| Page Two: Vitamins: friend or foe?
by Crazy Lady
(Vit B family continued) Vitamin b6 (pyridoxine)
Vitamin b6 is another important member of the group as it has many many uses throughout the body. It is needed by other members of the group to function. Vit b6 helps balance hormones throughout the body. It also helps in the immune system and in the growth of new cells. It assists the body with the balance of many things along with the promotion of new red blood cells. It is thought that vit b6 may help the body fight off cancer and protect the heart muscles from weakening (although this has not been proven). Without vitamin b6 the body could not produce its own vitamin b3. Deficancy of vit b6: Weakness of bones (osteoporosis), thick ugly nails, dry flaky skin, over all weakness. With a deficaincy of vit b6 you also get a lot of the signs that you get with lack of b2 and b3. Where to find vit b: Vitamin b6 can be found at health food stores in tablet form or combined in a b complex tablet. It is water soluble and therefore any excess is passed in the urine so overdosing is extremely rare. Meat feeding owners can find it in eggs, chicken, fish, liver and brewers yeast. Cooking can destroy vit b6 so add after making soup. Vitamin B9 ( folic acid)
This is another important b vitamin but one that must be treated with respect as it can and is stored in a ferrets liver and too much can be harmful. Vit b9 is needed for cell growth and the production of blood cells. It is also extremely important for the transportation of oxygen around a ferret's body. It aids digestion and can cure or prevent forms of annemia. It is extrememly important for not only the physical well being but also mental well being in a ferret as it also helps the nervous system and the brain. Deficiancy of vitamin 9: The signs are many and varied and a lot are like those you see when vit b2 and vit b3 are lacking, but you can also see cracking to the sides of the mouth, eyes, gums and mouth appear pale, the ferret is tired and lacks get up and go. If left untreated a ferret can suffer from acute annemia and die. Where can I find vit b9: Vit b9 can be purchased from a health food store but must be used wisely and carefully with respect. It is included in a vit b complex tablet also obtainable from health stores. Raw meat feeders can also obtain vit b9 from liver. This is not a water soluble vitamin and the body does store it so a ferret will obtain vit b9 from the liver of other animals. Vitamin B12 (cyanocobamin)
This is known as the eating b vitamin as it's known to ensure a healthy appetite in a ferret. It encourages the body to grow and also helps maintain a healthy blood supply. It also helps break down fats in the body. Deficiancy of vit b12: When this vitamin is low in the diet there are a number of signs. Some are similar to the signs of other illnesses so please check with a vet if in doubt. The signs are weakness, loss of balance, poor reflexes, sore mouth and weight loss. A deficiancy of vit b12 can cause problems with the nervous system. Where to find vit b12: Vit b12 can be obtained from health food stores in a single tablet or as part of a vit b complex tablet. It is not known to cause problems if too much is given but unlike the water soluble vits that are absorbed immediately, vit b12 takes around 2-3 hours to be absorbed by the body. Meat feeding owners can find vit b12 in liver organ meat, muscle meat, eggs,fish and milk. The vit B complex family are important for a ferret's health. Each have a part to play in ensuring a healthy body. To prevent owners from being confused, giving each seperate member of the b vitamin a tablet that contains them all can be obtained. The vit b complex tablet is readily available from health food stores. I simply crush and add a pinch when needed as my ferrets are raw meat eaters and receive most of these vitamins in their natural form from various meats. I simply give them a pinch once per week to ensure there levels are kept up. An owner who was not feeding any form of meat and was worried about b vitamin levels in kibble could simply add a
small pinch daily to kibble or soup. The tablets are easily ground down by crushing with a rolling pin when doubled bagged. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) This vitamin is not often associated with ferrets as it is only obtained in its natural state from fruit and veggies and as a ferret is an obligate carnivore it is assumed that it would never come across it in the wild. This is not always true! A wild polecat or ferret could be induced into eating wild strawberries or blackberries simply when out hunting for food and could of obtained vitamin c in this manner or even from prey it had eaten that had partially digested fruit matter in its digestive tract. Vitamin c is another water soluble vitamin and therefeor is classed as a harmless vitamin as any excess vitamin c is simply passed in the urine and is not stored in the body to cause a toxic build up. This vitamin has many uses in the human so it is surmised that it can also be beneficial to the ferret if given on a
regular basis. Vitamin c is classed as an antioxident and helps protect the body from pollutants. Vitamin c cannot be made by a ferret's body so this vitamin must be given in tablet form. Even though it has not been proven in ferrets it is known to have a great many uses in a human body so therefore we must surmise it is also good for these same uses in a ferret's body. Things like helping wounds to heal quicky, promoting the development of healthy cells and tissue, helping with calcium absorption and it is also said to help
promote healthy gums and to help the immune system not only fight illness but also to prevent certain illnesses. Vitamin c is also said to help prevent harmful blood clots and to lessen bruising. All in all, vitamin c is a helpfull ally against a number of illnesses and as it does not have a toxic effect and is not stored in the body. It is a vitamin you can use in safety. Signs of vitamin c deficiancy: As with all signs through this series on vitamins the signs I am about to describe could mimic another illness so if in doubt please contact a vet. Some of the signs may be a tendency to bruise easily, soft and spongy gums which bleed easily, loose teeth, tiny pin prick bleeding under the skin and some ferrets may retain water and appear bloated and fat, overall weakness and they may appear to have a lot of flu symptoms. Where can I get vitamin c: Vitamin c is readily available in health food stores and many food stores. A pinch added to food daily can only do good. In many cases it can help the ferret ward off the dreaded flu! So when you give your ferret a pinch remember to give yourself a tablet and hopefully both of you will protect yourselves from the sniffles! For owners with meat eating ferrets unfortunatly there is not a natural meat that provides a ferret with vitamin c so it must be given in tablet form, crushed and added to food. ~Continued On Page Three~ 
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