Techniques for Understanding the Effects of an Ad Libitum Diet in Ferrets The question of the effects of an Ad Libitum diet on ferrets cannot be answered without one basic item: data that demonstrates such a diet may have a deleterious effect in our domesticated friends (NOT proves, just demonstrates- -this isn=92t a research paper, but a review!). The problem is, no such studies have been done with ferrets. A similar problem has plagued scientists studying human diet, and an elegant solution was devised. Sophisticated, technological studies have NOT been able to surpass the technique of just looking a one genetic subgroup of people, then comparing diet and disease rates for diverse areas and dietary practices. For example, Sub-Saharan African males should have similar genetic predispositions towards specific diseases REGARDLESS of where they live. Comparing one group eating a traditional diet to another consuming a western diet SHOULD result in similar disease types and rates IF diet had little or no impact on disease. As hundreds of studies have demonstrated, diet makes a difference. And not just the diet! The preparation, origin, and storage of various foodstuffs have a profound effect on the long-term health of the consumer. I have taken an identical approach in investigating the diet of ferrets, directly comparing diets to disease types and rates for animals with similar genetic backgrounds, then comparing those findings to other groups of ferrets with different backgrounds. For example, sable Marshal Farms ferrets eating a natural diet are compared to those eating a kibbled diet, and imported British ferrets are compared to those remaining in Britain. Some of my own ferrets are included in the comparison. I own ferrets from a diverse and varied genetic background, yet I have found that REGARDLESS of the genetic background, those ferrets that regularly ate a kibbled, Ad Libitum diet results in shorter lives and displays more diseases than those eating a natural diet. The bottom line is that data already exists to support the idea that an Ad Libitum diet exacerbates disease, shortens lifespan, and increases rates and types of cancers. The data can be generated using the same accepted techniques as used to study the identical problem in humans, and it is just as trustworthy. Bob C [Posted in FML issue 3982]