From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-05-09 22:32:17 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Help a great food and snack trend continue inthe direction of healthier approaches!
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3743690.1115677937810.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Honestly, I don't know. I don't know if they would ingest enough to cause problems with urine pH, nor do I know how likley soy protein is to raise urine pH. (The more common stones with alkaline pH are struvite stones, the second most common common type with acidic urine require protein reductions are cystine stones (which so far seem much less common than struvite but do need a very different approach and are currently being studied at UC Davis), I have heard of another type in a ferret that was caused by liver problems, and I seem to recall hearing of a calcium one but that could be an incorrect recollection. I am sure there are other types in ferrets, too.)
The only ferret we ever had who consumed a lot (Really-- a LOT) of soy protein was one who was at her final stages of multiple fatal illnesses and the size of her heart was impinging on her esophagus. She adored a few of the flavors of Sustical and Ensure and those and thin meat soups kept her going and happy for a chunk of time after solids and semisolids were impossible for her to eat. She did have a full necropsy with pathology (literally full body because she was badly deformed and had something like 8 sserious conditions simultaneously at the end of her 6 year life with about 6 of the medical problems potentially fatal) her tissues needed to be banked with the AFIP, with her skeleton then going on for a study of that). Anyway, her urinary tract was fine and was almost her only major system beyond skin that was so *perhaps* unless an individual has a vulnerability soy protein might not be as inclined to raise urine pH as some other types of vegetable matter.
It's an interesting question and I am also curious to learn.
BTW, just to keep it straight, I am just riding on the coat tails of some amazing people at the IFC and the unnamed vet when I mention this project. Linda Iroff has been especially instrumental in this regard and deserves the acknowledgement she has not given herself.