|
Post by Sherry on Jul 9, 2013 21:31:58 GMT -5
Although I haven't fed kibble for years, from what I've been told the difference in her will be pretty drastic. Coat, etc Also- she won't need to eat as much as Epigen has no grains or starches
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2013 22:06:12 GMT -5
Looking forward to it. It just sucks, I thought I had a good diet and being busy working I have been slacking on researching this...now I have the task of getting a hold of my vet to revisit surgery options and her new diet. I just see a ticking time bomb and I really don't like that...I wish I'd found this site sooner!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2013 1:44:16 GMT -5
I am sorry you and your baby are having to deal with this. Stones in ferrets are not an easy thing. As Sherry mentioned, I lost 2 of my boys last year (a month apart) to stones. They too had literally hundreds of stones and crystals in their bladders and urethras, and they had multiple stones in their kidneys. The stones in the bladder can be removed; there is a surgery called a PU (usually seen in cats) that can replace/rebuild another urethra if the urethra can't be unblocked; however, stones in the kidneys are inoperable. For both of my boys it was the stones in their kidneys that were the cause of them having to be put to sleep (they simply were too big to pass and ruptured their ureters). With my boys there was only 1 symptom up until the day they both passed - they peed a lot more for about a week or so before they passed. Jacksmomma and another lady on here know and understand the science behind cause of cysteine stones in ferrets - as others have said you can find threads all over the forum placed within the last year that discuss the science. The reason you can't find the info you seek in regards to ferrets and stones is because the information isn't really out there - research hasn't really been done with stones and ferrets. However, cats develop cysteine stones from the same causes as ferrets and their is research out there describing this formation. When my boys passed last year (actually, Gir, my first boy to pass, passed on exactly 1 year ago today) there was little known about stones and kibble, however, my vet did show me some emails passed on a vets-only site discussing a possible link between pea and sweet potato starch and cysteine stones in ferrets. As for the foods my ferts had been on - they ate Marshall's crap when they first came home for a few months; then I switched them over to Zupreem for about a year or so; then EVO Ferret for about 2 years; then by vet prescription for reasons too long to describe here Hills Science Diet d/d and z/d, and then Royal Canin Hypoallergenic rabbit. Each of these kibbles have high amounts of pea and/or sweet potato starches in them.
All this being said, I fully agree with the others that you need to get your little one off of the Zupreem. Your baby may become blocked very quickly, and at that point there really isn't much you can do, especially if there are stones in his kidneys. After Emmett, my second fert to pass, passed and I made the link between the stones and their kibble I immediately switched the rest of my boys to raw (soupie to start). I also had the rest of my boys xrayed and as it turned out ANOTHER of my boys also had stones, but only in his bladder. Within a month of being on the raw his stones DISAPPEARED! Just a little info for you!!!
Good luck to you and your baby!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2013 7:49:44 GMT -5
If you aren't ready to do a raw diet, definitely feed the kibble as a soup/ wet mush. It may not be the most appealing to your baby (or maybe it will be more appealing) but keeping the urine dilute is really key to keeping the stones at bay
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2013 12:04:27 GMT -5
I will ask my vet about the PU surgery, I didn't know it could be done for ferrets as well. Hopefully it won't come to that. I'm so sorry for all the trouble you went through with your babies. I'm glad to hear that at least there was some resolution from changing diets.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2013 10:32:05 GMT -5
Hi there,
My fuzzy recently underwent laser surgery to room a mass of stones from his bladder and urethra. I've posted some X-Rays and stone analysis reports in the pinned "ferret with stones - input" thread if you're interested. Long story made short - my fuzzy had been eating Zupreem Grain Free for the last couple of years leading up to this event. My vet recommended switching food as there is an established pattern between Zupreem Grain Free and stones. I wasn't able to find much conclusive laboratory testing or evidence that this is the cause but the strong link between the food and stones is enough for me. Why even take the chance that the food may be the cause?
Now a question - my vet recommended Totally Ferret Senior which we weren't able to find here. We wanted to change the food as quickly as possible and settled for 8in1 Advanced Nutrition for ferrets. Any thoughts?
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jul 12, 2013 10:58:22 GMT -5
In my opinion both foods will cause insulinoma in ferrets. Insu is one if the reasons I made the decision to raw feed. And as you likely read in other posts in that thread, a switch to raw has actually cleared up existing stones.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2013 21:25:32 GMT -5
None of those listed kibbles is very good, here we personally recommend Wysong Epigen 90 Ferret or Orijen kitten/cat as the only two really suitable options.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2013 22:02:25 GMT -5
Thank you. I'm ordering the Wysong Epigen 90 Ferret on reoccurring shipment. I also set up the Daily Dream Treats. Thanks for your recommendations - they are appreciated. We only have one ferret and he means the world to us.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jul 13, 2013 0:15:53 GMT -5
You will be impressed by the Epigen 90. However- I strongly suggest you also do a daily soup either with that or at the very least a cooked meat to help keep him hydrated better than any kibble possibly could. Unfortunately carnivores do not have the thirst mechanism capable of replacing what they would have gotten in a species appropriate diet. The soup would help Offset this somewhat.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2013 20:55:54 GMT -5
I just wanted to update and see if anyone had seen what I'm seeing now. Panda has been on the epigen 90 for about 3 weeks now. For about 7 days or so her urine has been a brownish/red color, not all the time but more frequently. I'm going to make her an appointment tomorrow. I'm getting more worried that she's going past the point of no return. She is still acting fine and doesn't appear painful at all and not when she urinates either. I'm wondering if surgery will even help at this point. Anyway, there's my update.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Aug 7, 2013 22:52:08 GMT -5
Even though epigen is an excellent kibble as far as kibbles go- it still keeps them on the verge of dehydration. Your wee girl sounds like she has a bad infection and needs antibiotics and a diet change ASAP. Even if you aren't comfortable feeding raw at the very least make her a soup twice a day to help with that. Get her to a vet yesterday and get her started on a course of antibiotics.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2013 9:22:14 GMT -5
The reddish-brown color is likely blood in here urine, either from more crystals scratching her bladder/ ureter or from an infection. She is also likely dehydrated and her urine is very concentrated. Like Sherry said, she needs a vet visit for antibiotics (and i'd do sub-Q fluids if it were my baby) and she needs daily soups.
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Aug 8, 2013 13:47:14 GMT -5
Agreed with both statements.....vetting ASAP. She sounds like she's dehydrated and that she may have an infection and in need of antibiotics ciao
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2013 18:14:57 GMT -5
I put her back on antibiotics that I was using for her pulse therapy. Now my vet wants to so surgery so we'll see how that goes. Apparently she also has a large adrenal tumor which I'm just now hearing about.
|
|