From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2008-03-07 18:22:28 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] stomach expansion
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
On Scientific American's podcast Steve just heard
that the two proteins which allow the stomach to
expand (up to 25x for most people but for some
who are habitual overeaters it can be 50x). They
have hopes of using that understanding to engineer
drugs to reduce the expansion potential, hopefully
helping with satisfaction and weight loss together.
What does this have to do with ferrets? Well, beyond
the unusual morbidly obese ferrets, I have to wonder
about ferrets like Scooter. Scooter was one of our
family who had bodily markings of neural crest genetic
variations (often mistakenly narrowed down to WS by
people -- so see this part post by Dr. Brett Middleton,
a Genetics professor to better understand:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG3069 )
Scooter had multiple deformities which made his life hard,
including an ever-enlarging, ever-more-flaccid, ever-
more-thinly-walled stomach. That was a huge health
problem for him. He became unable to properly move
things through his stomach, but the walls were so thin
that he was in too much danger of them ripping apart
if meds to increase motility were tried. Eventually, that
is what happened, but with careful care and many surgeries
he managed to live to 6 and to have a full life. Actually,
at the end he fussed to be held, and as soon as I took
him my arms he made a comfortable happy face to me,
snuggled in, sighed, and immediately died. That was
years ago.
This small intestine had a similar problem but nowhere
near as pronounced.
It's a rare problem but I have heard of a few others since
then.
Should they be able to devise drugs that limit expansion
under normal conditions I have to wonder if it will have
applications for ferrets like Scooter.
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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