Ferret Nutrition
 
 

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By Carla Almarez

The unique ferret digestion system demands a food that can provide adequate nutrition assimilation in the four hours that food is in the ferret's system. Ferrets are strict carnivores, meaning they are meat eaters. But they also have an extremely high metabolic rate. Most ferrets eat 8 to 10 small meals every 24 hours to sustain the energy required by their high metabolic rate. Ferrets consume 4 to 7% of their body weight in high-quality, easily digestible kibbled food daily.

One treat that should be given at least weekly is a hair ball product such as Laxatone® or Laxa-stat®. Most ferrets will groom themselves like cats, but unlike cats, generally won't vomit hair balls.

The best kibbled foods can be obtained from pet stores, feed stores, or your veterinarian. Although these foods are more expensive, ferrets will eat less. There will also be less stool from the reduced amount of fiber. Avoid all pet foods sold in grocery stores. These foods are loaded with fillers, dyes, and grain (not meat) protein. Feeding these foods will result in a ferret with coarse fur, broken whiskers, and an unpleasant odor in addition to having more health problems than ferrets fed a high quality food. Dog food is to be avoided as it does not have the amino acids, protein or fat levels that ferrets require, however, an occasional piece of dog food as a treat will not harm the ferret.

When you are shopping for a food for your ferret, what should you look for? First, if your ferret has a special need, be sure to talk to your veterinarian. Other factors to be considered in selecting a food are the age of the ferret, any health concerns, and your ferret's palate.

Age Considerations

Many experts believe that ferrets six weeks to three years old require a diet higher in protein, such as a kitten food. At age three years, ask your vet if you should switch to an adult food or adult/kitten food blend or a lower protein food.

Health Concerns

Hard food is required to keep teeth clean and should form the basis of the ferret's diet. One consideration with hard food is the shape of the food. Triangular shaped pieces tend to get stuck in the roof of their mouth which results in the ferret pawing at their mouth until the food is dislodged or the food softens from saliva and falls down. (NOTE: If you see your ferret pawing at its mouth, investigate. If it is a small piece of food, use something soft like a Q-tip® to remove the food. Don't use your finger! If stuck food is not the source of the pawing, have the ferret seen by a vet since this may indicate stomach problems or ulcers.) Ferrets seem to prefer small chunks or ovals, not long extruded pellets.

Soft food should be reserved for special diets, treats, or hiding medicines. Other times that soft diets would be beneficial would be during recovery from surgery, illness such as ulcers and digestion problems, old age, or after dental work. If you must use a feeding syringe for giving soft food, Hill’s Prescription Diet Canine/Feline A/D® is excellent since it won't plug the syringe. A/D should be considered for short-term feeding only. Consult with your vet for specific feeding instructions. A soft mush for ailing ferrets is "Duck Soup" (recipe is at the end of this article). If your ferret suffers from insulinoma (low blood sugar resulting from tumors on the pancreas), be careful about feeding sweets or anything that may put a strain on the ferret's pancreas.

The Ferret Palate

Ferrets can become very particular in their choice of foods. If you feed a ferret the same food every day of its life, it's possible that it would refuse any other food. What if the manufacturer changed the formula and your ferret refused to eat the new blend or if suddenly the ferret required a special diet? To avoid such problems, feed your ferret a blend of foods starting at a young age. Obtain samples of foods which meet the guidelines in this article. Put a small amount into a food bowl and monitor which foods are most liked. Be sure to change the diet gradually to avoid intestinal upset. Increase the amount of new food by ¼ at a time taking at least 10 - 14 days to change the entire diet.

Treats

Most ferrets love treats. Some ferrets see humans as treat dispensers. It’s hard to resist those "Betty Ferret eyes" but for the health of your ferret, please do so. Limited amounts of treats serve to broaden your ferret's interest in a variety of foods and is beneficial. But treats should be limited to no more than one teaspoon per day. If your ferret takes the food and hides, make sure the food is actually eaten. Consumption of moldy food can lead to intestinal upset and illness. Remember, these are treats!

One treat that should be given at least weekly is a hair ball product such as Laxatone® or Laxa-stat®. Most ferrets groom themselves like cats, but unlike cats, generally won't vomit hair balls. Gastric hair balls (trichobezoars) may have to be removed by surgery.

Acceptable treats in small amounts:

Unacceptable treats include cow’s milk, sweets, ice cream (but a couple of occasional licks probably won’t hurt), chocolate (contains theobromine which may result in toxicity) and high fiber foods such as grain or corn.

Reading the label

Use the following guidelines to select a kibbled food:

The first item in the ingredient list must be a high-quality protein such as chicken, poultry, beef, or lamb (preferably whole not meal) meat.

The second or third item must also be a meat protein.

Protein must be 30 - 40%

Fat must be 18 - 30%

Must contain 21 amino acids including taurine, an essential amino acid required for vision and proper functioning of the heart.

Must have a low ash level (7.0% or less)

Be sure to avoid dyes (check the color of the food), fillers such as wheat middling, bran, germ, flour, etc., and grain or fish as the primary protein. Many "ferret" foods are simply repackaged mink foods which are high in fish or fish meal. Avoid these products. A high ash content in foods can lead to urinary tract problems.

Be sure the ingredients are printed on the bag itself and not on a tag stitched into the pull-thread. These foods are called least-cost formulas. These formulas use the cheapest ingredients that will provide the guaranteed analysis shown on the label. One batch of these formulas may be high in grain protein; another may be high in fish meal. Fixed formulas, like Totally Ferret® or Iams, have the same guaranteed analysis and ingredients in every bag. Other foods marketed for ferrets are actually cat or mink foods, perhaps modified slightly, and sold to the consumer at a higher price. These foods may or may not be nutritionally complete for ferrets.

Many animal health food experts also recommend avoiding foods containing animal by-products since this food may be composed of tissue from dead, diseased, disabled, or dying animals (prior to slaughter) and include inedible products like hoofs, hair, hide, beaks, feet, feathers, urine and fecal wastes. Artificial preservatives such as Ethoxyquin, BHT, and BHA should be avoided. These preservatives are considered to be harmful to the health and may increase the likelihood of cancer. Some experts also believe that the ferret diet should be supplemented with high-potency, high-quality food enzymes (Aspergillus and L. acidophilus) to replace those enzymes lost in processing kibble at high temperatures. These enzymes allow proper digestion and absorption of nutrients as well as protecting against harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

Conclusion

After all of these considerations, what is recommended? Feed the best food you can afford and your ferret will be healthier and happier. Offer your ferret an occasional treat, soft mush, a Cheweasel®, or canned cat food for variety.

Feed kibbled food free-choice unless instructed otherwise by your veterinarian (such as if a ferret will have surgery within 4-6 hours.) Have fresh, clean water (changed daily) available at all times. Ferrets will drink more water from a bowl than a bottle. Providing both a bottle and a bowl allows the ferret a choice - and some ferrets have distinct preferences! Never add supplements to the water as the ferret might refuse to drink. Ferrets sometimes dribble water into their food bowl allowing the food to become moldy so be sure to check the food bowl at least twice a week. Sterilize the food and water utensils at least monthly with a solution of 1 part unscented 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (bleach) to 10 parts water.

Duck Soup (Ann Davis, L.I.F.E.)

Mix thoroughly. Heat to comfortable temperature. If the ferret only consumes a small amount, feed every couple hours. If your little guys are getting fat, you can increase the amount of water (not increasing the amount of dry food.) This formula also freezes well in an ice cube tray. Refrigerated Sustacal® must be used within 48 hours.

© Copyright Carla Almaraz All Rights Reserved.
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