From:
"Kim"
Date: 2012-02-14 09:22:45 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Insulinoma Question
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi Debi,
Firstly, let me preface this reply with the fact that none of my ferrets have been whelped from raw fed parents, nor did they get their first solid meals as raw or whole prey. So all the ferrets that have come to me were already imprinted upon kibble (usually Marshall's) and many were already saddled with extreme health issues as well as insulinoma and adrenal. I've had 15 furry companions come into my home these past several years and all but one converted away from kibble to natural.
That being established to pose a question of how long have MY natural fed ferrets been living - needs a bit of defining. To me "living" for a ferret means bouncing, exploring, war dancing, able to travel at will of their own accord. Blindness and deafness not being an issue. But when the ferret's health causes it to lose its ability to travel to the potty unassisted, or consistently fall over, or just lay around or shows no interest in food - that's not living - that's existing. If these actions don't rectify after intensive daily care for several days, then the ferrets in my care will get their wings. I firmly believe that ferrets have a strong sense of self and they don't want to just lay about until they expire, nor do I think they want to drag inoperative limbs or enlarged abdomens around. Being naked doesn't seem to bother them, but they do show frustration at inability to travel normally and will become depressed. So living for ferrets to me means being a healthy active ferret!
The vet I use now is a proponent of feeding naturally, encourages her clients to feed raw or at least grain free and meat sourced protein kibbles and consistently comments that these rescued ferrets go through amazing transformations on the natural diet and believes their lives were extended because of it.
The short answer to your question Debi is: My youngest converted natural feeder passed at 1 from a blockage, the oldest converted natural feeder passed at 7. My oldest converted natural feeder is still bouncing at 8. Currently my bouncing business is 8, 7, 6, 6, 5, 5, 4 and 2.
This is my rehoming/rescue history so far:
1 female unknown breeder ferret (Josie, a panda) acquired at 5 wks, passed @ 14 months from Juvenile Lymphosarcoma. Eating natural from week 5. Josie exhibited many external neural crest disorder markers: Full white head, neck and bib, four white paws, dark cape, shoulders, arms and pantaloons, white tipped tail, flattened head with wide set eyes and belly spots.
2 Marshalls ferrets (Fozzy a male champagne & Faylene a female black sable)acquired at 5 years old, 1 passed at 6; 1 passed at 7 - both from insulinoma. Converted to natural.
1 Marshalls black sable female ferret (Mimzy) acquired at 3 1/2 passed at 4 from insulinoma. Converted to natural.
1 Marshalls ferret (Kosmo a male roan bibbed mitt) acquired at 5 passed at almost 7 from insulinoma and adrenal. Converted to natural.
4 Marshalls ferrets acquired at 3, 4, 1 and 1. converted to natural - all still going strong at 7, 8, 6 and 6. They are a female roan mitt, female chocolate, female DEW and a male black sable, respectively. No evidence of insulinoma.
3 Marshalls ferrets acquired at 4,3 and 2. A male high white bibbed mitt, a female black sable and a female DEW. 2 converted, 1 did not. Two have passed from multiple issues of adrenal, insulinoma and cysts they passed at 6 and 5 years respectively; one of these never moved away from kibble and his mate would eat both kibble and natural. The third from that crew is still here as a 4 year old and refuses kibble! No evidence of insulinoma.
2 Triple F Ferrets, females a chocolate (Wanda) and a black sable (Whoopi)acquired at 4 months old. Wanda passed at 1 year from eating a foam ear plug which caused an intestinal blockage and while surgery removed it, she didn't recover. Whoopi is still bouncing strong at 2 now. No evidence of insulinoma.
1 male Path Valley champagne acquired at 6 months, converted; now 5 and no indication of insulinoma.
1 male Marshall's roan mitt(RC) acquired at 3 years old, converted; now 5 and no indication of insulinoma.
Practically any online ferret source and all the books I've read say its normal for ferrets to slow down when they get to be 2 and three years old. This too, is bout the time when many medical references will say that insulinoma is beginning to bother the ferret, but it isn't usually until the ferret has an actual quiet seizure when three or four, will ferret owners begin to take notice. By then the damage has started. My guys start showing signs of slowing down when they are about 6 and 7 - but what is slow for mine is revved up for other kibble fed ferrets!
With my natural fed ferrets, when visiting ferret friends the consistent remark is - don't they ever slow down? The energy level with natural feeders is significantly higher and more sustained than kibble fed ferrets. So that too needs to be taken into account when questioning "living".
As ferret owners, we really do need to move away from what is considered "normal" based upon kibble and confinement and strive for what is normal based upon optimal food and management. These little guys offer so much fun for us - its the least we can do - isn't it?
Cheers,
Kim
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