Q&A: "I am really worried about my ferret. He is 6 years old, has really bad teeth that you pointed it out at [location deleted]. They were ground down to his gums from kibble. Now that he is eating your chicken gravy, he hardly drinks anymore. I am worried. Is this normal?" A: You are asking me about normal? You've met me; am I normal? If I said it was normal, would that make it abnormal? I remember your little guy; he was a really sweet thing and loved the face bonding trick I showed you. If I recall correctly, you were worried about his recent weight loss and anorexia. I believe he had extremely worn teeth, red and swollen gums, and bad breath. I told you to immediately see a vet, which you wrote that you did, and after some extractions, antibiotics, and tests, he started to eat again and is putting on weight. I hope I remember that correctly; please correct me if I am wrong. Kibble is 10% or less moisture, guaranteed. The 10% guarantee is a maximum level of moisture; the kibble could actually be much lower, which is why it says "10% or less moisture." Kibble has to be re-hydrated before it can be digested, which takes a lot of water. The ferret does this in their stomach using body moisture stores from their blood and other tissues. In comparison, meat is between 65% and 80% moisture. Catch the difference? That is one reason I always recommend that sick or ill ferrets, especially those with gastrointestinal problems, be put on a more liquid diet, even if it is kibble soaked in chicken broth, or perhaps an electrolyte solution recommended by your vet. No sense stressing the GI tract; let them get better first. I've actually been testing water use by ferrets who eat kibble, looking at volumes consumed and comparing it to urine specific gravity and pH. I'll talk more about this later in the diet posts, but I can tell you some of the results are frightening. Part of the problem is that I am not sure published baselines used for evaluating ferret urine values are accurate. If those baselines are constructed from ferrets on a kibble diet, there could be significant differences in various values from what could be seen in a wild polecat or feral ferret eating an evolutionary diet. I am also looking into a possible correlation between kibble consumption, water requirements, and gastric disease. It is possible that ultra-dry kibble in a ferret stomach, especially one with illness or stress, could initiate an inflammation that in some cases could result in ulcers. I also have a hypothesis, based on urine specific gravity, that some older ferrets are chronically dehydrated; they just don't drink enough to offset the loss caused by eating kibble. I'll talk much more about these in the diet posts. Back to your ferret. I cannot tell you why he is not drinking as much. I suspect it is because he is getting a good part of his water needs from the chicken gravy. However, because he had such extensive gum infections, there is a possibility that he has an organ problem secondary to periodontal disease. I recommend you see your vet, have blood and urine tests to check for organ disease and kidney and liver function, and ask the vet to evaluate his degree of hydration. If the tests are negative (values good), the ferret is properly hydrated, and your vet can't find a problem, then your ferret is probably meeting much of his water needs from the chicken gravy. I have a ferret, Bruizer, who has little coordinated limb function. He doesn't have the coordination to drink from a water bottle, and he spills water from a dish. I feed him Bob's Chicken Gravy diluted 25% with Pedialyte (= pediatric electrolyte) and Bob's Vitamin Mix, which meets his water, caloric and nutrition needs. I offer him water every day, but while he licks a bit, he doesn't drink more than a few drops. His kidney function and urine tests are fine. Please, see your vet about this. I just can't say that enough! Periodontal disease can cause a lot of problems in mammals, and it is important to rule those possible complications out before you can rest at ease. Your vet is the only one who can do that. Good luck! MRSA: My confession I had contracted MRSA during a recent surgery brought in some very interesting mail. Thanks to all who wrote and gave words of support, and some who have suffered though it that offered helpful hints. There are two minor points brought out that I thought I should comment about. MRSA can be an extremely dangerous infection and it is one that you can give to your ferrets. I got it in the hospital. I have it in my throat and upper respiratory tract, so I am potentially spreading it every time I breathe. Coughs or sneezes can get the bacteria on my hands, which can cause direct contamination. BOTH risks giving MRSA to my ferrets. Because I have autoimmunity problems, my immune system is artificially suppressed, which is probably why I got the bug. I have several older ferrets, one who is unable to walk, and one with terminal cancer. Those four are at far greater risk of contracting MRSA because they could have (or do have) depressed immune systems. To protect them, the four at high risk were placed on suitable antibiotics to help prevent infection. All my ferrets had throat cultures and a detailed skin exam for infections. I take their temperatures twice a day (they are now hiding from me). I did NOT stop interacting with them because I had already contaminated them for a month before my doctor gave a proper diagnosis, and now that I am on the correct antibiotics, I am not as infective. MRSA can also be contracted in health spas and gyms, but in those situations, it generally infects the skin. These are also infective and need a doctor and/or veterinarian to treat properly. I'll be touching more on this subject in the part of the diet posts that discuss the risks of ferrets eating raw or natural foods. You should be somewhat entertained when I compare hospital disease rates and extrapolate them to vet hospitals. I don't want to give too much of a spoiler, but statistically, a ferret has a much higher risk of bacterial infection from visiting a vet clinic compared to eating raw chicken sold for human consumption. Hey, it not a spoiler; its a tease! Cool! I recommend FML people should get on the internet and read about MRSA. If you even suspect you or your ferret might have such an infection, do NOT hesitate! Go to the doctor or vet immediately! Bob C [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML 5537]