From:
Danee
Date: 2007-09-09 22:35:14 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Egss whites and other issues concerning soups
To: "Ferret Health List" <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com wrote on 9/8/2007, 5:41 AM:
> I also spent nearly 20 minutes
> explaining what goes into the ferrets' soup and why, ***including
> stressing that the veterinarian said NO egg whites because the
> whites cause anemia in many ferrets***, so that I separate them and
> only put in the yolks...all of which was skipped over as being too
> long and involved...
I suppose if ferrets were fed a diet of only egg whites, or mostly egg
whites, it could pose a problem. However, as long as the whole egg is
fed, eating egg whites will usually not cause problems for ferrets.
Wild polecats eat eggs when they are available, and they do not separate
the yolks from the whites.
Egg whites do contain avidin, which will bind with the B vitamin Biotin,
and in large enough amounts, can create a Biotin deficiency. Egg yolks,
though, are high in Biotin. And while the amount of Biotin in the yolk
is not enough to bind to all the avidin in the egg whites, unless the
egg is the main part of the diet, as long as the whole egg is consumed,
it is unlikely that eating egg whites will cause a problem. Also, it is
only a problem if the eggs are eaten raw. Cooking the egg whites will
cause the avidin to break down, so it can not bind with the Biotin. So,
if whole eggs are added to a cooked soup mixture, then there is little
reason to be concerned about the effects of the avidin.
The following quote is from:
http://www.answers.com/topic/avidin?cat=health#top
>Avidin:
>A protein in raw egg-white which binds biotin, preventing its
>absorption. People who consume abnormally large amounts of uncooked
egg >(several dozen eggs per week) have been reported to show biotin
>deficiency. Avidin is denatured on cooking, and does not combine with
>biotin; indeed cooked egg is a rich source of available biotin.
Also, I can not understand why soup would be fed to ferrets capable of
eating solid foods. Soup is good for ferrets who are sick and/or unable
to eat solids, but long term use of soup as a main part of the diet can
eventually lead to dental problems, which can have adverse affect on the
overall health of the ferret.
--
Danee DeVore
International Ferret Congress Health Issues Coordinator
http://www.ferretcongress.org
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