You are a brave soul to bring up this subject again on the FML - oh,
wait, you posted Anonymously, maybe you are also smart!! Anyway,
here goes!!

For the past 8 years I have been feeding my 6 dogs on a "B.A.R.F."
diet. Basically - that means meat!! About two years ago I adopted two
ferrets that someone on the FML was looking to rehome, but the adoptee
had to be willing to continue to feed them 'raw', or a natural diet. If
you do some research you will learn that meat alone does not make up a
natural diet - carnivores also need bone and organ meat to make their
diets complete and well balanced. I can tell you from experience with
my dogs, two of which had severe allergies pre-natural diet, that
feeding natural has saved me on medical bills. In addition, their coats
are silkier, their teeth are cleaner, their breath is sweeter and the
volume of stool is less. There are lots of other benefits that I won't
even go into.

My two ferrets that are eating the natural diet have beautiful coats
and their teeth seem to be very clean. It has only been 2 years, so I
can't really tell you how much healthier they are because of it, but
I am confident that they are based on the history with my dogs. My
ferrets get fed chicken necks and mice in the morning. Mice are the
perfect meal as it includes all the body parts that make up a perfect
packaged meal!! At night, my guys get a cut up Cornish Hen, with organ
meat and bone.

I know there are many people that don't believe in this type of diet
and that is certainly their prerogative, but it has worked very well
for me and I feel it is certainly a natural diet that they can live
with. Do some research and then go with your gut!! Good luck!

Trudy Jo Wallach
Shelter Operator - Massachusetts Ferret Friends
and Caretaker of the Wallach Zoo

[Posted in FML 5769]