From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-08-01 20:18:17 UTC
Subject: RE: Omega 3 Fatty Acids and kidney health
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <5771473.1122927497884.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
I have sent a note asking Dr. Brown if this sort of research exists in ferrets, yet.
Here is a new omega 3 study (in cats) PDF (See it before it goes away in case it has info also of use in ferrets.)
http://www.jarvm.com/articles/Vol3Iss2/FILBURN.pdf
(Perhaps an interesting non-kidney note: in the Discussion at the end it mentions that Omega 3 supplemented cats who then became obese had better blood glucose control and reduced blood insulin levels.)
Here is a 2005 consensus statement on managing kidney disease in dogs and cats (which hopefully will generalize well for ferrets):
http://www.acvim.org/wwwfp/ConsensusStmts/Proteinuria.pdf
Here is an abstract of an earlier study (in dogs):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9605110&dopt=Abstract
including:
>Dietary supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) alters the course of >experimental renal disease in rats. However, chronic renal disease in other laboratory >animals and in human beings frequently responds differently to experimental >manipulations...
>each group of dogs was fed a low-fat basal diet supplemented with one of three sources >of lipid to achieve a final concentration of 15% added fat. Fat sources provided omega-3 >PUFA (menhaden fish oil, group FO), omega-6 PUFA (safflower oil, group SO), or >saturated fatty acids (beef tallow, group BT). Throughout the dietary trial, the magnitude >of proteinuria and the plasma concentrations of creatinine, cholesterol, and triglyceride >were lower in group FO...
>mean overall glomerular filtration rate... in group SO, a value that was significantly less >...than the corresponding values for groups BT and FO...interstitial fibrosis also was >significantly elevated in group SO.
>... We conclude that supplementation with omega-6 PUFA enhanced renal injury; >supplementation with omega-3 PUFA was renoprotective.
Note that the higher Omega 3 numbers (fish oil source) were protective for the kidneys whereas the kidneys worsened faster with the vegetable fat source (Omega 6).
Using fish oils sounds like an approach which might turn out to have promise in ferrets with kidney health considerations.
I found this, which appears to have a decent bibliography, BUT I do NOT know if this is a careful, peer reviewed publication, nor do I know the qualifications of the author beyond her being a DVM and CVA, so grain of salt time just like in any similar situation since I have not read it and only did a few random skimmings, and honestly don't myself have the qualification for a rigorous critique. It is from a 2001 issue of "Alternative Medicine Review":
http://www.thorne.com/pdf/journal/6-Supplement/renal_disease_small_animal.pdf
In the 28th World Congress of the World Small Mammal Veterinary Association (Sadly, not generally available) I also find this article which may help FHL members whose ferrets have kidney disease:
>Nutrition and Chronic Renal Failure
>Joseph W. Bartges, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SA IM), DACVN
>The University of Tennessee
>Knoxville, TN, USA
(who ironically was one of the consultants who helped save Hilbert last year if I recall right)
a cat and dog renal disease article which includes in part:
>Adequate nutritional status should be maintained with CRF. Feeding a reduced protein, >reduced phosphorus, reduced sodium, non-acidifying diet with adequate potassium >content may minimize signs of uremia and possibly minimize progression of CRF.(1, 2) >In addition, consumption of adequate calories is important to maintain overall health and >general well being.
and
>Omega-3 fatty acid consumption is associated with sustained GFR in dogs and may be >of benefit in CRF.(3)
and
>Anorexia is a common problem with CRF and should be addressed. Feeding a lower >protein-containing diet decreases gastric acidity, and, therefore, may decrease uremic->ulcers. Hypergastrinemia occurs with CRF, and use of histamine-2-receptor blockers >(such as ranitidine or cimetidine) decreases the gastric hyperacidity associated with >hypergastrinemia. (4) Stimulation of appetite may be necessary and can be >accomplished by warming food to near body temperature, providing positive >reinforcement for eating, feeding small meals frequently, and administering appetite >stimulants...
Notice that the warming of foods, positive reinforcement, and frequent small meals gets back to other recent discussions here on the FHL on feeding sick ferrets, even though this was not a ferret presentation.
For dogs and cats he recommends going to these dietary changes as soon as kidney disease is found. Among other reasons, the resistance to change seems to be less earlier in kidney disease. Remember, too, that ferrets all too often do not even test as having kidney disease until it is decently along, which could a reason to discuss dietary modification with your treating vet as soon as renal health tests are wrong.
Potassium supplementation may be needed.
Hope this helps!
-- Sukie (not a vet)
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(In searching I have run into a different research vet (but almost 10 years ago) referring to a very different dietary manipulation that hasn't been discussed here to reduce phosphorus levels in dogs in renal crisis but she terms it "highly controversial" so I don't intend to even mention it unless l I find out more and that new info is good news, especially with ferrets being descended from crepuscular activity animals since there might be a risk of a toxic effect for that one (which gives enough info that if vets know of anything new on that score they will comment :-) ...)