In This Chapter
- Hydrating your fuzzy
- Scanning the dietary requirements for ferrets
- Giving your ferret a traditional dry or wet diet
- Supplying an alternative (natural) diet
- Adding supplements and treats to your fuzzy’s diet
Providing a suitable diet is essential for your ferret’s
good health, though feeding your fuzzy properly is easier said than done. The
keys to a good diet are the proper amounts of
- Fat
- Meat-based protein
- Vitamins and minerals
So, what’s the problem? Finding this perfect diet can be
difficult and challenging for even an experienced fuzzy human.
That’s why this chapter is extra-important. It covers the
basic information you need to know about water — how much water to give and how
often to give it — traditional diets, alternative diets, supplements, and
treats. I also discuss the ferret’s natural or evolutionary diet, a topic that
in my opinion is important to know about in order to understand your ferret’s
nutritional needs. I even explain how to switch a ferret’s diet if you find it
necessary to do so; I hope I can convince some of you to do just that!
Remember
Just as important is that your ferret’s diet be absent of, or have very minimal amounts of,
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Starches
- Sugars
The wrong foods can lead to obesity, food-related illnesses,
and a shortened life span. Just how big a part diet plays in terms of ferret
diseases is still being researched, but experts know that it’s big. We may all
be surprised at what will eventually be discovered.
Water, Water, Everywhere
No living thing can live without water, but not all water is
equal when it comes to hydrating your ferret. Some ferret owners prefer to use
bottled or distilled water. However, experts strongly argue that distilled
water lacks many important nutrients that pets need, so you may want to avoid
distilled water all together. Unless your tap water tests positive for high
levels of harmful chemicals, tap water should be sufficient to hydrate your
ferret. Make sure that your ferret’s water bottle is full at all times!
Ferrets as Diners
I think I can safely say that no one has come up with the
perfect solution when it comes to the question of what people should feed their
domestic ferrets. There are so many factors that come into play, from owner
preference to food availability to ferret health. I can’t give you a single
right answer. But I do know a lot about ferrets’ dietary quirks and feeding
needs. The following list presents things all ferret owners should know about
their ferrets; the more you know about your ferret, the better you’ll be able
to choose the right diet for her:
- Ferrets are obligate carnivores, meaning they meet virtually all their nutritional needs by eating meat-based (animal-based) foods. They must eat meat!
- Ferrets are hypercarnivores, meaning their anatomy, physiology, and behaviors are adapted to a strict carnivore lifestyle.
- Ferrets olfactory imprint on their foods, which means their food-odor preferences are generally established by 6 months of age and finalized by 8 to 12 months. At this point, the older they get, the less likely they’ll be able to recognize the smell of a new food as being yummy.
- Ferrets aren’t built to digest fiber. If you were to take a peek inside a ferret (not advised), you’d see that her large intestine is short and tubular and that the ferret lacks a cecum. The cecum is a blind pouch located at the junction where the small intestine ends and the large intestine begins; this is the place where fiber is bacterially digested (similar to the human appendix). Too much fiber in your ferret’s belly leads to extra-squishy or mucousy poops.
- Ferrets may have a rapid GI transit time, depending on what food they consume. Food may pass in as little as 3 to 4 hours, which leaves little time to digest and absorb nutrients. In 6 hours, if fasted, the stomach usually is completely emptied. For this reason, feeding high-quality meat-based products and fat is even more important.
- Ferrets can’t digest milk as adults because of low levels of lactase.
- Ferrets, because they’re carnivores, have very simple gut flora (bacteria). Unlike in herbivores, fermentation isn’t needed to extract the nutrients during the digestive process. Digestive additives such as Lactobacillus, found in yogurt, aren’t important and won’t help a ferret digest food.
- The ferret’s teeth are designed for tearing and cutting, not for chewing.
This list is just the beginning. This chapter is full of
dietary information that should help you sort out the questions in your head!
Feeding the Traditional Commercial Diet
Traditional commercial diet formulas for ferrets have
improved over the past decades as people have gained more knowledge and
understanding of the ferret. But when it comes to dietary needs, your ferret is
still no different from her polecat cousins: Her food should contain taurine
(which helps keep her eyes and heart
healthy) and be composed of between 15 and 20 percent fat and no less than 32
to 40 percent meat-based protein. When it comes to kibble and wet food, ferret
owners have many options:
- The pet industry has come out with several foods formulated just for ferrets. The majority of these commercial diet foods meet the protein/fat-level requirements, and some are considered among the best commercially available food choices for your ferret.
- Some high-quality dry kitten foods have the necessary taurine, fat, and protein contents, but many don’t. Before you make dry kitten food a staple of your ferret’s diet, make sure the brand you choose has the nutritional content your ferret needs.
Warning!
- Dog food isn’t a source of proper nutrition for your ferret. It’s usually too low in protein and too high in grains and veggies. It also doesn’t contain the taurine additive that your ferret needs for healthy eyes and heart. As an infrequent treat, though, dog food is fine.
Don’t expect a pet shop clerk to know what’s best for your
ferret. Many are fairly educated about the animals they sell, but I’ve
overheard one or two telling new ferret owners to feed canned dog food or only
hamburger meat. I even heard one clerk tell a customer that ferrets are
herbivores (plant eaters). Instead, read through the information in the
following sections about what type of commercial diet to feed your ferret. In
these sections, I discuss what wet and dry foods are and the pros and cons of
feeding them to your ferret. I also talk about setting up a feeding schedule
and what to do if you want to change from one diet to another. After you know
the facts, you can get with your vet to go over your options.
Wet or dry food?
Some people like to stick with a dry food for their ferrets,
and others prefer to feed their fuzzies moist food. Some people alternate
between the diets, and some savvy ferret owners mix the dry and moist foods. I
personally try to give my ferrets as much variety as possible. The following
sections give you some things to think about when deciding what type of food is
right for your furball.
Commercial dry (kibble)
Kibble is widely available, hygienically safe, economical,
and convenient, making it the most popular dietary choice among ferret owners.
Many dry kibble options are available. They come in the form of kitten or
ferret food. Some are at the top of my list, and others would go right into my
garbage can. Some “nutritionally complete” ferret diets are available, but no
matter what, you need to choose only a high-quality ferret or kitten kibble for
your furball.
Dissecting pet food labels |
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Pet food labels, even those from reputable manufacturers,
can be and often are misleading. Unless the label says all the protein is
from meat, you can be sure it isn’t. The protein can come from other sources
thrown into the recipe. The hair in a hairball is close to 100 percent
protein. Fecal matter (trace amounts are allowed in by-products) also is made
up of protein. Ick! So even if your ferret’s food is 30 percent protein, how
much of it actually comes from meat? Even if meat is listed as the top
ingredient, that doesn’t mean the meat is where all the protein comes from. Most pet foods have meat or chicken by-products listed as
a first ingredient. What the heck are meat and chicken by-products, anyway?
Hold onto your lunch. By-products are leftover gunky animal bits that aren’t
fit for human consumption. They don’t even qualify to be stuffed into a hot
dog casing (that’s really bad). By-products include such yummies as heads
(chicken), skin, feet, |
blood, guts, beaks, tendons, stomach contents, discarded
organs, and fecal matter (trace amounts). Once in a while, by-products may
include bits of less-than-fresh meat. The protein from by-products may not be
easily digested by your pet ferret. The key is the quality and whole-someness
of the by-products. Consumers don’t even know why many additives are thrown
into the pet food. Some say “to preserve freshness.” Sure. Can you imagine?
And did they remember to add all those essential vitamins, amino acids, and
minerals that ferrets evolved eating? Some manufacturers may try their best
to make up for it in some way, but how do we really know the job was
accomplished? And ponder this: If a food was perfect, as each ad campaign
suggests, why do the same manufacturers continuously release “new and
improved” versions? This is evidence that the diet was NOT as complete as
advertising suggested. |
If you want to feed your ferret kibble, keep this in mind:
Ideally, the first three ingredients should be meat products, and the kibble
should contain no corn. The majority of kibble is poultry-based. Avoid products
that contain dried bits of fruits or vegetables, which ferrets can’t digest.
Remember
Ferrets can’t chew kibble, so they swallow it in chunks; thus, it may not be digested properly, especially if the ferret has limited access to water. Ferrets must first hydrate kibble (guaranteed to less than 10 percent moisture) before proper digestion. And contrary to popular belief, dry kibble doesn’t significantly help wear down the tartar buildup on a fuzzy’s teeth. Hard kibble fed as a sole diet does cause tooth wear because it’s very abrasive. Sprinkle a few drops of water or chicken broth over the hard food and microwave it briefly to help soften it up a little without making it the consistency of canned food. This minimizes damage to the teeth and improves digestibility.
This all sounds well and good, right? But dry kibble isn’t
all good for all ferrets. The following list outlines some cons of feeding your
ferret kibble:
Technical Stuff
- Kibble isn’t mentally stimulating and is monotonous in taste.
- The heat and processing of the kibble may make some of the protein less digestible.
Kibble is an extruded diet. The ingredients are finely ground into a dough and then pushed or drawn through a “kibble-shaped” tube with heat and pressure. The dough is then cut and dried.
- Starches/carbohydrates are used in the formation of kibble to hold the shape. Most kibbles have around 20 to 30 percent digestible carbohydrates.
- The higher than needed levels of carbs in kibble may contribute to diseases such as insulinoma (see Chapter Finding and Treating the Big C and Other Lumps), gastroenteritis, and bladder stones.
Commercial canned
Canned pet food is widely available, hygienically safe,
economical, and convenient, and is therefore another popular choice among
ferret owners. When looking for a canned food, you should stick with a
high-quality feline or ferret food. The main ingredients should be meat
products, and the food should contain no additional grains or sweeteners.
Canned ferret food has some benefits that you should
consider when making the diet decision:
- - Canned foods are mentally stimulating.
- - Because many meat proteins are available, the tastes in canned foods are varied.
- - Canned foods are low in carbs and high in fat and protein.
Of course, canned foods have their cons, too:
- High-quality canned feline or ferret food is easier on the teeth in terms of wear, but it may lead to faster tartar buildup.
- Canned food lacks the nutrient density to be a ferret’s sole food. Because it is about 70 percent water, ferrets need to eat a larger volume of canned food to get the same calories provided by dry food, which has only about a 1-percent moisture content. Ferrets’ tummies are small, so they may not be able to get all their nutrient needs from canned food only.
Remember
Depending on the brand, it’s rare that a canned food would be a nutritionally better food than dry kibble. It’s also slightly more expensive than kibble and can cause stinkier poops. Canned food shouldn’t be the only food in the ferret’s diet, but it would make an excellent addition to any main course, especially when served alongside kibble.
Setting a feeding schedule
Ferret owners influence how often their ferrets need to eat,
because ferrets adapt their eating cycles to what and when they’re being fed.
For example, if you’re feeding your ferret a kibble that’s high in carbs,
blood/sugar fluctuations can drive your ferret to eat more often — perhaps as
often as every 4 to 5 hours. An even poorer diet could drive her to eat every 3
to 4 hours. However, if you’re feeding a
diet that’s high in fat and meat-based protein, you’ll leave your ferret
satisfied for much longer — perhaps as long as 8 to 10 hours.
Some people think that leaving food out all the time leads
to ferret obesity. They must be thinking of us humans! Normally, ferrets aren’t
gluttons and consume only the amount of fat needed to get the energy to
terrorize their households in their normal capacity. This is called eating to
meet caloric need, which is possible only when the ferret is eating a
nutritionally complete food. If the ferret’s diet is of nutritionally poor
quality, your fuzzy will develop a nutritional deficit and will instinctively
eat more to make up for it. This is called eating to meet nutritional need. If
the poor diet also happens to be loaded with carbs (calorie dense), eating it
can result in an obese ferret.
Remember
If you think your ferret is getting chunky, take her to the vet to rule out an enlarged spleen or fluid in her abdominal cavity. Enlarged spleens are common causes of rapid weight gain.
Some ferrets get slightly wider with age, and some get wider
in the winter. In general, obesity is rarely a serious problem in ferrets —
especially if their diets are balanced.
Changing kibble diets
There are many reasons for needing or wanting to change your
ferret’s kibble diet. It can be a medical necessity. The food you’re currently
feeding may be discontinued. Or you may find something better out there for
her. But it may be difficult to convince your ferret that she needs to change
to the new type of food — especially if the fuzzy has been fed a different or
improper diet before coming into your care. If this is the case, you need to
switch the ferret over to the good stuff, despite any protest she may display.
I’ve had some ferrets that would eat any type of cat, kitten, or ferret food,
no matter what. On the other hand, I’ve had some that refused all food until I
could figure out exactly what they’d been eating before coming into my care.
This is a case of extreme olfactory imprinting (see the earlier section
“Ferrets as Diners”).
The best way to switch your ferret’s food is to mix her
previous food with the new food of choice. Start off by adding just a small
amount of the new food to the old. It’s important not to switch completely to
the new food immediately. Such a drastic change can lead to an upset tummy,
diarrhea, and a generally crabby ferret. Gradually increase the amount of new
food you include and decrease the amount of old food; do so over the course of
10 to 14 days. This process usually works well and gives your fuzzy’s system a
chance to get used to the change.
If your ferret eats around the new food and devours the old,
give her time and don’t give up. The switch may take several days or even as
long as several months, so patience and persistence are positive virtues. The
health of your baby could depend on it.
Warning!
If you own multiple ferrets and house them in the same cage, telling whether a ferret has taken to her new food can be difficult, because the ferrets eat from the same bowl. As the food level is quickly depleted, you may be unaware that your ferret is slowly starving, which can be extremely dangerous. Watch for any significant weight changes in all your fuzzies, particularly the newcomers. In fact, I recommend that you house a new ferret separately until you know for sure that she’s eating what the rest of the gang is eating. This practice gives you the opportunity to monitor her food intake closely and prevent a possible slow starvation.
Serving Up an Alternative Diet
People have fed their ferrets man-made foods — mostly out of
convenience or lack of anything else good to feed — since World War II.
Recently, the ferret world has seen a growing movement to switch to more
natural diets. A natural diet consists of feeding, among other things, meats,
organs, and bones. Some people believe the only way to true pet health is to
feed a diet that the animal evolved eating, and kibble certainly wasn’t around
2,500 years ago, much less a century ago.
The following list presents what proponents of natural and
evolutionary diets believe the benefits are:
- A natural or evolutionary diet ensures that your ferret is getting her essential nutrients. For example, those essential amino acids that the ferret can’t produce herself are commonly found in the foods her wild relatives eat: rabbits, mice, rats, birds, frogs, lizards, and squirrels. Calcium is another example: Many man-made cat, kitten, or ferret foods lack quality bone meal, so ferrets are losing out on needed calcium.
- A healthy ferret on a varied and natural diet doesn’t need to have food available at all times. The ferret’s wild relatives eat only once or twice a day, sometimes even missing days when food is scarce.
- Many people who feed their fuzzies a more natural diet believe that the variation of food consistency (bone, skin, meat, and so on) helps to flush out the intestinal tract, causing the ferret to be less prone to hairballs and other obstructions. The diet also helps to even out nutrient needs that are currently unknown.
- The design of the ferret’s jaw and teeth leaves her with limited chewing capability. Her teeth were designed for cutting meat and bone, but not all the time — at least not up to ten meals per day. Kibble can be as hard as or harder than bone, and its abrasiveness leads to wear on the teeth. A natural diet generally is easier on the teeth.
The following sections explain what I call a natural diet
(raw or freeze-dried raw) and an evolutionary diet (small, whole prey). But
first, you need to understand the polecat a little better. And you’ll also
learn about bones as part of the alternative diet. Finally, I explore the
different ways you can feed the natural or evolutionary diet to your ferret.
Remember
Most mainstream veterinarians are adamantly opposed to feeding raw meat diets, whether they’re homemade or commercially prepared, and list many valid reasons why. Other vets and many holistic vets swear by the raw diet and give their valid reasons why as well. And each group refutes the other’s reasons. Both sides sound right and reasonable. The only thing they agree on is that care and diligence are needed in handling raw food.
Tip
Although it’s unknown exactly how the nutrient composition will be changed, it’s possible to cook the diet to eliminate the risk of passing along any bacteria or parasites to your ferret. You can braise, steam, or microwave the food. This is also a good way to get your ferret switched over to the raw diet if this is what you choose to feed. Offer the food completely cooked or even slightly cooked to help get your ferret’s system used to the change. Gradually mix in raw food with the cooked before switching completely to raw. See the section “Exploring the alternative way of feeding” for more advice on diet conversion.
Getting to know the wild polecat’s diet
If I were to undertake the task of designing the perfect
man-made ferret food, the first thing I would do is research. I would want to
know what animal(s) was the ferret’s closest relative and what it naturally
thrived on in the wild.
Ferrets are descended from wild polecats, and experts know
that both ferrets and polecats are obligate carnivores (see the section
“Ferrets as Diners”). So, what do polecats prey on and eat in the wild? Mice,
rats, rabbits, frogs, other amphibians, invertebrates, voles, small snakes,
birds, eggs, and even some fish. Polecats often eat the entire carcass of
smaller prey, from the organs to the bones, sometimes leaving the intestinal
tract by the wayside. They also consume the fur of smaller prey and the downy
part of birds as they eat the bodies. This natural diet is extremely low in
carbohydrates. Most prey-animal carbohydrates originate from the animals’
glycogen and blood sugar, with some possibly coming from the intestinal tracts
of the animals. The diet also is high in meat-based protein and low in fiber.
Additionally, this type of diet typically doesn’t lead to dental disease.
Admittedly, some polecats do get the disease, but the rate in polecats is much
lower. The various textures of natural prey foods actually serve to massage the
ferret’s gums and help wipe the teeth clean.
Ferrets, if given the opportunity at a young age, would
follow in their ancestors’ dietary footsteps. Just for kicks, compare the
evolutionary ingredients to the current list of ingredients found in your
ferret’s kibble. Nowhere in the polecat’s diet would you find corn grits, corn
meal, wheat, soy flour, rice, raisin puree, banana juice, cane molasses, corn
sugar, dried potato products . . . well, you get the idea. Those are just some
of the ingredients you may find in ferret kibble. What are food manufacturers
thinking when they formulate our ferrets’ food? They certainly aren’t thinking
of the evolutionary dietary needs of the ferret. (For more on an evolutionary
diet, see the section that focuses on the topic later in this chapter.)
Bellying up to a bone-filled diet
Bones contain an incredible amount of good stuff, with
calcium being the most obvious nutritional content. Bone marrow itself is made
up of tissues rich in protein and fat. Bone and marrow contain high amounts of
fatty acids, fats, iron, and other vitamins essential to the health of
carnivores. Most of this good stuff comes from the ends of the bones, which are
softer and easily bitten, chewed, and swallowed. The placement of the good
stuff is beneficial, because the ends are the parts ferrets are most interested
in. They usually leave the rest if they can find something else to eat.
BARF at home |
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Bones and Raw Food Biologically Appropriate Raw Food Feeding your ferret, or any pet, BARF is based on the
belief that you can mimic its evolutionary diet by combining whole, raw,
natural foods. The BARF diet, which includes meats, bones, non-meats, and
numerous supplements, was formulated by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, who claimed
that man-made kibble doesn’t allow domestic animals to thrive like their wild
ancestors do on a raw diet. Proponents believe BARF
Many people “BARF” their pets on their own, using recipes
they’ve gotten off the Internet or simply ones they’ve concocted themselves.
This isn’t always safe. A homemade diet can be the best or the worst food you
can feed your ferret! It’s very difficult to get the right formula down; you
could make your ferret sick by not having the right amount of this, that, or
the other thing. Says veterinarian Susan Brown, “100% home-made diets —
either raw, cooked, or a combination thereof — have been used successfully in
some cases with individual animals. However, this requires real diligence to
detail and having |
enough variety in the diet to cover all of the needs of
the ferret, including trace vitamins and minerals. In addition, the owner has
to prevent over-supplementation of various vitamins and minerals, because
excessive amounts of some substances can be as great a health risk as not
enough of these same substances. Currently there are quite a few quality diet
choices for the small carnivore, and it is my recommendation that a ferret’s
diet should have a majority of its substance based on a commercial diet,
whether it is a commercial raw, kibble, freeze-dried, or canned diet, or even
better a combination of at least two of these forms.” Opponents of BARF believe
If you like the idea of BARF, there are several
commercially made raw and freeze-dried ferret diets available, which I’ll
talk about later. They may be easier and more convenient to feed, as well as
closer to the nutritional balance you’re looking for. I also talk more about
the controversy of feeding raw meat. |
Fact is, bones are wonderful sources of natural nutrition.
If you think your ferret would benefit from the calcium and other nutrients in bones,
you should try adding them to her diet.
Can feeding bones to your ferret cause harm? Certainly. On
rare occasions, a splinter may cut the esophagus, causing internal bleeding. A
bone fragment can even puncture the intestinal tract or stomach. But in my
experience, these scenarios happen less frequently than a ferret choking on
commercial food. Plus, the middle piece of a bone is the part that would most
likely cause damage, and most ferrets eat off the ends of the bones only,
leaving the middles for the garbage can.
If you’re thinking of including bones in your ferret’s diet,
try these suggestions:
- Start off with something you know is too big to swallow and too hard to splinter, like a cooked ham bone or soup bone. The more marrow included, the better. You can see for yourself that this type of bone is too hard to bite in pieces and too big to be swallowed. Your fuzzy still gets the benefit of the marrow and a bonus toy for later.
- Some people feed their ferrets raw bones, but I suggest briefly boiling the bones first. Don’t bake or microwave the bones, because you’ll dry them out and make them splinter. Besides softening the bone a little, boiling eliminates any bacteria.
- Try feeding only the softer ends of long bones or backbones. People often offer boiled chicken or turkey bones.
Bob’s Bone Broth |
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Check out this recipe if you want to get the good stuff
out of the bone and incorporate it into your ferret’s diet (for more recipes,
see Chapter Ten
Common Ferret Myths and Misconceptions): 1. Place chicken bones on a cutting board. Cover with
plastic wrap and then cover with a towel. Using a mallet, smash the bones
into small pieces. 2. Remove the towel and plastic and scrape the bone mash
into a cooking pot. |
3. Add enough water to boil and simmer for about an hour. 4. Strain the bone fragments and throw them away. 5. You can now use the broth as a soup, to mix with dry
food, or as a base for boiling pieces of chicken. |
If you’re worried about contamination, boil the bones. If
you’re worried about pokey parts, smash them down. You don’t have to eliminate
bones from a ferret’s diet simply because of worry.
Choosing commercial raw or freeze-dried raw diets
Several pet food companies have developed commercially
prepared raw or freeze-dried raw diets for ferrets or felines. These types of
diets can be a great substitute for making the natural raw diet yourself.
They’re a little more expensive, but they’re certainly more convenient and are
likely to be more nutritionally complete than homemade natural diets.
The pros of this type of natural diet include the following:
- Some formulas are closer to the ferret’s evolutionary diet, in terms of composition, than commercial canned food or kibble.
- The diet is meat- and fat-based and is low on carbs.
- Many of the nutrients are retained because this diet is unprocessed.
- The diet may lessen the signs of and even prevent some GI diseases.
- The diet is easy to feed, because the food usually comes in little medallions or freeze-dried chunks, which can be fed dry or reconstituted with water.
- A wide variety of meat proteins are available; and the tastes are varied, making it more mentally stimulating.
- Your ferret will have smaller and less frequent poops, because she’ll digest more of the food.
- You’ll need to feed your ferret less frequently because of the natural nature of the diet.
Tip
The commercial raw or freeze-dried raw diet can be fed alone, but would also make an excellent addition to a kibble diet, or you can alternate this type of diet with kibble.
The diet, however, does have its cons, which include the
following:
- Composition can vary greatly from diet to diet.
- The diet is hygienically questionable for you; you must use excellent hygiene practices if you apply the diet.
- You risk the transmission of parasites or bacteria to ferrets through the feeding of raw meat.
- It may or may not be nutritionally balanced.
E. coli and salmonella |
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Both E. coli and
salmonella are opportunistic little
buggers that can live in the ferret’s intestines without causing upset.
Clinical signs range from mild gastroenteritis to more disconcerting signs
such as tarry/bloody stools, anorexia, pale mucous membranes, severe
dehydration, and even death. At minimum, treatment includes the appropriate
antibiotics and fluid therapy. But the questions still left unanswered are
how often are ferrets truly infected with debilitating E. coli or salmonella
infections? Let me first say people will always perceive some sort of
risk when feeding food, especially raw. However, perceived risk is what you think the risk is regardless of what the actual risk is. Because of perceived
risk, raw foods are under continuous scrutiny, which is rarely given to
commercial foods. Your immune system supplies the soldiers that guard the
body against microbial intruders, such as the dreaded salmonella and E. coli.
It’s an adaptive system, so if you’ve never encountered an organism, you can
get really sick and even die if suddenly exposed. The same process is true when it comes to salmonella and
E. coli. As strict carnivores, polecats come into contact with both organisms
on a frequent basis. As a result, they have a natural immunity that helps
protect them. This immunity could be genetic or acquired or a combination of
both. However, some studies show that the immune system has to be “taught” to
recognize the good from the bad. That’s the basis of inoculations; you use a
weakened, dead, or harmless variant to teach the immune system how to fight
the living and dangerous invader. There is no doubt that commercial raw foods are
potentially contaminated with dozens of species of bacteria, any of which
could result in disease or infection to the handler or consumer. |
This danger is not limited to raw meats, poultry, or eggs,
but all raw foods, including raw
vegetables and fruit. Salmonella and E. coli are the most commonly mentioned
bacteria when discussing raw diets, but little empirical evidence exists to
equate the perceived risk of infection to the actual risk. Arguments that the
presence of salmonella in ferret feces proves it’s a danger cannot be properly
assessed without a baseline for comparison. A lot of emphasis is made of the
risks of salmonella and E. coli, whatever they are, but little or no research
has been done in ferrets that show —one way or another — that the presence of
the bacteria constitutes an actual threat to the ferret or healthy
individuals within their environment. The solution to feeding is a common sense approach to the
problem. If you want to feed a kibble diet, then empty the dish of uneaten
food each day, wash the dish in hot soapy water, and let it sit in the sun
(or under a UV lamp) for an hour. Just because kibble is dry, it doesn’t mean
it can’t be contaminated with salmonella and E. coli. Likewise, if you want to feed a raw diet, keep in mind
that you cannot predict if any food will be contaminated or not. If you’re
still uncomfortable feeding raw meat, it can be briefly seared with a propane
torch (or on a hot barbeque) to kill surface bacteria without seriously
harming interior nutrients. Or, it can be immersed in food-grade hydrogen
peroxide to kill surface bacteria (many internet stores carry the product).
Perhaps the best way to kill as many bacteria as possible is to immerse the
food in boiling water for a minute or so; again, to kill surface bacteria.
Both searing and boiling will cook the contaminated surfaces, killing the
bacteria, but allow the relatively sterile interiors to remain mostly
uncooked, leaving important nutrients intact. |
This diet isn’t recommended for use in homes with people who
are immuno-compromised. You can cook this food by braising, microwaving, or
steaming to make it safe. Chances are, you’ll change the nutrient composition
to some degree with cooking, but it isn’t known to what degree.
The evolutionary diet: Feeding your pet small animals or insects
The evolutionary diet is simple. Essentially, you feed your
ferret what she evolved eating. The polecat’s diet is varied and includes,
among other things, small mammals (rabbits, mature mice, weanling and older
rats, and chicks), insects, amphibians, eggs, carrion invertebrates, and fish,
with perhaps a tiny amount of fresh fruit to “season” the diet (fruit is only
seasonally available). The evolutionary diet is about offering freedom of
choice and variety, and promoting the consumption of many different natural
foods. Mimicking the evolutionary diet in captivity can be quite a challenge,
though. Makers or formulators of BARF (bones and raw food/biologically
appropriate raw food) and raw/freeze-dried raw diets claim to do it. But
nothing can beat the real thing.
Because the ferret can consume an evolutionary diet, grow,
survive, and successfully reproduce, the diet actually meets AAFCO (Association
of American Feed Control Officials) requirements, the same as commercial
kibble. (An important implication of the AAFCO requirements is that all modern
diets attempt to match the evolutionary diet, making it the standard.) Although
the evolutionary diet hasn’t been studied in detail, its obvious success
implies that it meets all the polecat’s nutritional requirements, known or
unknown. Tables 8-1 and 8-2 cover the nutritional content in many common types
of vertebrate prey and invertebrate prey.
Table 8-1 |
Nutritional Composition of Vertebrate Prey |
||
|
Mammal |
Dry Matter (DM) % |
Crude Protein (CP) % |
Crude Fat (CF) % |
|
Neonatal mouse |
19.1 |
64.2 |
17.0 |
|
Juvenile mouse |
18.2 |
44.2 |
30.1 |
|
Adult mouse |
32.7 |
55.8 |
23.6 |
|
Neonatal rat |
20.8 |
57.9 |
23.7 |
|
Juvenile rat |
30.0 |
56.1 |
27.8 |
|
Adult rat |
33.9 |
61.8 |
32.6 |
|
Neonatal rabbit |
15.4 |
72.1 |
13.0 |
|
Adult rabbit* |
26.2 |
65.2 |
15.8 |
|
Day-old chick |
25.6 |
64.9 |
22.4 |
|
Green frog |
22.5 |
71.2 |
10.2 |
|
Anolis lizard |
29.4 |
67.4 |
N/A |
*Dressed carcass
Meat matters |
|
|
Many people argue that cooked meat (or eggs) is the ideal
choice for diet. Others fight diligently to prove that raw is the best. Still
others say, “If you must feed meat, feed it in the form of human baby food.”
And, of course, when discussing meat, there’s always the issue of live or
dead and the pros and cons of doing either. Well done or rare? It’s common knowledge that cooking meat kills off any
harmful bacteria that may cause illness to the unfortunate diner. Some people
suggest that you rinse raw meat in food-grade hydrogen peroxide to make it
safe for pets. If you’re comfortable with those answers, stick with them. However,
I don’t see little barbecue pits scattered throughout the forests, nor do I
see dead coyotes, foxes, hawks, or other predators on the sides of the roads
(unless they’re car casualties). Carnivores eat raw meat. That’s a fact of life. If you’re still unsure about raw meat, cut off the outside
layer of the meat. The inside meat is generally sterile and safe. Make sure
that the |
meat is fresh. I have fed live, fresh-killed, and thawed
frozen meat to a number of animals over the years and have never had an
incident of illness resulting from raw meat. Many Europeans continue to feed
their ferrets mostly rabbit, and they’re among the biggest, healthiest, and
most muscular ferrets around. Although clean raw meat (okay, cooked meat, too) is a
wonderful food for ferrets, it can’t be the sole food. Wild polecats eat the
whole animal — bones, organs, and all. Domestic ferrets need all the good
nutrients that come from the rest of the prey animal, not just the muscle meat.
They also need some tooth resistance, such as tendons, to help clean their
teeth. The same goes for fish as a food source. It’s good, but it shouldn’t
be the only food source. Also, freezing may kill off some bacteria but doesn’t
generally kill off everything. And even if meat is cooked, post-cooking
handling can seriously contaminate the food before it’s even poured into your
ferret’s bowl. No feeding regime is without risk. |
Table 8-2 |
Nutritional Composition of Invertebrate Prey |
||
|
Insect |
Dry Matter (DM) % |
Crude Protein (CP) % |
Crude Fat (CF) % |
|
Crickets |
30.8 |
20.5 |
6.8 |
|
Mealworms |
38.1 |
18.7 |
13.4 |
|
Waxworms |
41.5 |
14.1 |
24.9 |
|
Superworms |
42.1 |
19.7 |
17.7 |
|
Earthworms |
16.4 |
10.5 |
1.6 |
|
Cockroaches |
38.7 |
20.9 |
11.0 |
Pros (and procedures) of the evolutionary diet
Pros of feeding your ferret the evolutionary diet (small
whole prey) include the following:
- It’s the most nutritionally complete diet available.
- The ferret retains all the nutrients.
- The diet is mentally and behaviorally stimulating.
- It may lessen the signs of and even prevent some GI diseases.
- Produces smaller and less-frequent stools because of its high digestibility.
- You don’t need to feed your ferret as frequently.
This whole idea of feeding your ferret an evolutionary diet
can be confusing in the beginning — especially when you’re trying to figure out
this business of prey. What is it, where do you get it, and what precautions do
you take? Start small — give mice, feeder goldfish, chicks, mealworms, or
crickets (for the daring) — and you may find that these food items work out
just fine for your ferret. Or you may decide to upgrade to other items such as
rats, small rabbits, small frogs, or small lizards. Whatever you decide or
whatever your ferret likes, you can find prey animals at reptile supply stores
or even most pet shops. Nowadays, you can even choose from hundreds of online
sources to have your fresh, frozen prey and live insects shipped to your
doorstep.
For people who want to feed a whole animal to a carnivore,
the question is always, “Should a carnivore be fed a live or dead animal?” Mostly,
this is a choice that addresses the owner’s personal beliefs. However, it may
be illegal to feed a live animal to another animal where you live.
Bob Church on free choice feeding |
|
|
“The advantage of allowing the ferret free choice is that
they will naturally select those foods that ‘fill the nutritional gaps.’ The
hypothesis is that animals, if given free choice, will naturally select foods
that meet their caloric and nutritional needs. Feeding this type of diet is simpler
than it first appears. For example, I use two cafeteria trays, each with 8
small bowls, to feed my ferrets. One bowl may have crickets, another with
large mealworms, another with chopped beef or pork, one with night crawlers, one
with chopped up boiled egg, another with goldfish — you get the idea. About
half of the bowls are filled with frozen mice. Once or twice a month, a SMALL
amount of fresh finely minced fruit is offered. All feed animals were |
purchased after humane killing, or (in the case of the worms
and insects) frozen to preserve nutrients and to eliminate escape. To lower
the risk of binge eating of extremely favored items, they are given by hand.
To reduce risk of food caching, the dishes are removed with all remaining
food after about an hour. Leftover foods such as insects or frozen animals
can be refrigerated and reused. With experience, it is an easy task to judge
how much or little food is appropriate to offer. Every few days, all leftover
or thawed food is dumped into a blender and turned into a ‘prey shake’ that
can be frozen for future use as a food supplement, treat, or food base for
sick ferrets. I have very little waste, no spoilage of cached foods, and no
sick ferrets.” |
My decision to feed pre-killed versus live rests on what type
of carnivore I’m feeding and the experience of the predator. I feed my ferrets
fresh-killed prey. Polecats, ferrets included, are by nature efficient and
quick predators that normally kill with a lightning-fast bite to the back of
the neck. But most domesticated ferrets don’t recognize small animals as food.
Some are quick to kill; others play with the food until it happens to die. And
some ferrets could care less and lazily watch a potential snack waltz on by.
For a ferret eating a more natural diet, I see no reason to offer live food
unless she’s a quick predator. That’s my opinion. I don’t like to see the prey
animal suffer anymore than it has to.
Warning!
The majority of animal supply stores will give you a choice of purchasing most prey items live, frozen, or fresh-killed. It’s a personal choice; go with whatever you’re most comfortable with and what your skills are. However, I caution you to never feed a live rat to your ferret for the same reason I never feed live rats to my snakes: A rat can inflict serious wounds during a scuffle with even an excellent predator. Also, you should feed chicks sparingly. Although they’re good for treats here and there, chicks are very low in calcium.
Tip
Research the source of your prey foods! If the prey isn’t healthy, it isn’t healthy for your ferret. Does the supply store feed the prey quality foods? Are the animals free of parasites, bacteria, and nutritional diseases? How does the company kill the prey before shipping? How does it pack the prey for shipping? Does it offer guarantees? How long has it been in business?
An aggressive myth |
|
|
Many people believe that feeding live animals (and some
even believe raw meat) makes your ferret more aggressive. This simply isn’t
true. Domestic doesn’t mean unnatural. It only means tame, made fit for
domestic life, adapted or bred to live with and be of use to man. Humans are domestic.
Does that mean we can’t cater to our primal urges once in a while? Take a good look at the average housecat. Some of these
sweet, purring kitties can be killing machines, responsible for millions of wildlife
deaths each year. While they can be quick killers, they more often than not
kill slowly, often playing and toying with the victim before death. And yet,
our housecats remain dear to our hearts, sharing our pillows at night and claiming
us as their possessions in the morning by rubbing up against our legs. Why
would a ferret be any different? Many “reports” of aggression are usually easily explained
with a bit of investigation. Many of the |
reports resulted from ratters or rabbiters who starved
their ferrets to increase their hunter instincts. Many of these animals would
have aggressively defended their meals, giving the illusion the meat made
them aggressive. Also, meat was a favored food in those days of the milk and
bread diet, making it something to defend. Ferrets were supposed to chase
rabbits from the burrow, and when a rabbit was caught by a ferret, it was
forcibly removed, increasing aggression. All ferrets have a natural predatory instinct. It shows in
the way they play with their toys as well as in how they interact with each
other. Feeding your ferret what she would naturally eat in the wild won’t
unleash some fantasy wild beast inside. It only gives her an opportunity to
experience and benefit from something more natural than what she’s used to.
In the end, she’ll be the same lovable character, except maybe a little happier,
healthier, and more energetic. |
Cons of the evolutionary diet
The following list presents some cons of feeding the
evolutionary diet (small whole prey):
- The practice is distasteful to some ferret owners.
- The diet can be expensive (although you can be economical and raise your own mice or rats for food).
- Some sources of animals aren’t nutritional — they aren’t free of parasites, bacterial infections, and nutritional disease. This is becoming less of a problem, however, because of active reptile-owning enthusiasts needing many of the same foods.
Warning!
With so many feed-supply options available to you, you shouldn’t offer your ferret an animal that’s come from the wild. In fact, you may do way more harm than good. Many wild animals harbor parasites and bacteria that can be passed on to your ferret. Another thing to consider is poison/pesticides. Speaking from personal experience, I know of someone who lost a ferret when a wild mouse got into the cage. The ferret ate the mouse; unfortunately, the mouse had just eaten a load of poison that had been left out in the garage. Wild animals can pick up pesticides on the grass, bushes, trees, and even on driveways. Always get your prey from a reputable company or raise it yourself.
As distasteful as this diet may be for some ferret owners,
it’s important that you fully educate yourself on every diet that’s available
to your ferret. Diet is such an important part of your ferret’s well-being. I’d
be negligent to leave out this important choice.
Exploring the alternative way of feeding
Perhaps the previous information in this section has sold
you on a raw or evolutionary diet, but you’re wondering how exactly to feed it
to your ferret. After all, raw or live food may be a little messier than
kibble. You’ll certainly have to stay on top of the hygiene aspect of the
feeding. And diligence will need to be at the top of your priority list. How
you feed, though, depends on your ferret’s manners and preferences and your
setup.
Remember
Some ferrets have nice manners and eat over their bowls; I don’t know any of them, though. Many are hoarders who cache their food for snacks at a later date. And some may pick up their food and drop it a foot or two away from their bowls and eat it there. It’s likely that most ferrets will behave differently each time they eat — especially if their diets consist of something they particularly like. Keep these thoughts in mind when developing a feeding routine for your ferret.
The following sections detail how you can convert your
ferret to the natural diet and how you can cater your feedings to ferrets that
roam free and ferrets that dwell in a cage.
Tip
The most important part of feeding your ferret a natural diet full of raw foods is hygiene. Your health (and your family’s) is your top priority:
- Wash your hands frequently, as well as your countertop and any utensils you use.
- Store the food according to manufacturer’s instructions when applicable. Wash food bowls regularly and thoroughly.
- Mop the floors where a ferret eats.
- Wash ferret bedding and wipe down cage surfaces with a mild bleach solution more frequently (see Chapter Cleaning Time: Not All Ferret Fun and Games for more).
Converting your ferret to the natural world
Ferrets, like their polecat cousins, are olfactory hunters,
meaning that they follow their noses to the dinner table. Whatever a ferret has
consistently eaten during the first six months of her life, she’ll see as the
preferred food in the future — called olfactory imprinting.
Getting a ferret to betray her nose after chowing on kibble
for so long can be challenging. However, it’s well worth the effort if you’re a
true believer in the natural diet and want to broaden your ferret’s culinary
horizons. Of course, the conversion should occur when your fuzzy is as young as
possible, but you can teach old ferrets new tricks. However, not all ferrets
can be brought around — particularly the older kids. Make sure that you give it
your all before giving up, though. Here are a couple steps you can take to
start the process:
1. If you haven’t
already been feeding canned food, start introducing high-quality canned cat or
kitten food to your ferret. You can add the food in a separate bowl, but
mixing it with dry food will force the ferret to taste it. Occasionally, you
can switch to a high-quality canned dog food just for variety. The poopy smell
gets worse with canned food, but the end result (oh crap, a pun) causes
less-stinky poops.
2. Invest in baby
food. Yep, you read that right. You can use meat baby food, from infant to
toddler, as an enticement for your ferret to try a new food. The chicken
variety works well. Rub some of it on the ferret’s nose or front teeth if she
won’t readily accept it. She’ll surely lick it off.
Don’t expect a change overnight. Persistence and
experimentation are the keys to converting your ferret to a more natural diet.
All ferrets are different. Some take several days to convert. Others take a
week or so. After you get your ferret used to the idea of eating different
food, though, you can step up your efforts and include more natural/evolutionary
foods. Here are some tips to follow:
- Put aside some freezer space for frozen mice. Some people feed prekilled chicks rather than mice. You usually can purchase pre-killed mice or chicks at a pet store — particularly one that sells reptiles. Store the animals in the freezer and thaw them as needed. After your ferret learns that a mouse or chick is food, the occasional frozen treat is okay. During winter, carnivores eat frozen meat all the time. When your ferret discovers that the mouse or chick is tasty, she’ll be hooked.
- Experiment with poultry. You can chop up small pieces of chicken, turkey, or other poultry (bones and all) and allow your ferret to get a taste. You can use either cooked or raw poultry, depending on your comfort level. If you don’t want to make a special ferret meal, save a couple cut-up pieces after your next poultry dinner.
- Become an organ donor. Chicken, pork, and beef livers, as well as chicken and beef hearts, are great treats and are full of nutrition. Slice them up and offer the cuts to your fuzzy. Liver, by itself, is a great occasional meal.
- Be creative with hamburger. Perhaps you’ve had those days when you mix anything you can find in the cupboards or freezer with hamburger. My mother called it junk, but we ate it, and it actually tasted good most of the time. Cook up some beef and add ground bones or kibble. Form it in shapes like the kibble if you must. Just be creative.
- Use natural juices. Many people forget how tasty the juices from cooked meats can be. I always use the juices as gravy over dry food. Natural juices can be a great introduction to a new taste, either in a separate bowl or over a small amount of kibble.
- Throw in some fishies. Canned tuna in spring water is yummy to many ferrets. Try it. You also can try feeding other prepared fish, such as trout or salmon, cooked shellfish, shrimp, and crawdads. Feeder fish are yummy, too.
- Don’t forget the bugs. Even my dogs and cats eat bugs! Earthworms, crickets, cockroaches, and mealworms are tasty treats for your ferret. Your fuzzy, when she gets used to the idea, will eat only the squishy, juicy parts and leave the rest for you!
You may find that one of your ferrets loves liver, while
another prefers hamburger. Remember, the natural diet is about freedom of
choice! Conversion may take a little patience on your part. And don’t forget
that these natural foods spoil quickly. Don’t let any linger around your
ferret’s cage or eating area for too long. If the food is still there in 12
hours, get rid of it! If you have to, try something different later.
Tip
Ferret expert Bob Church’s advice for natural diet
conversion is to offer the food to a ferret three times a day for three days.
Wait a week and again offer the food three times a day for three days. If the
ferret still turns up its nose at the food, offer it as an occasional
enrichment, pulling it off the dietary shelf (for more on enrichment, see
Chapter Enrichment:
Yours and Your Ferret’s). This advice is for animals that readily accept strange foods. You
can use it to determine personal preference. And keep notes so you don’t have
to repeat the exercise at a later date.
Remember
When your ferret finally switches to a raw food or
evolutionary diet, she’ll be likely to try just about anything, which is
important because you don’t want to stick to just one food item in this diet.
She still needs a combination of soft and hard foods. Besides, some of the
foods I mention in this chapter aren’t complete diets. The combination of the
foods is what makes them so good for your fuzzy. So don’t rule out kibble for
good. The biggest piece of bad news about natural diets? Your friends will
often stare into your refrigerator in terror!
Free-roaming ferrets
As a feeder of a raw, freeze-dried raw, or an evolutionary
diet, it’s up to you to reexamine and adjust your feeding habits and routines
so that caching or other behaviors associated with free-roaming ferrets don’t
become hygiene problems in your home. Imagine the olfactory shock that will hit
you three to four days after your beloved ferret has cached some raw meat or a
mouse in a secret hidey-hole. And the biggest problem is that the hidey-hole
remains top secret, and it’s your job to sniff it out.
For beginners in the natural dieting world, I don’t
generally recommend feeding your ferret openly where she free roams, although
many people do it with great success. The reason is simple: Some people aren’t
as hygiene-conscientious as they need to be when dealing with raw meat or prey
animals. Although you may be fully aware of each and every hidey-hole your
ferret has, meaning that you can retrieve uneaten foods at the end of the
feeding (or day), you can’t see the invisible trail left while the ferret was dragging
the food there. Too many surfaces can become contaminated without you even
knowing it.
Tip
I suggest you set up a “feeding playpen” — which is a small contained area that the ferret can’t escape from — in a tiled room and feed your ferret in it. Let her have her fill for a couple hours or however long it takes. Some ferrets eat quickly. Some may take a while before showing interest in their meat or mice. That’s the downside of putting a time limit on feeding. You want to give your ferret adequate time to eat her share, so get to know your ferret’s eating habits.
The downside to the feeding playpen method is that you
remove some of the enrichment aspects of the feeding. I like to encourage my
ferrets to forage; I often hide their food, whether it’s meat or mice or
kibble, and they must sniff it out (for more on enrichment, see Chapter Enrichment:
Yours and Your Ferret’s). If
you get comfortable with your ferret’s eating habits and your ability to handle
raw meats and prey ani mals hygienically, you can begin to experiment with
different feeding routines. You may find that feeding in an open area works
better for you and your ferret. There’s more than one way for this to work.
Caged ferrets
Yes, caged ferrets have to eat, too, and you have to be just
as diligent when it comes to hygiene. A feeding playpen, which I describe in
the previous section, works just as well for caged ferrets. Small rooms, such
as bathrooms, work perfectly for feeding, also. Or you can simply feed the meat
or prey animals in the upper level of your ferret’s cage (see Chapter Home
Sweet Home: Preparing Your Ferret’s Quarters for
more on cage construction). Your ferret likely will pull the mice and meat down
into her bedding. You simply shake out the bedding at the end of the feeding
and put in fresh bedding. Some people just change the bedding on a daily basis.
I find this to be an acceptable practice as long as you also wipe down and
clean the cage on a regular basis to prevent an accumulation of harmful
bacteria.
Remember
Your ferret’s cage is a haven for bacteria, no matter what
you do. She’ll poop in her litter box and possibly outside of it, and then walk
in it and trudge through the cage and bedding. Bacteria multiply on her kibble,
which she’ll drop into her bedding. She licks her behind and then licks her
water bottle. Your ferret doesn’t live a sanitary life, nor should she. The
good news? Absence of immune-system-challenging microorganisms can actually be harmful
to your ferret. Living in a sterile or super-clean environment may lead to
immune problems later down the road. This is called the hygiene hypothesis.
Google it!
Supplementing Your Fuzzy’s Diet
A supplement is something you add to your ferret’s diet to
make up for what’s lacking in her day to day feedings. If your healthy ferret
is on a truly balanced and suitable diet, she doesn’t really need supplements.
Although supplements were a necessary part of a ferret’s diet years ago, today
most diets available to your ferret are better formulated, thus more balanced
for a fuzzy. Often, giving supplements is more a matter of choice because a
ferret enjoys the taste and sees them as treats.
The most common supplement is a fatty-acid oil supplement,
which ferrets find pleasant. The right fatty-acid supplement can be just what
the doctor ordered or your worst nightmare. This section explains what you need
to know about omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are the most commonly found
fatty acids in pet-store supplements. Most supplements list the ingredients as
I’ve listed them.
Remember
Fatty acids have to be incorporated into the cell membranes, so it may take several weeks for their effects to show. In fact, you may not see changes for two to three months. If possible, experts recommend that you split the daily dose, giving a half dose each in two 12-hour increments. Your ferret will still get a full daily dose, just not at once.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, in general, have some great properties.
They may slow the spread of cancer, reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure,
and prevent ventricular arrhythmias. In addition to alpha-linoleic acid (ALA),
the ingredients are as follows:
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA): Reduces inflammation in atopy, arthritis, autoimmune disease, seborrhea, and decreases cholesterol
- Docosahhexoenoic acid (DHA): Reduces inflammation in atopy
Omega-6 fatty acids
Most quality pet foods contain adequate amounts of omega-6
fatty acids. Rich sources of this fatty acid include cold-water fish oils and
the seeds of some plants such as sunflowers, borages, pumpkins, soybean, and
flax. In addition to dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), the following list
presents the ingredients in the supplement and the benefits (or detriments)
they bring:
- Linoleic acid (LA): Helps improve dry skin and a dull hair coat
- Gamma linolenic acid (GLA): Reduces inflammation in atopy and autoimmune disease
- Arachidonic acid (AA): Can increase inflammation
Savoring Treat Time!
Treats can be a vital part of your relationship with your
ferret, as long as they’re the right types and are given in moderation. Some
fuzzies come to expect a favorite treat at a certain time of day or after
performing a neat trick. They all beg
for them no matter what. Of course, all ferrets deserve treats. But, before
starting your ferret on treats, discuss doing so with your veterinarian. Some
traditional treats can aggravate medical conditions such as insulinoma or
chronic bowel disease. My goal is to get you away from traditional bad treats
and onto healthy ones! Better safe than sorry. The following sections show you
the way.
Tip
Next time you’re shopping for your ferret’s treats in the pet store, take a look at the ingredients. Do you see any meat in the lists? Many treats don’t even contain meat, or if they do, the meat often is way down on the lists. What you find high on the list more often than not is sugar and even more sugar — maybe even some plant materials that aren’t good for ferrets. Avoid these and stick to the meat-based treats.
Giving the good stuff
Here are some treats that you can offer your ferret in
moderation (remember to feed these in very small pieces and very small amounts;
even the good stuff can be harmful if overfed):
- Eggs: Hard-boiled, poached, raw, or scrambled. Egg yolks (cooked or raw) are very nutritious. Eggs are perfect protein treats. However, some people won’t risk feeding raw eggs due to the possibility of germs or harmful bacteria. It’s a personal choice.
- Meat: Cooked or raw meats are great treats. Special favorites are chicken livers and hearts. Beef and turkey pieces are good, also. If you have a dehydrator, you can make your own unseasoned turkey, salmon, beef, or chicken jerky to give as treats. You should avoid processed meats such as lunchmeat or salami, because they’re full of salt and additives.
Tip
A great treat for a half-dozen ferrets is to open a large fish-oil capsule, pour the oil into a dish, cut up some raw chicken (no more than 1-square-inch pieces), and place the pieces in the oil. Heat the mix in the microwave until the chicken just starts to turn white. This may destroy some of the nutrients, but it makes a great occasional treat.
- Insects: Earthworms, crickets, cockroaches, and mealworms are tasty treats. Just about anything you’d feed reptiles or amphibians will make a great treat for a ferret.
- Small prey animals: Mice, chicks, frogs, lizards, and rats all are healthy treats or main diet choices for your ferret (see the section “The evolutionary diet: Feeding your pet small animals/insects”).
- Chicken baby food: A single lick or two from a spoon or off your finger is a nice way to say “I love you” to your ferret, or “job well-done!” Most ferrets love the taste of the baby food. Remember, though, not to give too much as to spoil her regular meal.
- Nonacidic, soft fruits: Melon, banana, berries, and papaya are good ones. Okay, so this isn’t at the top of the list, but I had to sneak one in for the sweet-tooths in the bunch. Give no more than one to two tiny pieces (1/2 teaspoon) of these fruits a couple times a week. Most fruits are high-sugar treats, so watch the insulinoma patients!
- High-quality kibble: Most ferrets view a piece of their regular kibble as a treat if you feed the kibble from your hand. If this works for your ferret, she not only gets a treat, but also isn’t straying too far from her diet! This feeding method also is a good way to introduce a new food item.
Tip
I’ve found that ferrets see almost any type of cooking oil as a treat. Mine especially enjoy fish-oil treats, but they never turn down a bit of olive oil on the end of my finger. You can cut open a fish-oil capsule, which contains enough oil to “treat” a handful of ferrets. Like all supplements, you should do this infrequently. My rule is, if your ferret wants a lot, she shouldn’t get it very often.
Avoiding the not-so-good stuff
There is such a thing as loving your ferret to death. Many
dog and cat owners do so unknowingly with large amounts of treats and table
scraps. Although some treats will be fine for your ferret if given in
moderation, you should avoid some not-so-healthy treats altogether, no matter
how much your ferret begs. When your ferret fills herself with junk, she
decreases the amount of room she has for good food. The following list presents
the not-so-good treats you should toss out of your ferret’s diet:
- Alcohol and other high-sugar drinks/foods: Too much sugar is a bad thing for a ferret. And a drunk ferret can quickly become a dead ferret. (Besides, you must be 21 to legally drink.)
- Coffee and tea products: No caffeine, please. Like ferrets don’t speed around enough.
- Dried fruits, including raisins: Sorry guys and gals! These and other high-sugar fruit treats are on the banned list!
- Most commercial ferret treats: Most are low in or absent of meat content but high in sugar. Check the labels carefully.
- High-calorie/high-sugar supplements: The major ingredient of Nutri-Cal (and similar products), for instance, is molasses, which if given to an insulinomic ferret when she isn’t in the middle of a low-sugar incident can be unhealthy.
- Cereals: A good cereal treat must be low-salt and low-sugar, which most aren’t. Two good ones are Cheerios and Kix. Other good ones are out there, too. No more than one to two pieces a day.
- Veggies: Vegetables may get lodged in the intestinal tract. Veggies also have little nutritional value for ferrets, and they come out the other end basically undigested if they make it that far.
- Dairy products: Many experts argue about lactose intolerance in ferrets. Some vets say it’s prevalent, and others say it isn’t. A single lick of milk probably won’t harm most healthy ferrets. In fact, owners frequently use heavy cream (the real stuff) as a high-fat supplement to add weight on and boost energy in a debilitated ferret. And cheese contains very little lactose, so very small amounts are probably safe. Use your best judgment. If what you feed comes out the other end in smelly liquid form, your ferret probably is sensitive to lactose, but a little diarrhea from a small amount of dairy product won’t harm her.
- Seeds and nuts: These things are indigestible and hard to pass, not to mention painful. They can cause blockages.
- Chocolate: Contains theobromide, which, in high doses, can be fatal in some pets (such as dogs). No one knows for sure if chocolate is as dangerous to ferrets. Milk chocolate is generally much safer. The big problem isn’t the trace amounts of theobromide in the milk chocolate, it’s the tons of sugar. Don’t panic if your fuzzy accidentally happens on a tiny piece of chocolate, but don’t use chocolate as a treat.
- Salty foods: Save the beer nuts for the bar. A small taste here or there, though, won’t kill a ferret.
- Fingers: Just seeing if you’re paying attention!
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