From:
Regina J. Hart
Date: 2001-04-04 12:33:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Diet, Late Neuters, Adrenal & Pancreatic Disease
Hi !
I'm (finally) catching up on my Ferret Health List reading, and I noticed Meg's
post:
>Just heard from a friend though and learned two boys she has from
>a litter some years ago have both had adrenal surgery & one pancreatic. Will
>check back with her regarding diet.....but I do know in history on mother's
>side there were a few problems.
That's probably me! The two boys are from the same litter, born 4/7/96. Goose
had surgery for insulinoma and adrenal disease in May, 2000. He has needed no
further meds since, and he's doing great (knock on wood). His brother, Spikey,
had insulinoma surgery a few weeks ago, and he unfortunately requires Pred to
keep his glucose levels up. Their sire, Beau, on the other hand is in splendid
shape for a 'geezer' (again, knock on wood).
Regarding diet, I've fed all my guys the same diet all their lives: a mix of
Totally Ferret, 8 in 1 Ultimate, and Innova Feline. A few years back I started
feeding Chicken Gravy (ideally 2x per day). My poor, deprived <g> weasels never
get raisins or other sweet treats - just a bit of cooked chicken or turkey now
and then and now N-bones which they all seem to love.
I've always joked that I'm the perfect example of someone who tries to do
everything right for my crew - the best food, the cleanest bedding & litter box,
lots of play time, regular vet visits, and on and on, and yet I still end up
with dumb problems. For example, right now all four of my ferts have nasty,
blackhead covered rat-tails. Ick! If anyone has a sure cure for that unsightly
situation, I'd be happy to hear it! My friends and I have always joked that
it's the ferrets who are housed in a dirty old shed outside and fed crappy cat
food who are most likely to live disease free until they expire at 10 years of
age. : )
Happy ferreting!
Gina Hart/Sage Ferrets
http://www.geocities.com/sageferrets