Bill Gruber (long time friend and the FML moderator) sent me a chart on how much of the phosphorous in eggs is in the yolk so I did a little search ing but I lack time right now and will be "off my game" for a few weeks ahead. Below is what I sent to Bill in case it is useful to anyone here. For humans there are phosphorous binding meds, BTW, but I do NOT know if those have been safely or effectively (or both) used in ferrets. >That's interesting, Bill. Phosphorous is a major component of bodies, >though, so I guess it makes sense. > >I wonder how it compares to the meats and organs food component the >vets wanted displaced? (I.E. I wonder if it really does make sense >in that situation) > >One thing I know is that part of their argument was that the nutrients >in egg are so very accessible that less is supposedly needed. > > http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=101 > >says that for those who need to reduce phosphorous due to kidney >disease the real problem non-dairy animal origin foods are: > >>Protein carp crayfish >> beef liver chicken liver >> fish roe organ meats >> oysters sardines > > >and lists other foods to avoid and dietary tips for people > >I lack time today; tomorrow is my surgery -- if the Nor'Easter >doesn't prevent it. > >Guess I should share that info, huh? Now, I DO know that to have enough of a RANGE of minerals in the diet many pre-made foods of a variety of types (from raw to soft cooked to kibble) contain some liver. Some also contain not only fish oil (a great source of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids that are good for liver health) but fish flesh. Also, I don't know if any ferrets with chronic* kidney disease who need phosphorous reduced have ever been tired on Feline Z/D but here is the ingredients page for that just for those who want to compare: <http://www.hillspet.com/zSkin_2/products/product_details.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441760666> If that doesn't work: http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/utilities/selectLanguage.hjsp and you can work from there, hopefully with success, or take a peek when at a vet hospital. Canine foods are not as well matched to ferret dietary needs as those for the more obligate carnivore, the cat, even though ferrets are much more closely related to dogs. (*Acute kidney disease is managed differently from chronic kidney disease according to past pers. coms. with many vets and a veterinary nutritionist when Hilbert had his. There is an oft-cited kit kidney disease paper on acute kidney disease in ferrets.) Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 5851]