From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2008-03-16 16:31:29 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: can ferrets have salt
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
In what I could find earlier on the various types of salt licks some of the ones for larger
herbivores sound like some homemade recipes for them might be too high in zinc to be
safe for ferrets if a ferret got more than a tiny touch. Galvanized metal is a more common
cause of zinc poisoning in ferrets according to _Biology and Diseases of the Ferret, 2nd
ed.)
Ferrets are obligate carnivores so the diet needs to be one for ferrets. Ferrets are not
rodents; they are descended from the dog branch of Carnivora but are much more obligate
carnivores (like cats), so dietary approaches that are suited to rodents are simply not at all
suited to ferrets.
That said, there are medical situations in which a bit of added salt (very little) can be
useful. At least 3 people have mentioned such instances in the past on the FHL.
Salt does contain essential minerals which can also be gotten through other routes.
Alternatively, too much salt can be poisonous. At least two people have talked about that
in the past.
Often AMOUNT is what is most critical. Heck, there are nutrients which in various species
can cause neural symptoms in too low or too high doses (ex. B6 for either too much or
too little, or B12 for too little, too much Vitamin C can cause copper deficiency and from
that anemia in other species as well as setting up an individual for rebound scurvy but too
little can cause scurvy, too much phosphorus with too little calcium will rob the body of
calcium even though the body needs both nutrients-- you get the idea -- ranges are
important as is balance.) Salt is the same way, the needed amount of the minerals in it is
"just right" to quote Goldilocks, but too little or too much of them is a serious problem.
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "David Gaines" <davegaines@...> wrote:
>
> I should have been a lot clearer.....I was referring to pets/companion
> animals encountered on a daily basis inside typical suburban municipal
> shelters when I said "only rabbits and rodents." That would exclude dogs,
> cats, iguanas, and ferrets. Horses, cows, and livestock weren't even on my
> radar screen. :)
>
> dg
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/