From:
ferrets1st@ferretshelters.com
Date: 2001-03-06 09:25:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Vitamin A toxicity
> >www.acmeferret.com/infobank/vo96vita.htm
I read through this article, since I have several Ferretone "lushes"
who'd consume the entire bottle if allowed. We cut Ferretone, etc.
with olive oil because we've been cautioned about the possible
Vitamin A toxicity.
The one statement in the article that jumps out at me is:
"...Absent firm numbers for recommended vitamin A levels for ferrets,
I am forced to assume that ferrets need approximately the same amount
of vitamin A daily as mink..."
So I'm still back at square one since:
Mink natural prey is fish (Is that correct?) and ferret natural prey
is rodents.
Is the vitamin a content similar in fish and rodents... or does
vitamin A come primarily from some other element of mink and ferret
diet?
The numbers for minimum daily requirements in this article were at
least partially determined by mink diets as well ("...1) natural
meat, 2) diets from other studies that were deemed acceptable, and 3)
the few studies that had determined nutrient requirements of related
species such as mink....)
And these are the numbers the author uses to determine the toxic
level.
So... can we safely use these numbers, or not?
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home