-------------- Original message from "narcotic_future" <narcotic_future@...>: --------------

After they started walking, I noticed that all the albinos had
problems with their legs. I made Xrays and apparently they suffered
from rickets. Their bones practically bent, broke under their own
weight and welded in a wrong position (it's amazing, the bones

Hi Roxana,

I had a similar experience this year with one of my litters.  They were eating a natural diet of raw chicken, raw turkey, mice & chicks - but I was feeding them too much muscle meat with the raw chicken & turkey and they suffered from a calcium deficiency - making their bones weak and developed incorrectly.  I had to put one of them to sleep at 6 weeks because it was so apparant that he would not have a good life. :o(  It was very sad - but I was lucky - out of a litter of 8 - I only had two with bone problems, the one that was PTS and my "Bear" who I have kept.  He only seems to have problems with his front legs, they twist around in a not normal fashion and one of his toenails grows crooked.  He can walk, run, climb and pounce though and he is a happy boy at 5 months old.

I started the kits on a general powdered calcium supplement and vitamins that I crushed up and put in their food when I realized they were having issues (after advice from my vet).  I think this greatly helped with allowing the others in the litter to develop properly.

I commend you and your vet for trying to fix the ferrets surgically.  I'd be interested to hear how that works out long term for you & the ferrets.  I am sure it is painful - but it might work in the end and they can be happy, almost normal kits :o)

Good luck!

Chris Sayne

Ferret Friends of Pittsburgh

.