I, for one, do not believe there is only 1 correct way to feed ferrets.
My personal belief is that a ferret's nutritional needs can be met in a
variety of ways, including feeding commercially prepared foods.

I do think discussions about feeding and foods is good, because it
gives us all a chance to learn new things. And, I think each ferret
owner should be aware of the various feeding methods, and the pros and
cons of each. Additionally, I think that every ferret owner should be
aware of their companion's nutritional needs, and do their very best
to meet those needs.

Ferrets are obligate carnivores, and they need high amounts of animal
protein and fat. We all know this, but do we really take it into
consideration when choosing a food and a feeding method? I know that
many do, but we all need to keep this in mind.

Grains contain some protein, but a ferret's digestive tract is not set
up to get the maximum or even a minimal benefit from the proteins found
in grains. So, a food that has a 40% protein content, but has a grain
as the second or third ingredient, may not have anywhere near 40%
animal protein. This is one reason that when choosing a kibble of other
commercially prepared food, I look for foods that do not contain any
grains.

There is another reason I choose to avoid foods that contain grains.
Grains have a known history of causing allergic reactions in many
species of animals. Many humans have grain allergies, but are unaware
of it. But, the grains in our diets are proving to be a major source
of many of the digestive problems we suffer as we grow older.

There seems to be a great increase in the number of ferrets having
digestive problems - things like IBD and IBS. I am starting to think
this increase may be due, in part, to the grains found in many of the
kibbles we feed.

I have had ferrets since 1985. Until 6 or 7 years ago, I never had a
ferret with IBD or IBS. But, that is now becoming a major concern for
me. I have had biopsies done on ferrets with chronic poop problems, and
the pathology report has always come back IBD - likely caused by a food
allergy. At first I thought it was chicken that was the problem, but
when I started having my own problems, and was told I should go on a
gluten free diet, I started to wonder about grains and ferrets.

Fortunately, for people who want to feed kibble, there are now several
good grain free foods.

I personally believe in providing my ferrets with a variety of foods,
and letting them choose which form they prefer. I do feed whole (pre
killed) prey, and some of my ferrets eat that almost exclusively. And,
I have 2 that will eat kibble almost exclusively. But, I also offer
cooked meats and some of the canned meats as a supplement (or treat),
and all will eat these items in small amounts. So, I am not set in
feeding only 1 type of food.

Some people have made claims that ferrets eating whole prey will have
naturally clean teeth without any human intervention. And, I am sure
that a prey diet will produce cleaner teeth then a soft food diet or
even a kibble diet. Soft foods, like soup or canned meats will be the
worst for causing tartar to build up on the teeth.

But, I can also tell you that feeding whole prey does not insure clean
teeth all by itself. As a person who shows and breeds ferrets, I can
tell you that there are many people feeding their ferrets prey, and
still before a show, they have to clean the ferrets' teeth. Perhaps not
all of them do, but I can tell you from my own experience that at least
some do.

We have also heard that ferrets on a prey diet will have odorless
feces. Again, this is not a guaranteed result. There are at least a
few people who feed whole prey exclusively that will tell you that the
feces of a prey fed ferret have more odor, and that the degree of odor
varies according to what type of prey was fed.

My personal experience is that chicken produces the worst odor,
followed by rats, then mice, and finally rabbit. When I feed rabbit,
I would say the odor is similar to a kibble diet.

But, different kibbles can produce different amounts of odor as well.
A kibble like Marshall's, which has a lot of fish and fish oil,
will produce more odor in the feces. Likewise a food that is not
nutritionally sound will produce more odor. And, what odors are
considered objectionable will vary from person to person as well.

So, my advice to people is to learn what the nutritional needs of your
ferrets are, and then decide how you can provide that, with whatever
feeding technique you choose. And, if you choose to feed a "natural
diet", learn what is needed to keep it both safe and nutritionally
sound.

Danee DeVore
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit:
http://www.ferretadv.com
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[Posted in FML 6243]