>Wrom: DULHPQQWOYIYZUNNYCGPKYLEJGDGVCJVTLB [From: Anonymous Poster] >Subject: mice as food > >I've talked to many vets, and they would agree with me that ferret food >on the shelves is fine for them. I have done countless hours of research about pet nutrition. I have read that vets only get about 2 weeks of nutritional training in school and in some states, vets don't even have to go to school to be a vet. Some start off as a vet tech and become a vet through years of training and experience. (Can anyone verify this for me?) [Umm... no. BIG] What is even more appalling to me is that most vets plug Hill's Science Diet. Have you taken a close look at their ingredients? Nothing but crap. By-products and grains are some of their main ingredients and not to mention they preserve with BHA and BHT which is proven to potetionally cause cancer (like saccharine). Did your vet know this? Most don't. The reason why Veterinarians plug Hill's is because Science Diet has such an intimate relationship with vets by advertising and promotions. My point is, just because an "expert" says it's good doesn't really mean it is. Do a little research. A lot of food manufacturers use "fillers" such as grains and then add vitamins and nutrients to make it nutritionally complete. So yes, ferret food on the shelves is perfectly fine but it also contains ingredients that your ferret doesn't need and that can potentially hurt your ferret in time. For example, the grains (carbohydrates) turn into sugar, like Bob C. said. Another good point about feeding a more natural diet is, LESS POOP!!! (I really get excited about this one! :-P) If the food you are feeding your ferrets has "fillers" your ferrets' body does not use these fillers, therefore it is pooped out (causing more stress to the GI tract). If you are feeding nothing but meat and ingredients your ferret's body can use, the less poop you have to clean up. Makes sense, doesn't it? I am not flaming you I just want you to have some knowledge so you can make a better informed decision. Open your mind and do a little research. That's all it takes. Lori, Podo and KodoGet more from the Web. [Posted in FML issue 3944]