From:
Aielwen@aol.com
Date: 2003-10-07 06:14:08 UTC
Subject: Re: Insulinoma?/new food
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <1e4.11086ab8.2cb3b3b0@aol.com>
In a message dated 10/5/2003 7:10:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
ferrethealth-digest-help@smartgroups.com writes:
> I will give you my thoughts on insulinoma. I do think
> they are a result of the diet. Most ferret and kitten foods
> have a high carbohydrate level (22-30%). A rat diet only
> has 1.2% carbohydrate and a mouse diet only has 4%
> carbohydrate. Thus we are feeding way too much carbs
> (22-30% instead of only 1-5%)! This does not even include
> the high carbohydrate treats (raisins, etc) that a lot of owners
> feed there ferrets. I believe this high carbohydrate diet stimulates
> the pancreas after every meal to make insulin to handle all
> of the carbohydrates. With this chronic overstimulation the beta
> cells of the pancreas become insulinomas.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Dr. Murray. Although I am not a vet, I
started suspecting this when I began to research pet food for my own animals.
My Runt had suffered from insulinoma for at least the last two years of her
life. I switched her from Iams Weight Control (she had a tendency towards
plumpness) to a commercially prepared raw food (for cats) last December and her
sugar attacks (which were very severe) went from 3-4/week (that I knew about) to
one or two every two weeks or so. Her energy levels were better regulated
and she was more active and playful than she'd been in years. She lived very
happily until the end of this April when her spleen ruptured (she'd been dx'd
with splenomegaly in Nov.) and I had to put her to sleep. She was 10 years old.
I am 100% positive that had I known about a raw diet for ferrets before her
health started to go bad her last three years that she probably would have
lived longer AND had an excellent quality of life. I know there is quite a bit
of resistance to raw amongst veterinarians which completely confuses me. Is a
grain / grain-animal protein based diet truly appropriate for an obligate
carnivore?
a lurker,
merri k.