Hello ferret folk, No--we should not "expand the definition as it applies to the domestic ferret as an omnivore" because a ferret is NOT an omnivore--they are obligate carnivores. Although ferrets have been domesticated for thousands of years--physiologically, they have evolved very little. The anatomy of their digestive tract is that of a carnivore NOT an omnivore and suggesting otherwise is dangerous and irresponsible The concept that a new ferret owner might be reading some of these posts and decide that it's healthy to feed fruits, vegetables and grains as a staple of a ferret's diet is highly disturbing to me. An obligate carnivore is one that must eat meat to survive--their bodies are physiologically incapable of processing vegetable matter. >"Ferrets should never be fed carbohydrates (such as vegetable, fruit >or grains) as the main source of energy in the diet. Ferrets cannot >digest fiber, as is found in some vegetable and fruit sources. If >there is a significant amount of fiber in the diet it serves to lower >the nutritional value of the food. As mentioned, ferrets need a highly >digestible meat-based protein in the diet. Vegetable protein is poorly >utilized. In the presence of excess vegetable protein the ferret can >suffer from such diseases as bladder stones, poor coat and skin >quality, eosinophilic gastroenteritis (wasting, diarrhea, ulcerations >of the skin and ear tips and swollen feet) poor growth of kits and >decreased reproduction" >*Rethinking the Ferret Diet, Susan Brown, DVM* >"It is important to point out that ferrets do a poor job of digesting >fiber. Since they are obligate carnivores and are unlike most animals, >they have a very short digestive tract and lack a caecum, which helps >digest fiber. Ferrets also have a large intestine that is very >inefficient at nutrient and water reabsorption, which further >decreases the utilization of fiber and other nutrients as well." >Nutrition & Your Pet Ferret, Thomas R. Willard, Ph.D, Animal Nutrition >"The five groups of nutrients that all animals require are proteins, >fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Fatty acids are the >structural units of fats, and amino acids are the structural units >of proteins. Ferrets require a fatty acid (arachidonic acid) and two >amino acids (arginine and taurine) that are not found in sufficient >quantities in any plant material. A ferret is therefore an obligate >carnivore. " >* **Basic ****Ferret Feeding and Nutrition, Judith A Bell, >D.V.M, Ph.D * >"Grain and fiber ingredients should be at a minimum in all good >quality ferret diets. The natural diet of the ferret probably >contained minimal levels of these items. Ferrets have a shorter >digestive tract than the cat and are probably best maintained on diets >that are typically lower in carbohydrates than are contained in most >cat or kitten foods. One reference has suggested that ferrets may be >maintained without carbohydrates if sufficient fat is present" >"Ferrets do not have a dietary requirementfor fiber, and most authors >feel that they do better with little or none" *Clinical Ferret >Nutrition, Louise Bauck BSc, DVM,MVSc* As mentioned before, the anatomy of a ferret is ill equipped to handle nutritional processing as an omnivore. Even if there is no immediate harm, unneeded elements in a ferret's diet, will decrease the the nutritional value that they require to thrive long term. Thanks, Michele Paulhus -- "People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within." ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross~ [Posted in FML 6291]