Mary wrote: >Don't let it keep you awake, so long as your ferrets are getting a >high fat, high calorie diet based on meat protein it probably doesn't >matter whether that is raw, kibble or soup. YES! Now, there are some exceptions, so if a vet mentions diet alterations for those at some point don't be surprised that can be needed. It's just like with humans. Food is not a one size fits all situation but since nothing is perfect and none of the quality ferrets foods and balanced provided-at-home foods (cooked or raw) are villains under usual circumstances, don't worry. Just know all sides of the situation so that you can jump in the right direction when you need to jump. The reality is that for most ferrets people have OPTIONS. There is no reason to feel guilty or to worry. Instead, be glad that there are options. What medical conditions can force a change in diet, you might ask? Here are some: ***Uroliths: For a female these are real problem but for a male they are even more so and can be fatal due to urinary blockage, so this type of dietary need MUST take precedence. Uroliths are urinary tract stones and the type of change in diet depends on the type of urolith. If a ferret has struvite stones (which also go along with alkaline urine) then the diet of that individual needs to have more animal protein sources. If the ferret has cystine stones (which also go along with acidic urine) then the diet of that individual needs to have less protein because there are 4 amino acids (building blocks of protein) that are posing the risk. For calcium oxalate stones in other animals the oxalate in the diet is reduced but i have not looked into how to do that for a ferret though they can get these. Notice that for cystine stones this means that these particular ferrets WILL have more fiber and more carbohydrates in their diets but the risk from the known cystine uroliths is far, far, far, far, far (Did I remember to emphasize "far"?) greater than the possible risk that carbohydrates might lead to increased rates of insulinoma. BTW, neither of our ferrets who get cystine uroliths have gotten insulinoma at this point. One is turning 6 and the other is turning 5. Then again we have had less than 20% of our ferrets in the decades we've had ferrets get any type of pancreatic illness and kibble has always been our main food source, so it's not like we'd expect them to have it since most will be in the 80+% group. Meanwhile, they are getting years of life they'd never have had on a different diet. ***Chronic Kidney Disease: For acute (sudden) kidney disease diet does not seem to matter (except for avoiding foods like too many raisins or grapes which can cause it) but for chronic kidney disease the aim is to design the diet to reduce the phosphorous intake while having quality protein sources. Cooked eggs are a great food for those ferrets (warning that it makes waste smellier) but animal protein sources that are high in phosphorous should be avoided, some examples of what to avoid: carp, crayfish, beef liver, chicken liver, fish roe, organ meats, oysters, and sardines. On the other hand, fish oil (not cod liver oil) or flaxseed oil (be sure to refrigerate since it can go bad easily) are important dietary additions for a ferret who has chronic kidney disease for the Omega 3 Fatty Acids. *** Prancreatic diseases and Brewers Yeast: great in small amounts for a normal diet BUT do not give supplemental Brewers Yeast to ferrets with insulinoma since it lowers blood sugar. DO give supplemental Brewers Yeast to ferrets who have diabetes for the same reason. ***High protein diets for ferrets with insulinoma: there have been some clinical observations that ferrets whose insulinoma is not advanced often do better with a higher protein diet. There have been ferrets who are exceptions and crash on that diet, though, so realize that it is not an absolute. When the insulinoma is advanced enough that the meds can not be increased any further then adding carbohydrate and having something with sugar always available can sometimes provide a few more months of quality time. ***IBD: some but certainly not all ferrets with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease -- with the ferret version being different from the human version) turn out to have intolerances for some foods. Chicken is a common intolerance among such ferrets, and for some there are other protein sources which can cause problems. Some others have problems with certain carbohydrate origins. It becomes important to remove specific food components long enough to see if the intestinal inflammation reduces. If it does then avoid that food component. Also, some ferrets with IBD but not all turn out to do better with added fiber in their diets. Pumpkin puree is often used but some fiber sources which vets have used in ferrets for other things which *might* be able to be substituted include psyllium, bran cereal, and cooked sweet potato. ***MegaE: when the esophagus develops this problem (and also when it is rarely impinged on with certain illnesses such a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or a chest tumor) it may be necessary to go to a thinned diet -- just soups made specially for the ferret. There are certainly other medical situations in which food needs can change away from the norm, so if that happens, don't worry about what anyone other than the treating vets say about food and health. Suit the diet to the needs of the individual ferret under the guidance of your treating vet and anyone the vet wants consulted. 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 6065]