Mary wrote:
>Don't let it keep you awake, so long as your ferrets are getting a
>high fat, high calorie diet based on meat protein it probably doesn't
>matter whether that is raw, kibble or soup.
YES!
Now, there are some exceptions, so if a vet mentions diet alterations
for those at some point don't be surprised that can be needed. It's
just like with humans. Food is not a one size fits all situation but
since nothing is perfect and none of the quality ferrets foods and
balanced provided-at-home foods (cooked or raw) are villains under
usual circumstances, don't worry. Just know all sides of the situation
so that you can jump in the right direction when you need to jump.
The reality is that for most ferrets people have OPTIONS. There is no
reason to feel guilty or to worry. Instead, be glad that there are
options.
What medical conditions can force a change in diet, you might ask?
Here are some:
***Uroliths: For a female these are real problem but for a male they
are even more so and can be fatal due to urinary blockage, so this type
of dietary need MUST take precedence. Uroliths are urinary tract stones
and the type of change in diet depends on the type of urolith. If a
ferret has struvite stones (which also go along with alkaline urine)
then the diet of that individual needs to have more animal protein
sources. If the ferret has cystine stones (which also go along with
acidic urine) then the diet of that individual needs to have less
protein because there are 4 amino acids (building blocks of protein)
that are posing the risk. For calcium oxalate stones in other animals
the oxalate in the diet is reduced but i have not looked into how to do
that for a ferret though they can get these. Notice that for cystine
stones this means that these particular ferrets WILL have more fiber
and more carbohydrates in their diets but the risk from the known
cystine uroliths is far, far, far, far, far (Did I remember to
emphasize "far"?) greater than the possible risk that carbohydrates
might lead to increased rates of insulinoma. BTW, neither of our
ferrets who get cystine uroliths have gotten insulinoma at this point.
One is turning 6 and the other is turning 5. Then again we have had
less than 20% of our ferrets in the decades we've had ferrets get any
type of pancreatic illness and kibble has always been our main food
source, so it's not like we'd expect them to have it since most will
be in the 80+% group. Meanwhile, they are getting years of life they'd
never have had on a different diet.
***Chronic Kidney Disease: For acute (sudden) kidney disease diet does
not seem to matter (except for avoiding foods like too many raisins or
grapes which can cause it) but for chronic kidney disease the aim is to
design the diet to reduce the phosphorous intake while having quality
protein sources. Cooked eggs are a great food for those ferrets
(warning that it makes waste smellier) but animal protein sources
that are high in phosphorous should be avoided, some examples of what
to avoid: carp, crayfish, beef liver, chicken liver, fish roe, organ
meats, oysters, and sardines. On the other hand, fish oil (not cod
liver oil) or flaxseed oil (be sure to refrigerate since it can go bad
easily) are important dietary additions for a ferret who has chronic
kidney disease for the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
*** Prancreatic diseases and Brewers Yeast: great in small amounts for
a normal diet BUT do not give supplemental Brewers Yeast to ferrets
with insulinoma since it lowers blood sugar. DO give supplemental
Brewers Yeast to ferrets who have diabetes for the same reason.
***High protein diets for ferrets with insulinoma: there have been some
clinical observations that ferrets whose insulinoma is not advanced
often do better with a higher protein diet. There have been ferrets who
are exceptions and crash on that diet, though, so realize that it is
not an absolute. When the insulinoma is advanced enough that the meds
can not be increased any further then adding carbohydrate and having
something with sugar always available can sometimes provide a few more
months of quality time.
***IBD: some but certainly not all ferrets with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel
Disease -- with the ferret version being different from the human
version) turn out to have intolerances for some foods. Chicken is a
common intolerance among such ferrets, and for some there are other
protein sources which can cause problems. Some others have problems
with certain carbohydrate origins. It becomes important to remove
specific food components long enough to see if the intestinal
inflammation reduces. If it does then avoid that food component. Also,
some ferrets with IBD but not all turn out to do better with added
fiber in their diets. Pumpkin puree is often used but some fiber
sources which vets have used in ferrets for other things which
*might* be able to be substituted include psyllium, bran cereal,
and cooked sweet potato.
***MegaE: when the esophagus develops this problem (and also when
it is rarely impinged on with certain illnesses such a hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy or a chest tumor) it may be necessary to go to a
thinned diet -- just soups made specially for the ferret.
There are certainly other medical situations in which food needs can
change away from the norm, so if that happens, don't worry about what
anyone other than the treating vets say about food and health. Suit the
diet to the needs of the individual ferret under the guidance of your
treating vet and anyone the vet wants consulted.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
[Posted in FML 6065]
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