From:
"Ulrike"
Date: 2004-03-31 16:12:35 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] blood glucose origins if no starch in diet
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-Id: <406AEDF3.000001.03472@FERRETLOVE1>
"Provided the diet contains sufficient glucose precursors (amino acids and
glycerol), the glucogenic capacity of the liver and kidneys is usually
sufficient to meet the metabolic need of growing animals for glucose withou=
t
inclusion of carbohydrates in the diet. (Brambila and Hill 1996; Chen et al=
1980)"
=
Nutrient Requirements of Dogs (1985)
=
"There is no known minimum dietary carbohydrate requirement for either the
dog or the cat. Based on investigations in the dog and with other species i=
t
is likely that dogs and cats can be maintained without carbohydrates if the=
diet supplies enough fat or protein from which the metabolic requirement fo=
r
glucose is derived."
=
The Waltham Book of Dog and Cat Nutrition 2nd Edition (1988)
=
=
Dogs and cats can do it, I should think ferrets can too, being more obligat=
e
carnivore even than a cat! Amino acids are obtained from proteins and
glycerol from the breakdown of fats.....abundant in a carb-free diet.
Carnivores don't have the issues with ketones that we omnivores have.
=
I can't imagine where a ferret would get carbs from in the natural course o=
f
things...
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-------Original Message-------
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I am sick tonight so bear with me because I am doing this between
fevers and I put down exactly what a vet nutrtionist sai dto me
tonoght:
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Asked if ferrets can create blood glucose from protein (which I hadn't
thought they could directly but someone asked the question some time
ago so I wanted ot get it right) he said: "If they do they will be the
only animal on Earth which can."
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What they can do if they don'd have any starch in the diet is they can
create sugars from stored fat BUT breaking down fats to do that
produces the byproduct, ketones. In high amounts or for long times
ketones can damage the kidneys.
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