From:
caitlynmaire@earthlink.net
Date: 2002-05-30 18:28:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Re: what are people feeding ferts around the world?
Hi, Jen,
> This thread could lead to some interesting ideas, please keep them
> coming and if you can, post the lifespans of ferrets you've had/known.
The oldest ferrets, which were also the first ferrets I ever knew, were
Marshalls. They were bought by my little brother's college roommate the
year he got his masters (1987) and died in 2000 at the age of 13 within
two days of each other. They were bought in the same place at the same
age, so they could easily have been from the same litter. I know they
were fed kibbled food, but I have no idea what.
I knew a local ferret who lived to be 11. He was a Marshalls, rescued
at age one from a bad situation. He ate Marshalls food and was healthy
for his whole life. The adopters had him for more than a decade.
If the theory is Marshalls=bad, I can't defend it. If the theory is
early spaying/neutering=bad then our vet agrees with you, but some
ferrets still do very well. If the theory is kibble=bad, well... I
don't believe it, and neither does our vet.
In our business we have three that have always been healthy:
-Tenchi, Marshalls, turned four in January
-Adric, Marshalls, turned four in April
-Kodo, lab bred and neutered at sexual maturity, will turn eight this
summer
The ones with just one problem:
-Podo, likely Kodo's brother, adrenal at age seven and a half, now
healthy
-Nyssa, Animals Exotique, adrenal at age three, now four and healthy
-Romana, Triple F, adrenal at age three, now three and a half and doing
fine
The problem children:
-Ker Avon, Marshalls, adrenal at age one, insulinoma at age four with
surgery on Tuesday
-Lady Ayeka, Marshalls, mast cell tumor at age two, insulinoma at age
three and a half, now four and on a small dose of pediapred to control
her insulinoma
-Pertwee, Triple F, deaf albino ferret, adrenal at age one and a half,
second adrenal surgery also at one and a half, nephrectomy due to
polycystic disease at age two, mystery ailment at age three that dropped
his weight by half, probable ongoing pancreatitis, currently on
dexamethasone, florinef, and Viokase-V in his food. He's three and a
half, and he's happy and bouncing off the walls despite everything
-Ryo-Ohki, Marshalls, anal gland abscess (botched descenting) treated
surgically before her first birthday, adrenal at age two and a half,
second adrenal surgery at age three, the adrenal carcinomas metastasized
and tumors were found throughout her major organs at age three and a
half. We decided not to let her wake up from surgery.
If anyone can tell me why Tenchi and Adric are doing so well I'd love to
hear it, but honestly, their environment is no different that Ryo's was.
All the best,
Caity