We've often found yogurt with active cultures to be helpful for ferrets
who are ill or getting antibiotics but that the tablet probiotics don't
always seem to make any difference.
The current issue from Consumer Lab, which costs to join, has some
useful info on probiotics and refrigeration.
https://www.consumerlab.com/index.asp
It seems that many probiotics require refrigeration BOTH before and
after opening, and that many times when CL has done spot checks the
tablets in stores do not contain the right amounts that they claim,
very possibly due to improper storage. On their last check 17% did
not have the amounts stated o on labels.
The ones which do not require refrigeration are usually freeze dried
and stored with blister packs to prevent moisture, or just are a few
of the spore-forming bacteria or some yeasts.
Liquid ones should always be refrigerated.
They point out that if in doubt with a probiotic then refrigerate it,
and if it says that it should be refrigerated then make sure that the
store also had it in refrigeration. When buying online they suggest
overnight shipment.
What they mention may be part of the explanation for such variable
results on this regard.
Any mistakes in that paraphrasing are my own.
CL is an excellent resource which I recommend. I find that if it even
has one article that is applicable for our family it pays for itself
rapidly, considering the costs of such items.
Yes, I know that the old things say that ferrets lack intestinal
bacteria to a large extent but recent work on commensal species of
bacteria show that there are a number of tender anaerobic types that
need to be found by their genetic traces. Most of that work is in
humans, in rodents, and there appears to be some in dogs that I want
to get to reading. There isn't any such work published done in any
mustelid species, it appears.
See also:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/17385http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/17383http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/message/17306
and articles in the separate FHL Archives.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/http://ferrethealth.org/archive/http://www.miamiferret.org/http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/http://www.ferretcongress.org/http://www.trifl.org/index.shtmlhttp://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
[Posted in FML 7446]
