From:
Danee
Date: 2007-07-01 19:54:34 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] More thoughts from the Ferret Symposium 2007
To: "Ferret Health List" <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
The following is something I wrote and posted on another list, but
thought I might also share here, since many people might find it
interesting.
The Symposiums are always a great place to go to listen and learn. I
wish that everyone who want to could attend at least one event.
Unfortunately, I know that for some, though, it is just not possible.
Hopefully those that did attend will take the time to share what they
learned. Also when transcripts or podcasts (something new we may try to
make available this time) become available, hopefully people will take
advantage of them.
*************************
Another thing that got discussed off-line with several vets, Travis and
Bob C. was weaning times. All of them seemed to feel that early weaning
is very bad. All seemed to agree that weaning should not occur before 8
or 9 weeks of age. And all agreed that in the wild, mothers will
continue to nurse sometimes as long a 12 to 16 weeks, even though kits
have started eating solid food well before that time. By 16 weeks,
weaning should be complete.
Male kits generally need to nurse longer then females. Several
different reasons were given as possibilities, so it doesn't seem to be
known exactly why this is true, but it is what is observed. Among
possibilities are a greater need for calcium due to a larger bone
structure and also a need for a food source higher in energy due to size.
This is important to think about, because in the farm situation (Path
Valley, MF, etc.) kits are force weaned by 4 or 5 weeks. This is way to
early. Although the wild mothers may begin some early weaning at that
age by giving the kits meat sources, nursing needs to continue way
beyond that time. Early weaning may be (and this is just theory) a
cause of health problems in later life. Certainly the stress created by
this artificial weaning may impact the immune system.
According to Travis, it is also important not to separate the litters
from their mothers at an early age. In the wild, BFFs remain with their
mother until they are 6 to 9 months old. Kits are born in the early
spring, and do not leave the litter group until the fall. Similar
things are observed in feral ferrets and polecats. We are doing our
animals a disservice separating them from their mothers and litter
groups as early as we do. Certainly, liters should remain with their
mothers until they are at least 12 to 16 weeks old.
Unfortunately, this information was not in any of the talks. One of the
wonderful things about attending a Symposium is the opportunity to talk
one to one (or several on several) with some of the speakers and also
the other vets that attend.
For the most part, the vets that attend these functions are the ones
interested in learning more then what they were offered in vet school.
They are the ones who think about what they observe on a daily basis,
and contrast what they see to what is in the test books. They all have
their own theories, and while many are not in a position to be able to
do studies, they know that by attending events like the Symposium, they
can meet and talk to other vets with similar interests, and even with
some who are in a position to do research.
Another thing that got discussed was a need for more research on the
true nutritional needs of ferrets. It has not been done as extensively
as is needed. Dr. Brown explained why it hasn't, and actually may not
get done any time soon.
Nutritional studies are very expensive, and take many years. They can
not be done properly in just a few years. They take at least 6 to 10
years to run, and maybe even longer. Also, they require a very large
colony to work with, many of which will have to be euthanized and
necropsied.
With a nutritional study, you can not just do a physical and claim to
know that something is or is not true about the food. To know what is
really happening, there have to be necropsies done at various ages, to
see internally what is really going on. And, generally, you can only
study one or 2 components at a time. Plus, you need to see not only the
effect on the animals, but on the offspring of the animals as well. It
is for this reason that the studies on ferret nutrition that we really
need have not been done.
--
Danee DeVore
International Ferret Congress Health Issues Coordinator
http://www.ferretcongress.org
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit: http://www.ferretadv.com
You can help fight ADV!
Visit: http://help4adv.terrabox.com/
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