From:
sukie crandall
Date: 2005-04-23 22:35:23 UTC
Subject: Re: Transfer Factor...anyone use them for your ferrets?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-id: <d4872b0ae618117040311999cbece5fd@optonline.net>
I found these last but I am putting them first for reasons which will =
be become apparent immediately and then more so if you also wade =
through the rough notes below:
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=3DSG1621
START QUOTED VET POST
> mother, I
> remember being told I should breast feed my baby so he would have =
better
> immunity.
For any interested parties:
Just a couple of additional comments: The lack of digestive acid in the =
ferret kit stomach from birth to 24 (in some caes 48 hours) is not =
immaturity, but a programmed mechanism to prevent digestion of the =
large voluem of antibodies in colostrum.
Now with regards to long-term nursing, there is a different type of =
antibody which is produced inte mammary gland and secreted in the milk, =
called IgA. This is a fairly weak antibody which will line the GI tract =
of the kit and may destroy some types of intstinal viruses if they come =
in contact it - but it is not a very effective system. IgA lines the =
respiratory tract, the GI tract, and in some species, the urinary tract =
as a sort of first-line of defense against weak pathogens.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams,dVM
END QUOTED VET POST
also
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=3DYG1405
START PART OF VET POST
I might want to rethink this approach. Ferrets receive ant--CDV
antibodies from their mother in the colostrum - the thick milk that
is pass for the first 24-48 hours. After this, little protective
antibody is passed from the mother to the kits, and even if it was,
the digestive system, which poorly digests protein inthe first few
days for the very reason of absorbing immune globulins, ramps up its
digestive processes and would break any antibodies down, thinking
they were food. The colostral antibodies wear off over time - I can't
tell you how fast, but certainly ferret kits of 12-15 weeks that have
not been vaccinated are lacking significant protection.
END THAT PART OF VET POST
and
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=3DSG1573
START VET POST
This would not be a good way to start vaccinations. The maternal =
antibodies of any note, IgM and IgG against distemper (and other =
diseases), are passed on only during the first 24 hours. The kit's =
stomach is programmed not to digest this protein, but to absorb it =
directly across the wall into the bloodstream but for 24 hours only. =
After this, a small amount of a weak antibody known as IgA will =
continue to be passed in the milk and line the kits stomach, but it =
really poses minimal defense against distemper. After 24 -48 hours, the =
acid secretion in the kits stomach kicks in, and it will treat maternal =
antibodies like any other protein and digest it.
This is why: a) nursing in the first 24 hours is critical (all the =
maternal antibodies are passed in the thick colostrum in the first 24 =
hours) and why b) colostrum given after 24 hours provides no =
protection.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
END VET POST
BTW, in another part of the company's site it says that this group of =
supplements is derived from cow colostrum (first milk) and chicken eggs =
(I didn't know before that the eggs were chicken ones).
Here is an FDA site to look up alerts, recalls, etc:
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety.htm
I didn't find a sampling of their products listed.
I suspect the USDA must have something similar for animal products.
Here is another (new so still nowhere near complete yet) site which I =
found one physician's page also for checking into poorly regulated =
alternative products. (Unlike many other nations where there can be =
some very useful alternative products with careful safety and content =
controls, the U.S. has mostly deregulated the industry making the =
outcome very haphazard.):
http://www.consumerlab.com/
Okay. Take a look at
http://www.wingedwolf.citymax.com/page/page/1301264.htm
It isn't a technical site and it is designed to sell product (not to =
look at it critically), but I am just wondering how many illnesses to =
which the mother chickens of the eggs used and the cows from whom the =
colostrum is gotten are also illnesses our ferrets need to learn =
immunity to? I suspect that even if it works (which it might not since =
-- if memory serves -- stomachs older than early infant ones tend to =
destroy such factors, anyway -- something else I have to check into) =
any cross-over would be quite small, probably barely existent AND they =
would have probably already gotten the needed introductions from their =
own mother's colostrum.
http://www.preciouspets.org/4life/tf_questions.htm
(I have not found the background or affiliations of the author, yet, =
and this again is a SALES SITE)
includes mention of over 300 studies so I guess some of us will have to =
try to make time to hit Pubmed to verify that and see what at least =
some conclude
and includes:
>7. How does Transfer Factor=99 compare to the colostrum products
>that are on the market now? We looked seriously at hyperimmunized
>colostrum and eggs. These products are good but certain issues must
>be addressed. First the milk allergy and lactose intolerance issues as
>we discussed above. Second the issue of immunoglobulin or antibody
>effectiveness. The use of cross species antibody therapy can be =
effective
>in the short run. Long-term use is ineffective since the recipient =
develops
>antibodies to the foreign antibody thus destroying its effectiveness.
>Antibody therapy is given intravenously since oral consumption leads to
>acid degradation in the stomach.
Okay, NOTICE that this mentioned stomach acid degradation. Is the =
4-Life product an IV one or an oral one?
I don't have time to go through it but this may be of interest to you =
(copied directly from Google):
>[PDF] Untitled
>File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
>... No evidence that Transfer Factor is. effective for any indication. =
...
>increased risk of drug-. induced osteoporosis. =96 caution with =
diabetics ...
>www.myelitis.org/workshop2002/ Pediatric%20Nutrition%20Handouts.pdf - =
Similar pages
a Melanoma compilation listed it among the things that simply aren't of =
interest any more after past studies:
>Bacillus Calmette-Gu=E9rin (BCG), Corynebacterium parvum,
>transfer factor, vitamin A, and megestrol acetate have been
>investigated in the past as adjuvant therapy. However, there
>does not appear to be any ongoing interest in these agents.
>Trials involving these agents have been excluded in this
>systematic review.
so if they include that as something for which to take their product =
that should raise a red flag for you.
See: =
http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx? =
ss=3D15&doc_id=3D5588&nbr=3D3774
Ditto MS since
http://www.mscenter.org/handbook/hb_1.html
lists transfer factor as possibly useless of maybe dangerous for use by =
such patients.
Here's one for which Transfer Factor was only marginal so other things =
which are more effective are used (See in text of article.):
http://www.alpf.org/currentresearch1/view.nhtml? =
profile=3Dcurrentresearch1&UID=3D10020
>such as podophyllum, cryosurgery, suction diathermy, transfer factor,
>and levamisole, were marginally useful but have been replaced by more =
beneficial