To Carinne who wonders about the use of high protien diets in older ferrets:
 
        Carinne,
 
        Ferrets, like cats, rats, and many other species, undergo progressive
kidney degeneration at a low level throughout their life, due to what we call in
the military "fair wear and tear".  When the nephrons, the filtering units of
the kidney wear out, they are replaced by scar tissue, not another nephron.  In
most ferrets, you will never see this, but if it reaches a clinical percentage
of the kidney, which is about 66%, you will begin to see signs that the kidneys
are not functioning properly, including increased urination.
 
        I have looked at hundreds of ferret kidneys and realized that they, like
cats, develop this progressive change.  We know that in cats, and in rats, where
most of this work has been done, that decreased protein levels help retard this
change in kidneys that already are wearing out.  LSo low proteindiets are
recommended for older cats and rats.  I see no reason that the same wouldn't be
true for ferrets.
 
        At the age of 3, I switch my ferrets over to a maintenance cat food, as
a general rule.  It provides all of the protein they need, and hopefully, helps
prolong their kidneys just a little longer.  To my knowledge, scientific studies
have not yet been done, but I have talked this over with Dr. Willard, the FML
nutritionist and founder of Totally ferret, and he says that this scenario seems
logical to him also.
 
        Regarding the loose stool when you brought Rascal home - this is common
with ferrets that are stress by a change in environment and should firm up once
a schedule is established, ususally within 48 hours.
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 782-2600/2602                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
[Posted in FML issue 1069]