My vet has recommended that I begin feeding my three ferrets "pinkies",
baby mice, to increase the protein content in their diet.
 
He is Dr. Mark Finkler at Roanoke Animal Hospital in Roanoke, VA.  He
teaches a class on ferrets at the Vet School at Virginia Tech and is
considered a ferret expert by all the local vets.  He believes that the
carbohydrates in the kibble cause the high rates of insulinoma that our
ferrets experience and says that in places like Australia where they feed
the ferrets rabbits and other fresh meat, the ferrets do not have the
high rates of disease that our American ferrets have.  He says carnivores
are not meant to be eating carbohydrates.  In cats, it causes diabetes,
and in ferrets, insulinoma.  He said half of diabetic cats placed on a
very high protien diet (50% +) often have a total reversal of symptoms.
He has given me samples of a cat food for diabetic cats that is 53%
protein that I'm now mixing with their Totally Ferret.  However, he
also feels it would be best to add the mice to their diet as well.
 
My question to FML folks who already feed pinkies is about how messy is
this going to be?  Where do you put your ferrets when you give them the
mice?  Do you do anything special to deal with the mess?  Do you have
other tricks or suggestion related to feeding pinkies that would be
helpful to a novice.  Also, I have cats and dogs in addition to the
ferrets.  Do they go nuts wanting their own mice?  Any and all comments
from your own experience are appreciated.  I am not interested in arguing
the question of whether or not it is right or wrong to do this.  I
believe what is best for the ferrets' health must guide my actions.
Dr. Finkler has explained it in terms that make sense and has convinced
me that I should try this.
 
Please share your experience with feeding mice to your fuzzies.
 
Thanks,
Cynthia Obrist and the fudge ferts: Cocoa, Sugar, and Butter
 
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[Posted in FML issue 3933]