA.
If you even suspect you or your ferret might have such an infection,
do NOT hesitate! Go to the doctor or vet immediately!

Bob C
[log in to unmask]

[Posted in FML 5537]