Well, Dr. Tom Willard, I'm not, but I'll take a stab at it.
 
The first warning I'd like to stress is to watch out for that "ALL
NATURAL" ad campaign.  That doesn't mean it's suitable for a particular
species.
 
Chicken, Chicken meal, Brown Rice, Duck, Lamb meal, Potatoes, Chicken Fat
(preserved w/ mixed tocopherols, vitamin E, and rosemary extract), canola
oil, oatmeal, fish meal, brewers yeast, dried skim milk, natural flavor,
dried eggs, flaxseed oil, kelp, garlic, DL methionine, glucosamine
hydrochloride, cranberry powder, grapeseed oil, lecithin, parsley flakes,
tomato pomace, taurine, zinc sulfate, vitamin a acetate, riboflavin,
thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin c supplement,
yucca schidigera, folic acid, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, menadione,
sodium bisulfite complex, (a source of vitamin k activity), pyridoxine
hydrochloride, ethylene dihydriodide, sodium selenite.
 
5 animal products in the first 7 listed is good.  I'd GUESS (and that's
really all anyone can do with the info you can get) that most of the 34%
protein advertised is animal based and fairly digestible.
 
18% Fat is close and, for the same reasons as protein, most likely MOSTLY
animal, though there is that additional canola oil and flaxseed oil later
in the list, so I'm guessing you should probably knock that 18% down a few
notches to 15% or 16%.  Vegetagble oils are great for helping hairball &
partial blockage situations and are excellent when used to cut Ferretone.
Just remember they have no nutritional value for ferrets.
 
The fiber is twice the recommended (Dr. Willard) amount.  Ferrets need
only 1.5% maximum, the rest is waste & extra work on the digestive tract.
 
Potatoes, is useless but it's down to #6.  Fish meal may add some of those
omega acids that's good & since it's way down the list may not affect poop
odor too much.
 
I like rice as a ferret carbohydrate, though the vets are still kind of
at odds on the rice vs. corn issue.  Rice raises glucose levels faster
than corn.  But in my experience, older ferrets, especially, have fewer
gastrointestinal problems with rice.  This part is definitely my
observation and preference from personal experience and not based on any
official scientific research.
 
Brewer's yeast is an absolute NO for insulinoma ferrets, so that one is a
definite red flag.  That is scientific research.
 
Dried skim milk could affect the gastrointestinal system causing diarrhea.
Ferrets CAN adjust to milk products, it IS a source of animal protein...
but it can take three months for the adjustment and they don't need the
additional sugars in milk.
 
Egg yolk is good.  Raw whole eggs or uncooked egg white are not
recommended for long term feeding.  The egg white binds biotin causing a
serious deficiency.  From what I understand from Bob Church, cooking the
egg white, (and surely in a pet food it's been processed) should render
whole eggs ok and a good ingredient, so don't let that one confuse you.
 
Being a bit of a "holistic" myself, the cranberry sounds like a good
additive for older ferrets that might have a little kidney disfuntion.
 
The vitamins look ok... I don't have a listing on hand, but vitamins
balanced for dogs & cats are generally good for ferrets.
 
Overall, I'd say it's adequate, not great, for NON-INSULINOMA ferrets.
And it might be a GREAT food for ferrets with gastrointestinal problems
where fats in the diet cause nutrient absorption problems.
 
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home
http://www.geocities.com/ferretsfirst/
[Posted in FML issue 3605]