From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-06-25 22:19:14 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Crystals in Urine
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
The crystals need to be sent out to find out what
type they are because the right thing to do differs
with different types of crystals.
Three common types found in ferrets (but there
are others which are less common):
Struvite
Struvite stones happen when the diet is too high
in vegetable matter.
The urine is alkaline.
These ferrets benefit from a higher animal protein level
in the diet.
Calcium Oxalate
These ferrets benefit from a reduction in oxalate sources.
Cystine
Cystine stones happen in ferrets who genetically can not
deal well with any of four amino acids (the COLA grouping:
cystine, ornithine, lysine, arginine) and then cystine
precipitates out.
Urine is acidic.
These ferrets benefit from a protein reduction in the diet.
There HAD been a hypothesis that green peas might be
involved, but that has already been studied and the peas
have nothing to do with the stones that any researchers
can find. They are too low in each of the four amino acids
and they include compounds that reduce them being absorbed
(a feature seeds have which allow some to be passed with
"fertilizer" by animals who eat the seeds.
There is more on uroliths in the FHL Archives:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
So, the first steps are urine pH and having the crystals looked at
by a urolith lab while providing extra fluids.
Males are especially prone to be being at risk of urinary blockage
and resulting hydronephrosis.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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