From:
twpfi@aol.com
Date: 2001-04-25 00:29:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Digest Number 149/Kathy Rapper on
Itchie ferret
Be careful on both self medication, home remedies and nutritional
supplements. I realize Kathy is trying to be helpful but when you
evaluate
all these additives you could be in trouble. First I would not
recommend
feeding Nutro or any other cat food to treat allergies. Nutro uses
wheat
rather than corn but the protein that elicits an immune response in
animals
that have a problem, is the same in both corn and wheat and it is
called
gleatin. Next, the use of colloidal silver can be dangerous. Please
contact
your veterinarian first.
Timmy's Tonic has been reported as working on many ferrets. I had
the
privilege of meeting the gentleman last year in Toronto Canada that
developed
the tonic. Though I have not looked closely at the ingredients,
anecdotical
it has been successful for treatment of some conditions plus it has
many
supporters. Even so, do not over do this. Remember, ferrets only
need about
one ounce of a balanced and complete quality food dry matter a day.
So when
that is replaced by poor quality food or non useable nutrients, the
ferret
will be deficient in some essential nutrients.
As I have said before, ferrets require a high quality and high
protein food.
Generally the food should have at least 85% animal protein with a
minimum of
33 to 37% and a fat level from 18 to 23% preferably in the form of
chicken or
poultry fat. Before blindly following recommendations do your
homework and
look at the ingredients and guaranteed analysis. Call or email the
manufacturer and make sure the food has been designed, developed,
tested and
proven on ferrets as established in actual feeding test. Please do
not feed
a cat food unless it is the only alternative. No commercial cat
foods has
ever been tested in such feeding trials and do not have enough
protein
(generally) or enough fat, vitamins or minerals to meet the ferret's
long
term nutritional needs. In addition they have to much fiber.
DR Tom Willard