Let's see, Shona. Very recently -- less than one month ago (January 10, 2005) -- you said that you knew of one case of a ferret choking on kibble (I'd personally never heard of one till you said that). How does that suddenly change to it being among the "top 10" causes of death? Here is where you wrote of that case: http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG12255 A clarification would be appreciated because your statement in today's FML is confusing in being so vastly different from what just said, and also so different from what is seen in the assorted ferret lists or in any of the vet texts I have here. Offhand, here are some of the sadly too common causes of death FHL and FML members talk about and have talked about through the years: Blockage from a foreign body, from chunks of raw or dried hard veggies or fruit, from furballs, or from a GI tumor Lymphoma/lymphosarcoma ulcers IBD or EGE which can no longer be controlled insulinoma dysuria (urinary blockage secondary to adrenal disease or from uroliths (stones)) complications from a difficult right side adrenal case or Addisons problems when both came out but meds were not given anemia (from parasites, from ulcers, from heat, from adrenal disease, spontaneous, etc.) cardiomyopathy types or resultant thromboses --thrown clots to a bad location (which are usually due to heart disease but can also be caused by some inappropriate meds including some herbals like licorice root, or by kidney disease, or by lympho, etc.) carcinoma types which have metastasized (not all that common thank goodness) kidney disease accidental poisoning (also not all that common fortunately, but when it happens often if is a matter of human meds that ferrets ingested, though sometimes other things) etc. Reports of any problems related to food (other than uroliths of two types, diet for special medical needs like insulinoma or ECE, and getting ferrets to again accept non-soup foods) are very rare. I do recall one yellow fat disease report within the last year (from Quebec as I recall) -- the first I've heard about in decades -- but can't recall which list it was one or if it was a private question asked directly and the person was informed how to treat (as per _Biology and Diseases of the Ferret_ ) and what can cause that problem. If you look in assorted ferret vet texts and archives you will find multiple cases of salmonella in ferrets as well as vet mentioning how very hard it is to treat when it occurs in ferrets. They do NOT get it easily but when they do it tends to be a real whopper in them and vets write of the extreme difficulty of saving them in that situation as well as of death often being rapid. All of the good diet options have their downsides and also have their upsides. That's a statement no one who goes with preaching on any type of diet is going to like, but it is true at this point in time. Everyone: It always pays to understand both the risk factors and the benefits of any diet, and to not feel guilt if you give a good diet which simply is not the same as what someone else gives. Right now there are still too many gaps in the knowledge of optimal foods for ferrets so it pays to remember that the topic can't fit into the blind faith category but needs a lot of further good research for a number of years to come. [Posted in FML issue 4782]