While some people might think all I do is ferret oriented, what I really do is zooarchaeology. I'm the guy that takes all those tenny tiny fragments of bones and tells the archaeologist what animals they are and what they mean, and if you think that is easy, you haven't tried it. I am also involved in issues of domestication and evolution, so I have a pretty full intellectual plate. On that plate right now is some cutting edge stuff regarding the human diet; its very exciting. Without boring you with long explanations of biochemistry, the gist of this research is that HUMAN bodies have not yet adapted to agricultural foods nor cooking, and many diseases, including cancers, are a direct result. In other words, while humans play with computers and explore the universe, our bodies are still stuck in the Stone Age. We have gigantic technological brains but puny hunter-gatherer bodies and modern high-temperature cooking and complex grain exploitation practices are not as benign as we thought. Unfortunately, some of this stuff is yet to be published and it is unethical for me to provide copies to people (the papers are marked "do not cite without permission"). This is SOP in scientific publication so errors do not reach print or become "common knowledge." But I can say some of this can be found if you search the web and journals for "The Prehistoric Diet." You won't find the papers I have just read, but you can find out some good stuff. Why is this important in talking about ferrets? Because it is the first substantial evidence that diets closest to the diet consumed during the evolution of the organism are best for it. In other words, humans should be eating small to moderate amounts of very lean meats, small amounts of lightly cooked carbohydrates, moderate amounts of raw vegetables, and seasonally available raw fruits and nuts. Leave the highly processed grains off the plate. This is, by the way, a perfect diet for bears, raccoons and other omnivores. Zoo research has been documenting the same types of results (in terms of health, life span and reproduction) for both herbivores and carnivores. A glance through pet magazines catering to top-end private breeders of dogs and cats confirms some of this research has already trickled down; the diet of choice for carnivores is becoming raw or lightly processed whole (bone included) meats. What are the results of a processed, carbohydrate-heavy diet? Obesity, heart disease, pancreatic and bowel disease, various cancers and arterial disease, among others. Complicating the question is a lack of exercise, for both humans and pets. Part of the problem stems from "carbohydrate intoxication," as well as unstudied biochemical reactions during the cooking process and their combined effects on biological systems. So why are mice (Bob's Chicken Gravy is, in fact, meant to be a simulated mouse) good for ferrets? Because they supply the proper nutrients in the proper amounts WITHOUT the addition of heavy amounts of carbohydrates to cheapen the mix, provide a base for the kibble, or artifically increase the amount of protein using plant sources. So why are uncooked foods better than cooked ones? Because cooking destroys many nutrients, but also because recent research indicates cooking can result in unknown biochemical reactions which may be instrumental in increasing certain types of cancers. Think about it for a moment and use your common sense. For the daily double, which country has the highest obesity and cancer rate in the world and what do those people eat? What is the USA and fat-cooked carbohydrates, Alex? Pass the bacon gravy and biscuits. Finally, a comment about sugar. Some people are worried about the amount of sugar added to Bob's Chicken Gravy (maybe 1% by weight). Why aren't you worried about the amount of sugar (50% or more) added to kibble? Oh, the package doesn't say "50% sugar;" it only lists the various carbohydrates that add up to 50% or more of the finished product. Well, my friends, carbohydrates ARE sugars; if a sugar was a piece of popcorn, a carbohydrate would be a Christmas tree garland. The body just cuts the string into shorter pieces until you end up with various complex and simple sugars. These sugars are metabolized inside the intestines until you end up with glucose; which is EXACTLY what I suggest adding to Bob's Chicken Gravy (honey is mostly glucose with some fructose). I believe it is the unnatural sugar load caused by the metabolism of processed carboyhdrates which may be driving pancreatic disorders-- including insulinoma-- in ferrets. It may also be why some people report their ferrets sleep so much; on Bob's Chicken Gravy, my ferrets are much more active. And why? What do you do when you suck down a load of sugar? If you make Bob's Chicken Gravy correctly, you have about (in wet weight proportions) 49% protein, 29% fat, 19% bone and fiber, and 3% other stuff which would include about 1% sugar. The honey is added to simulate sugars found in the bowels of consumed prey. IF sugar is nasty and you are afraid of adding honey to the gravy because you fear problems in sick ferrets, WHY feed kibble at all? Kibble MUST be at least 50% carbohydrates, or it will not cook into a biscuit. That means, kibble is at least 50% sugar. It doen't take a genius to map out the increase in disease in certain digestion-related organs. The ECE virus probably exploits an intestinal environment vastly different from that of a wild carnivore. Intestinal bacteria also have a new environment filled with partially digested carbohydrates; hardly found in a wild carnivore. Why the recent increase in pancreatic disorders? Is it a function of older ferrets, or diet? Those are the questions that pet food manufacturers need to answer. Until then, try out a few natural foods and cut down the amount of kibble and see if it makes a difference in energy levels and disease. It certainly can't hurt and may make the world of difference. Bob C and 18 MO' Phatt Pherrets [Posted in FML issue 2809]