[2-part post combined] I find it interesting that I had a phone call yesterday which relates to so many recent topics of discussion here on the Ferret Mailing List: Pretty Bird, a manufacturer and distributor of pet food and supplements, has been investigating having a ferret food for several years and is hoping to soon introduce their new products to the ferret community. The research team of Pretty Bird started out by analyzing mice with the aim of mimicking mice as a food-source as reasonably as possible. This led to features such as different proportions of the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and the realization of other fatty acids not commonly found in traditional foods, and to a very low carbohydrate content content. Fatty acids serve multiple functions in the body. Of course, there are easily noticed ones like skin and fur health and appearance, but fats also do much more including being involved in hormonal transport. It will be interesting to see what health changes may or may not occur when changing the balance of dietary fatty acid types more toward what is seen in rodents' carcasses. Certainly, some of those on the FML who feed mice post their observations often enough, including possible benefits, so perhaps this new food may have health benefits without the emotional burdens involved with giving mice. The total fat percentage is 19%, similar to that of other foods. About the carbohydrates: They have a twin screw extruder and patented technology which permits them to produce foods with a carbohydrate content of less than 10% in weight, with their aim being 8%. There are no sugars added -- none. In the ferret community there has been a lot of discussion about whether grain carbohydrates (Starch is generally a component of grain.) and sugars (such as grape juice, sucrose, fructose, etc.) may play a part in specific medical problems, and if so then how much of a part is played. Furthermore, sensitivities to some foods can at times be caused by grain proteins so keeping the gluten levels down could reduce such sensitivities. Additionally, there is a problem with some carbohydrates, such as corn, raising the pH of foods too high and then bladder stones may be formed. In foods in the United States this final aspect has largely been addressed in the better foods but that is not true everywhere, as those who recall the difficulties in Britain will remember. Very fine oat fiber is present in low amounts to aid in having good stool formation and ease of passage. Continuing the theme of mimicking the mice they analyzed, their food is 50% protein, much higher than the commercial dry foods out there. The foods are cooked at low temperatures. You may recall that one subject of discussion maybe a half year ago was the one of potential risks of by-products formed during high temperature cooking. These risks are hypothetical for ferrets, so they may exist or may not, but it doesn't hurt to avoid them. Probiotics and enzymes are added in case they can further aid digestion. Finally, nucleotides have been added. You'll perhaps remember that when Chiclet already had sepsis and cellulitis that an experimental compound was added to her routine in hopes that it may help save her. Although that didn't happen it certainly may be that it helped, because she obviously lived incredibly longer than any of the ferrets mentioned with such levels of infection, and she did seem to pick up with it -- having more play and interest in life despite being so ill. Nucleotide compounds have a long history of use the agricultural communities of Europe and Asia instead of using antibiotics with similar rates of improvements as those seen with antibiotics. In our discussion Mr. Massie mentioned that studies exist in a range of animals: fish, birds, pigs, rodents, humans, etc. showing benefits including lower mortality, increased resistance to disease, better ability to fight disease, improved digestion reflected in positive changes of the intestinal villi, etc., and these and more are mentioned in some references sent. So far I have been forwarded 7 documents on nucleotides, a name which may also be familiar to those who have encountered them added to baby formulas. Two are poultry charts, one is a paper which I think may be by a vet university professor, J.A. Whitehead, in Glasgow, "Effect of ASCOGEN on intestinal morphology and the performance of the broiler chicken". (Ascogen is a trade name of the nucleotid compound.) There is a Powerpoint document, and there are two papers written or co-authored by a researcher of the company which produces the nucleotide compound which go into the bodily functions of nucleotides. One of these, "Physiological and nutritional functions of nucleotides" by Dr. P. Koppel has an bibliography of 21 academic journal articles, lectures, and texts -- and I know those always interest a number of FML readers who like to investigate bibliographies. The paper "Effect of Nucleotides in daily life" by Koppel and Hoffmann is written more for the casual reader. According to these papers recent studies indicate that the body is not able to get all of the nucleotides used by synthesizing them. 90%, they say, come from salvage derived from those cells which die in our bodies each day. The premises for supplementing nucleotide intake include that the body will not have to either do with a reduced immune response in hard times, nor rob the body of cells which would not have normally died as early to get enough nucleotides to mount a defence, hence improved ability to fight off disease and improved ability to recover when ill. It would be interesting, too, to see if possible increases of the villi might be useful for ones with digestive problems. One of their research veterinarians, Dr. Marge Wissman, who is testing nucleotid use, is putting together a future paper for veterinary use. Oh, the preservative chosen is a natural vitamin E based one; I know there are always those who are curious about that, so I asked for you. The small animals section of their website at http://www.prettybird.com/pbhom.html is still under construction, but my hopes are that when it is done it will include a bibliography and links or copies of some of the relevant articles that led to their formulation. One complaint I've heard about pet food sites is that too many such pages address other issues but don't explain the why and wherefore of food ingredients and manufacture themselves, yet, often the other non-food information can be obtained elsewhere while the food information can be harder to come by. All in all, I am curious about this food and interested in trying it, especially for our older ferrets even though I have not had time to look into this in depth. Still, each of us would have to make up his or her own mind, anyway, so perhaps this post has given you some things to consider and I suspect that those who have expressed wanting just such things in a food will be extremely interested in trying the food, reading more deeply into the references, or both. [Posted in FML issue 4216]