From:
Vicki Montgomery
Date: 2006-11-10 20:46:07 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: Insulin/Blood Glucose levels
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
IF you're going to quote me please use enough of the quote not to misrepresent what I said by omission of part of my statement ;-).
"So seems to me that you would if not totally drop the kibble you would maybe reduce it's usage as you increase the addition of meat (raw or cooked, but probably cooked is best at least in the beginning) until all kibble is replaced with animal muscle protein -meat. Just a thought... "
OK so give them cooked meat only, has anyone tried protein powders - Are all protein powders derived from plants or is there an animal based protein powder?
and cooked eggs, Fine go cooked. Rah! Great cook it...
Rambling begins
Actually I used to cook 2-3 X-Large briskets a week, every week, to feed to my Great Danes. I felt they needed the extra beef and were entitled to the flavor provided. So I have NO problem cooking for my pets.
Remember TV programs and movies where someone samples from a pot of food cooking on a stove proclaiming it tastes great only to be told, 'Thanks it's my dog's food?', Well I actually had that happen as I prepared my dogs dinner and hubby's friend came in and helped himself... LOL..
break from rambling
BUT let's don't miss the point here... wouldn't it be best to get them off of a carb diet (kibble) which may have created the problem in the first place -- at least contributed to it -- and on a animal protein diet -
rambling resumes
Just for argument sake.. IF there is a POSSIBILITY that carbs are killing our ferrets, why would we stick with that and not err to the side of caution? I just don't get it.. why don't we treat our pet's nutrition and health with more concern? What am I missing here - uh that's a serious question - not a rhetorical thought. Does the feeding of kibble really breakdown to the conjecture and reality of convenience and cost?
What am I missing that keeps us feeding kibble, with some of us thinking feeding kibble is bad, yet being wrong about those thoughts. Why this dissension .. is it economic based? Are some people privy to knowledge about kibble and it's benefits that others are not?
Mindset? "I can sell kibble and make a profit, but anyone can buy meat at the grocery store, so I can't make money if people feed meat to their pets." Is that it? Are we compromising our pet's health over the all mighty buck?
rambling pauses again
OH and I'm no saint or perfectionist.. I too feed kibble, but I supplement with meat..not more carbs or sugar... does that asuage my guilt? - maybe and whether I have some subliminal belief that I'm prolonging their life with a more appropriate diet(supplement) or guilt that they don't sit down to a steak at the table with me or whatever;
rambling resumes
What I do know is that right or wrong my concern is not disease.. it's insufficiency - rickets, dental rot, seizures, heart attack, disease borne of malnutrition not infection, but I don't feed maggot ridden, green, oozing meats either.. YET they do eat that if they can find it outside... maybe not cats and ferrets...
(I know guys who put raw eggs in a blender with whatever else, OJ or Milk etc, blend, then drink..whatever macho thing that is --- raw and never sick - of course they don't use old eggs or hot eggs).
break from rambling
I read the great debates just as many others do and I have to finally state what has been my understanding, for years, and ask for facts to the contrary, and that is that NON-HUMAN animals have enzymes in their mouths and digestive tracts that protect them from becoming ill eating things that humans can not - i.e. roadkill.
Now that may only apply to still wild animals, but then that doesn't explain how ferral animals survive in the wild. Or how my domesticated dogs can go find a really stinky dead animal, roll and rub all over it, then eat it and not get sick and let's not overlook the dogs eating other animal's feces and not getting sick. I don't say they never get sick and I don't know when they will and when they won't -- maybe there's other organisms causing a breakdown in the immune system allowing for infections that otherwise do not occur. Longevity probably is also a consideration here.
My domesticated dogs and cats can eat raw meat 'til the cows come home and never become ill, just ask counter surfin' thieves. Ferret's digestive process is shorter than both the dog and the cat and I further understand that it takes time for these organisms to set up housekeeping in their bodies.
So ferrets don't keep food, let's assume a food with salmonella in/on it for instance, in their bodies long enough for them to become infected and ill.
Now IF that is wrong, by proof not conjecture or opinion, I would really like to be corrected here.]]
stop rambling here
The idea is that ferrets get their energy from fat not sugar, Carbs digest and breakdown into sugar, so MAYBE an insulinomic ferret would benefit from a meat-based soup rather than a kibble-based soup.
Just my questions and thoughts.
I said all that to learn IF I'm wrong, how am I wrong, and to see the studies showing the proof. I'm into data, charts, case studies, recorded tests. Please share if you can.
Vicki
Sukie Crandall <sukie@mac.com> wrote:
>it's usage as you increase the addition of meat (raw or cooked, but probably cooked is
best >at least in the beginning) until all kibble is replaced with animal muscle protein -
meat. Just >a thought...
Ferrets who are already compromised can often pick up illnesses more readily so due to
these (and more) past vet posts I would be leeery of giving this one raw foods (eggs, milk
unpasteurized) meats, poultry,) :
Vicki Montgomery
Tricks and Treats Rescue
Greater Houston/Galveston Texas
713-472-6599
ferretfrenzy@yahoo.com or Tricksandtreatsrescue@yahoo.com
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/FerretCare/ - Join ferret care and share your care experiences
"Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace." ~ Dr. Albert Schweitzer