Addicted Ferrets

[Deleted]

So a reply in another thread started me on an internet quest which revealed some interesting information that started my mind to pondering.

Something often repeated (and I am guilty of it too) is that ferrets are said to imprint upon their food at an early age. I think this is a poor term - imprint - it may well be that in fact they are simply ADDICTED to the foods forced upon them! This may be why some ferrets make the switch and others simply cannot - their own bodies may be chemically addicted to the food that is slowly killing them!

Keep in mind that ferrets are often used as models for MANY human systems and health issues. Mice too, get used for this. so of course one has to wonder if scientific discoveries work in the other direction?

In another thread about strange edible things ferrets show a strong attraction to I commented about recently reading an article that science had proved eating french fries produces the same effects on the brain as does cannabis (marijuana)!

Looking into this further I discovered several links and this one looks very interesting to say the least:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20445053 with the abstract quoted below in case the link is inactive: (I bolded what could be relevant for ferrets - the rest is a lot of scientific mumbo jumbo) for the more curious among us keep doing more searches using "endocannabinoid ferret", "endocannabinoid system" etc and follow the multiple links that show up in pubmed. Its an interesting trip!

In real people terms the endocannabinoid system is a system that looks for and receives specific compounds that eventually release dopamine ( or happy happy joy joy hormones) in the brain as well as tell the brain to keep eating or if its hungry. What's interedting too once you start looking into this system is that it isn't tied to JUST the brain - it ties in to the pancreas, insulin, adipose tissue (fat) as well as stress regulators of the body!

can you say WOW! Can you see the light? Ferrets, although obligate carnivores DO have an attraction to sugars and sweets and what is a consistent ingredient in kibbles? Sugars - whether simple or complex - they are there! And I propose they do one thing for the ferret.... get it and keep it addicted to kibble!

Abstract

The endocannabinoid (eCB) system plays central roles in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. Its alteration in activity contributes to the development and maintenance of obesity. Stimulation of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB(1) receptor) increases feeding, enhances reward aspects of eating, and promotes lipogenesis, whereas its blockade decreases appetite, sustains weight loss, increases insulin sensitivity, and alleviates dysregulation of lipid metabolism. The hypothesis has been put forward that the eCB system is overactive in obesity. Hippocampal circuits are not directly involved in the neuronal control of food intake and appetite, but they play important roles in hedonic aspects of eating. We investigated the possibility whether or not diet-induced obesity (DIO) alters the functioning of the hippocampal eCB system. We found that levels of the two eCBs, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) and anandamide, were increased in the hippocampus from DIO mice, with a concomitant increase of the 2-AG synthesizing enzyme diacylglycerol lipase-alpha and increased CB(1) receptor immunoreactivity in CA1 and CA3 regions, whereas CB(1) receptor agonist-induced [(35)S]GTPgammaS binding was unchanged. eCB-mediated synaptic plasticity was changed in the CA1 region, as depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition and long-term depression of inhibitory synapses were enhanced. Functionality of CB(1) receptors in GABAergic neurons was furthermore revealed, as mice specifically lacking CB(1) receptors on this neuronal population were partly resistant to DIO. Our results show that DIO-induced changes in the eCB system affect not only tissues directly involved in the metabolic regulation but also brain regions mediating hedonic aspects of eating and influencing cognitive processes.

So if you read this far, you may be definitely intrigued by what ferrets get served! So when we convert a ferret in reality we are performing an intervention! Going at their change in diet as if we are moving them away from an addiction - may shed new light on how to approach a transition and how to KEEP them on the right track and the importance of not letting them fall back into an addicted state!

Seeing their introduction to processed foods as a forced addiction also sheds new light on the shameful practices of many breeders - does it not?

Cheers,
Kim

[katt]

I posted (see the banana peel thread that's been up again recently) about a specific ratio of oil (fat):salt:sugar that causes an addictive opioid reaction in the brain.
Yes I DO agree that kibble ferrets are addicted.
BUT they do still imprint. It has to do with their sense of smell. They learn that foods (smells in particular) are food at a young age through exposure by momma ferret, hunting, etc. This doesn't mean they will never eat other things (look at How
Many ferrets eat stuffies and rubber lol) but it means that in general if they have not cataloged a smell as "food" by a certain age, it's a pain tk convince them it's not poison later. There's a snippet about it in "THE" vet book on ferrets - a book which supports raw diet I might add.

[katt]

This is the book I mentioned in the other thread btw.

www.theendofovereatingbook.com/

[Sherry]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a combination of both. Carbs for any animal are most definitely addictive. Frequently with cats, once you get them started even on a canned diet the kibbles have to be removed from the house entirely so they can't smell them, or they hold out even longer.

[orv420]

I find it funny that people are just now beginning to link sugars (carbs) with addiction. You think the stereotypes of women (in general, men do the same, but the stereotype is more focused on women) eating ice cream and candy when depressed are made up? Not at all. The sugar gets you high, overriding the depression. Unfortunately the cycle becomes self reinforcing (for some people) once obesity begins to set in. It's a vicious cycle that ends with diabetes, cancer, heart failure or any number of obesity related diseases.

In nature, flowers emit sweet smells attracting many animals which benefits the flowers in pollination. Sugars and sweets are natural attractants, more or less hardwired into the brain. It's explained in scientist speak above, but more understandable if you just look around any natural environment. Fruits are sweet to entice animals to eat them and spread the seeds. Predators go to the sweet smells because their prey is likely to be nearby dining. Sweets have their place, but only humans process it out of the natural sources to add it to unnatural items. Have you ever seen a horse put sugar on their bowl of oats? I haven't, but I've seen people put sugar on their oatmeal. Oats of course being a grain are starches or complex carbohydrates. So you want some sugar on your sugar?

To say sugar is addictive is an understatement. It is a well known fact that has been used by the food industry to sell more junk food. Why else are so many cereals loaded with sugar? Why is sugar the second ingredient in peanut butter? Why is sugar added to so many things we consume? If there's anything to be learned from the past 50 years, it's that businesses do what's best for the bottom line, not for the consumer. I chose to take big business out of the equation by feeding my ferrets meat and by preparing my own meals from scratch. (Homemade pancakes > any box) All it takes is a bit of time which, unless you know your expiration date, we all have plenty of. Stop being lazy and relying on someone else to decide what's best for you and your pets, all they want to do is increase their own profits and they rely on the addictive nature of sweets to do so.

Sorry about the long post and rambling, but I really dislike the obese and diabetic nature of our civilization and wanted to vent. Carbs are necessary, but as with anything else, only in moderation.

[Heather]

I've never meant the term "kibble addict" lightly or in jest. I honestly meant it. I've watched ferrets and cats go to the extreme to get at kibbles and normally don't carry it in my house while doing a switch....it makes it a hundred times more difficult. Hey, I'm a true die hard carb addict, if they're in the house I eat them. That's why they're not allowed in the house except in the form of veggies and fruits (they carry carbs too) MY biggest problem is I love to bake and I can't eat the *%*&%* stuff because I can't stop eating the stupid stuff when it's around....so my sympathies lie with my little charges when they're switching their diet over.
ciao

[Deleted]

Yup! I think we natural feeders "get" this addictive connection and know the benefits of feeding naturally. But when trying to get others to see the light we are so often hounded for "proof", "studies", AND "peer reviewed articles" or "citations" that locating these in PUBMED will help bolster our position.

Not that many of us who already feed naturally need this vindication to keep offering better health for our companions. This is simply more ammunition to fight back to the incessant question of "Why change?" or the one I particularly bristle at - "Kibble is a complete diet that's been approved and studied and is good for the pet."

Sometimes I wish I could just sit back and let people figure it out on their own, but then I realize - many are all too happy to be led by the hand down a dark path. Its scary going on their own and following the crowd gives them security in numbers- no matter that those numbers are short lived or have a miserable life.

some folks just DON'T KNOW, others don't WANT to know. It's not like WE are discovering anything new - our ferret friends and other carnivorous pets discovered long ago their ideal food sources - but we are pioneers in the modern world when trying to get people to offer their ferrets the diet these little guys really are supposed to eat.

Unfortunately we can't bag common sense with pretty pictures and advertise it, so these little articles from the kibble providers revered scientific world helps us when we return parry!

This link from further searching along the endocannabinoid vein offers some interesting info regarding insulin production as regards to beta cells in mice:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21099327

now I'm on a quest regarding similarities of the pancreas across species to see if my thoughts that these studies done on mice, rats and yes even people regarding the endocannabinoid system are can be considered reflective acros the different species. Isn't the internet fun?

Cheers,
Kim

[Heather]

It's a wonderful source of information...It's fantastic having a lot of this information right there without having to find large complex libraries or reams of paper to get a couple of sentences. Unfortunately it's also a wonderful source of disinformation too and one has to be ever vigil for the "right" information
ciao