From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2003-05-20 21:46:25 UTC
Subject: balancing amino acids, and calcium balance
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-id: <a0600120bbaf052793ebb@[10.0.1.14]>
In a discussion of nutrients I asked Dr. Tom Willard a question to
which I have not been able to get an answer:
>I wonder if thickened gelatin like in Cheweasels would be a good
>replacement for some fat and starch content since it also binds
>things well or is it is just too low calorically?
Here is what Dr. Willard taught me:
NO! NO! Gelatin is an unbalanced protein. It is totally lacking in
an essential AA and
because of this will adversely affect the metabolism of the total diet.
Nutritional health and well being depends on the diet (those total
nutrients taken in and digested in a 24 hour period) as a whole.
This is why I advise against supplements. Supplement only adds a few
nutrients and not a balance of any. For example, if calcium is
added because someone has been told that growing ferrets need extra
calcium, then it can imbalance the phosphorous, the potassium and the
sodium. These will then affect certain vitamins, which will cause a
problem with the absorption of certain AA. This is where most
veterinarians get themselves in trouble because they don't look at the
overall picture of the nutrient intake but rather treat supplementing
like a medicine by giving a supplement for a specific problem.
Another example is, if calcium is given to rapidly growing animals
that may be receiving a balanced diet for all the essential
nutrients, can cause the development of rickets because adding the
calcium imbalances the other essential nutrients in bone development.
I go back to my original statement: feeding a well balanced, complete
diet specifically designed and tested for the species intended, is
the best way to manage any disease because it provides the nutrients
needed by the body to heal itself and rebuild tissue and the immune
system.
Hope this helps.
Tom Willard
---
So, in three paragraphs he answered not only that question but also
some questions that have recently arisen in relation to calcium and
to rickets.