On Aug 26, 2006, at 2:00 AM, Susann Thiel wrote: >it's very clear that the claims Dr. Weisman is making about himself >(including the fact that he's a doctor) are not true. > >Here are some interesting links - the first one describes the >suspension of his chiropractic license in the state of Minnesota. I want to point out that the title "Doctor" is valid for more than just MDs. Those with a Doctor of Chiropracty are doctors (and yes, Northwestern offers a Doctor of Chiropracty). Those with DO degrees (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) are doctors. DVMs (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) are doctors. ODs are Doctors of Optometry. DDSs are Doctors of Dental Science (dentists). NDs are naturopathic doctors. AcDs are doctors of acupuncture (recognized in Canada and some states). You may not believe in the validity of some of these fields, but they are valid degrees, and holders can call themselves "doctor". You can also hold a doctorate in a non-medical field, which entitles you to use "Dr." In academia, a PhD is the "real" doctorate, since an MD is not as advanced as a PhD. Many MDs go on to get a PhD. This is not to say that Dr. Weisman is necessarily reputable or right in his views. The fact that he had his license suspended raises serious questions, and I really don't like the tone of his letter. On the other hand (and to address the actual question), once nutrients are broken down to the state they must be in to be absorbed by the intestine, it doesn't matter whether the nutrients were originally animal, plant, or even just synthesized in a lab. BUT the probem is that food doesn't come broken down, normally. Ferrets don't have the enzymes, and don't have a long enough gut for intestinal bacteria to do the job for them. So they can't in practice digest vegetable matter. If this fellow really has a process for predigesting the food -- yet preventing spoilage -- then it's possible the food is fine. It would be like those who are lactose- intolerant (as I am) nevertheless being able to drink Lactaid milk. Now I can drink Lactaid, but there are times that even that bothers my stomach, and I think it might be the same with enzyme-processed pet food. The enzymes don't necessarily get everything. I'd hate to try to live on dairy products, even with a good supply of lactase enzyme. So I'm not saying this guy's food is good, just that it's theoretically possible to make such a food. -Claire [Posted in FML issue 5347]