From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2007-07-06 16:56:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Narcotic future "Problems with the kits
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
The supplement you mentioned sounded from the name like it had
phosphorous in it which could be why the vet stopped that one.
What is normally used is a decrease in phosphorous, along with an
increase in calcium and Vitamin D, under veterinary guidance.
That does sound strange, though, that the epiphyses were calcifying
while the shafts were not. In normal development shafts calcify (but
with constant removal and recalification as needed through life) then
in the simple model the lengthening growth happens at the bone ends
(epiphyses) which then calcify when growth has stopped. That is why
it is possible to age skeletons in the teen years pretty well from
which bones have already had those growth plates calcify and stop
growing.
The calcium goes where it is needed, so a limb which is used in an
unusual way may lay down calcium in places that are unusual. This
can be professional (You can actually tell someone who regularly
holds trays one handed high in the air day after day, or someone who
pitches a very large amount, etc. from the processes for muscle
attachments.) but there also can be unusual depositions and
remodeling of bones in response to unusual stresses because the
nerves keep firing that those areas are under a lot of pressure, so a
malformation may itself send signals that could increase the degree
of malformation (a problem which can be reduced by keeping weight
now, by PT, and perhaps by bracing or casting.
If on further observation it turns out that the ferrets can not lay
down calcium properly -- and that strange calcium remodeling is not
just because the wrong parts of the bone are under so much stress --
then this isn't just a nutritional problem, but is genetic.
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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