From:
"Kim"
Date: 2007-06-28 18:30:15 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] SCAT Mouse
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Something that keeps cropping up in discussions regarding feeding raw
meaty bones as well as whole prey is the issue supposedly of bones
and perforations, as well as digestibility.
I recently dissected a scat from Josie after she ate a mouse. The
scat looked like the one posted in my album here under "Josie". Here
are my findings:
I posted this on the RMB site I recently joined, but figured you guys
here would be interested too!
Thanks Shirley! You inspired me! So I soaked one of Josie's scats in
some water then got my hemostats ( purchased for dissection of
horse's hooves), and began pulling apart the rope like scat.
Now, originally I figured I was going to find a sheet of rawhide with
teeth shreds and such because the scat is one tight compact twisted
unit, very much resembling a rope.
I was amazed at what I found! Check out the photos in Josie's album!
I dissected this on the corner of the bathroom basin. So there was
plenty of light, a smooth surface and great contrast.
I found NO SKIN AT ALL! What had appeared to be hide, was in fact the
hair of the mouse! These hairs had been neatly twisted and rolled and
wrapped into a rope by her digestive system!
The scat started out about 5/16" to 3/8" inch diameter and
approximately 3 inches long.
You can see in the photo that there was a teensy eensy bit of
undigested green stuff (probably part of a split pea) that the mouse
had ingested, but Josie's system did NOT digest.
The coloration of the scat before soaking was qite similar to that of
a beige piece of rawhide. When I poured off the soaking water the
water had turned decidedly yellow.
As I seperated the scat you can see where the deeper hairs from the
interior of the scat are a darker brown color, the lighter hairs were
from the exterior of the scat. Most likely the color difference only
represents the fact that the exterior hairs and accompanying wastes
were able to be abluted more.
Continuing to separate the hairs began to reveal tiny hard bits. As
the separation progressed I could discern that these bits were
undigested claws, teeth and bits of bone - probably from the mouse's
pelvis or thighs.
See the labeled photo.
Mother nature is amazing! Feeding a whole prey animal lets their
system do what it was supposed to do and even though there ARE pieces
of "schrapnel" in the form of sharp teeth, pointy claws and splintery
bones that get run through their digestive tract, the body encases
these possibly detrimental items in a wrap of undigestible hair!
Further this twisting and wrapping ensures that the undigested parts
get expelled neatly, efficiently and safely in one complete package!
So, hope I haven't grossed anyone out too badly!
Dare I say "Bon Apetit"?
Now that I have kibble eating ferrets, I am doing a dissection of
their scats and will post those soon.
Cheers, Kim
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