Ferrets are unique animals, and due to being incredibly unique, they have also have a unique diet and food requirements.They have similar requirements to that of a cat, who are also an obligate carnivore like our furry companions. Obligate carnivore, you've probably heard that somewhere haven't you? It's a really interesting word. When I first heard it, I didn't quite understand what an Obligate carnivore was, but now It sounds quite simple.
Ferrets, being obligate carnivores, are designed to eat whole, small prey animals including: small to medium-sized mammals, birds, eggs,frogs, crustaceans, fish, worms, and insects. That is what they do and what they would eat in the wild. It is also what wild polecats --Ancestor of the ferret-- eat in the wild. It is biologically essential for obligate carnivores to consume a natural diet in order for them to thrive and live a long healthy life. Not only is it good for their overall health, a ferret in particular, who is on a natural diet is also less likely to get diseases* compared to if it were on a kibble based diet. Obligate carnivores are strict meat eaters.
What is an Obligate Carnivore?
Ferrets, being obligate carnivores, are designed to eat whole, small prey animals including: small to medium-sized mammals, birds, eggs,frogs, crustaceans, fish, worms, and insects. That is what they do and what they would eat in the wild. It is also what wild polecats --Ancestor of the ferret-- eat in the wild. It is biologically essential for obligate carnivores to consume a natural diet in order for them to thrive and live a long healthy life. Not only is it good for their overall health, a ferret in particular, who is on a natural diet is also less likely to get diseases* compared to if it were on a kibble based diet. Obligate carnivores are strict meat eaters.
Their body is designed to eat only meat. Though they can consume plant matter or carbs found in kibble, their bodies cannot properly digest it like herbivores or omnivores can, and they certainly cannot metabolise the nutrients as efficiently as they can with meat so their little organs have to work overtime to produce any enzymes needed for the digestion. There are some things that cannot be found in plants, that they need to eat from meat, Taurine for example. Their bodies cannot produce it, so they require it in their diet. Its essential. A deficiency in taurine may cause blindness among other things. I have a better explanation on my article on Cooked Meat in regards to nutrient loss in cooked meat etc.
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*Diseases caused by diet and nutrition. I am not implying that an animal is safe from X diseases. Consuming inappropriate diets will only speed up the process of diseases such as insulinoma.
Feeding a not-so-species-appropriate-diet, can lead to a lot of problems health wise. You want to ensure that your ferret is eating what it is meant to be eating, not what some pet food industry claims you should be feeding. A majority of the time, pet food industries are about money, rather than thinking of the overall health of your pet.
Unfortunately, a majority of vets are brainwashed so to speak, into believing that commercial pet food is the appropriate choice of food for our carnivorous companion animals. The main reason as to this is due to the fact that junk pet food companies fund vet schools in order to train these vets. Vets in general have very limited education on proper nutrition for companion animals. They could go onto further study in nutrition after spending 5 or so years at vet school, however no doubt that it would be biased due to pet food companies having complete control over them. The rest of the studies would have to be done in their own time, and throughout their career. After they become qualified, it is their decision on what to believe and how they advise their clients. Remember that a veterinarian can only advise. What ever you decide to do for the sake of the animal when it comes to nutrition is all in your power. A majority end up being like a personal sales person for these pet food companies, whereas the odd few support the natural species appropriate diet and have common sense when it comes to this junk food pet industry. A Holistic Vet is more likely to accept the natural diet, so even if it costs a little more than a regular vet, it would probably be a good idea to find a Holistic Vet when possible.
When it comes to traditional vets, You may have been told something along the lines of "ferrets are true carnivores and should be fed a high fat, high protein, high quality kibble because it has the adequate nutritional needs for your ferret" etc etc. Some may even go as far as to tell you lies or bend, warp words to make the raw diet sound like it is a danger to your ferrets health. They do this with good intentions most of the time because yes, feeding raw can be dangerous-- if not done correctly. However providing you do your research, and even find a mentor, then you have nothing to fear.
First of all, there is no nutritional standard for ferrets, you can read more on that here. The next thing they may say to you is something like "Raw increases the risk of pathogen exposure in both handling the food for the human and consuming raw or under cooked animal source protein diets in pets." Let's talk about Bacteria now.
They even contain bacteria in their guts. Bacteria is everywhere, whether it be good bacteria or bad bacteria. Ferrets in particular, can handle a great deal of bacteria when it comes to diet, most are not susceptible to salmonella and efficiently pass it without infection and kibble fed ferrets are even known to shed salmonella in their stools. A ferrets digestive system is very short (only 3-4 hours) so that leaves no time for the salmonella which needs 12-72 hours, or even e.coli, which needs 3-4 days to incubate. That makes it highly unlikely that these illnesses would affect the ferret. Its not impossible, just very very very very very very unlikely. For more information in regards to Bacteria, I recommend you check out this file from HFF.
Most raw feeders, feed human grade meat and as we all know already, Human grade meat is less likely to be contaminated with something like salmonella or E.coli than lets say, commercial raw pet food. Not saying its safe, because it can happen even with human
grade, but humane grade is a lot safer than pet grade. A majority of the time, commercial raw pet food, is classed as pet grade meat. Forget the "Organic" this or "Human grade" that, If Its commercial pet food, its most likely containing pet grade pet food somewhere in it.
The important thing is to do your research and you decide if raw is for you.
Obviously not everyone can do it, but as long as you research and learn, then surely you can do it for your pet.
Keep in mind that fruit tends to be high in sugar and sugar can increase the chances of the ferret getting insulinoma later on in life. I will cover Toxic foods in a later post.
Another interesting fact is that ferrets are lactose intolerant and are unable to digest lactose, a sugar molecule found in milk, or other dairy products. It is also recommended to avoid Goats milk as that has around the same lactose content to that of cows milk. Lactose free milk too should be avoided. It contains an enzyme called lactase. Lactase splits the larger sugar molecule Lactose into two smaller sugar groups called glucose and galactose. That basically makes the milk easier to digest and makes the sugar ready to digest beforehand. Sugar is linked to insulinoma, so giving lactose free milk is a bad idea.
Confused?
Read this article which goes into full depth as to why ferrets should NOT be consuming milk of any kind!
A Natural diet-- when done correctly-- has been known to help ferrets who have insulinoma manage their blood glucose. This would mainly be due to the fact that a natural diet is void of carbs or things that their little organs must work over time in order to attempt to digest it. When you feed a species appropriate diet, your ferret is eating what is naturally designed to eat. It's body doesn't need to work over time to try and digest or metabolise something that really they just shouldn't be having in their diets! Compared to kibble, which usually contains a majority of harmful ingredients, the raw diet is balanced and every diet can be designed according to the ferret.
completely balanced due to being a whole animal, organs and all. Balance is crucial for your ferrets health. An unbalanced diet can be disastrous, and potentially dangerous to your ferret. There is much that needs to be learned, but all you need is basic nutrition to get it balanced and your ferret can live a long and healthy life.
If you were to feed a diet consisting of simply chicken, that would not be beneficial long term for your ferret. Try and avoid having a diet too heavy in any one single protein (animal type meat). Instead, have a minimum of 3 proteins other than: Chicken, Rabbit, Cornish Game Hen, or Fish. It's also recommended to have at least one type of red meat in the menu. This is to ensure enough Vitamin B, Iron and Taurine is in the diet.
Variety is also a key to having a nice balance. The more variety of meats, the more you ensure that the ferret is receiving all the nutrients it needs. No meat is the same. Some proteins have more vitamins and minerals than others, some less. Even some certain cuts of meats contain more or less. By feeding a diet like the Frankenprey diet, along with a variety of meats, you can certainly ensure that it is balanced. For more information on balance and variety, please check out these articles.
With the species appropriate diet, you know what you are feeding, you can even go as far as to look into meat source if you would prefer to feed animals that have been treated and slaughtered humanely. Whereas with kibbles, the manufactures may keep hidden ingredients from being listed on the product. Things such as Excitotoxins (Commonly labeled as flavour or flavour enhancers etc), or Ethoxyquin. You will also notice that a majority of kibbles fail to list the percentage when it comes to certain things, such as salt (which should be avoided). Have you ever seen something like... Meat Meal? Never lists what meat is in the meal, so it is highly likely a 4-D Meat. Could be from any source. Very scary stuff and should really be avoided at all costs. If you don't know what is in the meal, who's to say that your ferret may or may not get an allergy or an intolerance to it?
Many Kibbles contain carbohydrates in the handful, along with plant matter and plant based proteins. Kibbles also use by-products, which are 4-D Meats. The animals used in kibbles can be collected from almost any source. There is no control set in place over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying before slaughter), goats, pigs, sheep, horses, rats, animals which have been euthanised at animal shelters, restaurant and supermarket waste, road kill, etc. You could very well be feeding pets, to your pet. Isn't that a little concerning?
To read more on why kibble destroys the teeth of a ferret, please click here to see the article written my Bob Church.
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Thank you for reading my blog post in regards to general ferret nutrition. I covered quite a few subjects, and I do hope that this becomes useful to anyone reading. For more information I highly recommend you check out The Holistic Ferret Forum website. If you have questions, you can contact me VIA email or through my Facebook Page.
The diet of choice in which ferrets are designed to handle is completely raw meat, or even whole prey— even combination of the two.
What is a Species Appropriate Diet?
Raw feeding is the practice of feeding a domestic carnivore a diet primarily of uncooked meat, edible uncooked bones, and organs. It is most commonly known as frankenprey by the raw feeding community. The purpose of Frankenprey is the mimic whole animals like they would eat in the wild. Species appropriate basically means to feed a diet which the specific animal is designed to eat, such as what their wild counterparts are eating out in the wild and based on how they are made, inside and out, from organs used for digesting or using nutrients, all the way to what their pearly white canines are telling us about the inside of their jaws.
Feeding a not-so-species-appropriate-diet, can lead to a lot of problems health wise. You want to ensure that your ferret is eating what it is meant to be eating, not what some pet food industry claims you should be feeding. A majority of the time, pet food industries are about money, rather than thinking of the overall health of your pet.
But My Vet Said....
"Sometimes a lucky coincidence or chance encounter helps throw new light on an old situation. That's what happened to me. Finally, after five years at veterinary school and fifteen years as a qualified vet, I saw that processed foods do immense harm and natural foods work wonders for the health of dogs and other carnivores." ― Dr. Tom Lonsdale.
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| Check out the book called Raw Meaty Bones By Dr Tom Lonsdale. |
Unfortunately, a majority of vets are brainwashed so to speak, into believing that commercial pet food is the appropriate choice of food for our carnivorous companion animals. The main reason as to this is due to the fact that junk pet food companies fund vet schools in order to train these vets. Vets in general have very limited education on proper nutrition for companion animals. They could go onto further study in nutrition after spending 5 or so years at vet school, however no doubt that it would be biased due to pet food companies having complete control over them. The rest of the studies would have to be done in their own time, and throughout their career. After they become qualified, it is their decision on what to believe and how they advise their clients. Remember that a veterinarian can only advise. What ever you decide to do for the sake of the animal when it comes to nutrition is all in your power. A majority end up being like a personal sales person for these pet food companies, whereas the odd few support the natural species appropriate diet and have common sense when it comes to this junk food pet industry. A Holistic Vet is more likely to accept the natural diet, so even if it costs a little more than a regular vet, it would probably be a good idea to find a Holistic Vet when possible.
When it comes to traditional vets, You may have been told something along the lines of "ferrets are true carnivores and should be fed a high fat, high protein, high quality kibble because it has the adequate nutritional needs for your ferret" etc etc. Some may even go as far as to tell you lies or bend, warp words to make the raw diet sound like it is a danger to your ferrets health. They do this with good intentions most of the time because yes, feeding raw can be dangerous-- if not done correctly. However providing you do your research, and even find a mentor, then you have nothing to fear.
First of all, there is no nutritional standard for ferrets, you can read more on that here. The next thing they may say to you is something like "Raw increases the risk of pathogen exposure in both handling the food for the human and consuming raw or under cooked animal source protein diets in pets." Let's talk about Bacteria now.
Bacteria.
Carnivores, are built to handle a large amount of bacteria. They are carnivores. They even contain bacteria in their guts. Bacteria is everywhere, whether it be good bacteria or bad bacteria. Ferrets in particular, can handle a great deal of bacteria when it comes to diet, most are not susceptible to salmonella and efficiently pass it without infection and kibble fed ferrets are even known to shed salmonella in their stools. A ferrets digestive system is very short (only 3-4 hours) so that leaves no time for the salmonella which needs 12-72 hours, or even e.coli, which needs 3-4 days to incubate. That makes it highly unlikely that these illnesses would affect the ferret. Its not impossible, just very very very very very very unlikely. For more information in regards to Bacteria, I recommend you check out this file from HFF.
As for humans, the risk is there. However as long as you take simple precautions, it would be highly unlikely that you would get sick. Be sure to clean shelves, counter tops, refrigerators, freezers, utensils, sponges and towels to present bacterial contamination. It is especially important to wash all utensils and your hands with soap and hot water after handling one food and before handling another. This helps prevent cross-contamination in which, for example, bacteria in raw meat could be transferred to other foods, such as vegetables. It would be wise to use a different board for cutting different foods such as produce and meat. Wash cutting boards with hot, soapy water after each use; then rinse and air dry or pat dry with fresh paper towels.
Most raw feeders, feed human grade meat and as we all know already, Human grade meat is less likely to be contaminated with something like salmonella or E.coli than lets say, commercial raw pet food. Not saying its safe, because it can happen even with human “To date, raw pet foods have not been associated with salmonellosis in humans. ”
According to Dr. Becker, Pet owners have been feeding raw diets to their dogs and cats for decades, yet to date, not one documented case of raw pet food causing illness in humans has been reported.The important thing is to do your research and you decide if raw is for you.
Obviously not everyone can do it, but as long as you research and learn, then surely you can do it for your pet.
Carbohydrates, Milks & Plant Matter.
Ferrets are not able to easily digest the complex carbohydrates in fruit and vegetable matter, so never feed your ferret any kind of plant matter, especially fruit, even as a treat. 
Keep in mind that fruit tends to be high in sugar and sugar can increase the chances of the ferret getting insulinoma later on in life. I will cover Toxic foods in a later post.
Another interesting fact is that ferrets are lactose intolerant and are unable to digest lactose, a sugar molecule found in milk, or other dairy products. It is also recommended to avoid Goats milk as that has around the same lactose content to that of cows milk. Lactose free milk too should be avoided. It contains an enzyme called lactase. Lactase splits the larger sugar molecule Lactose into two smaller sugar groups called glucose and galactose. That basically makes the milk easier to digest and makes the sugar ready to digest beforehand. Sugar is linked to insulinoma, so giving lactose free milk is a bad idea.Confused?
Read this article which goes into full depth as to why ferrets should NOT be consuming milk of any kind!
Does Raw Mean That My Ferret Is Disease Free?
No. Obviously, a natural diet cannot keep your ferret completely safe from diseases such as Lymphoma, Insulinoma, Adrenal (etc). Genetics, among other factors, also play a role in if a ferret is to get this or that. However that is for another topic.A Natural diet-- when done correctly-- has been known to help ferrets who have insulinoma manage their blood glucose. This would mainly be due to the fact that a natural diet is void of carbs or things that their little organs must work over time in order to attempt to digest it. When you feed a species appropriate diet, your ferret is eating what is naturally designed to eat. It's body doesn't need to work over time to try and digest or metabolise something that really they just shouldn't be having in their diets! Compared to kibble, which usually contains a majority of harmful ingredients, the raw diet is balanced and every diet can be designed according to the ferret.
Balance Is A Must
You don't just feed Meat. You feed a majority of different types. From Organs, To Muscle, To Raw Meaty Bones. You can even feed whole prey, which in itself is 
If you were to feed a diet consisting of simply chicken, that would not be beneficial long term for your ferret. Try and avoid having a diet too heavy in any one single protein (animal type meat). Instead, have a minimum of 3 proteins other than: Chicken, Rabbit, Cornish Game Hen, or Fish. It's also recommended to have at least one type of red meat in the menu. This is to ensure enough Vitamin B, Iron and Taurine is in the diet.
Variety is also a key to having a nice balance. The more variety of meats, the more you ensure that the ferret is receiving all the nutrients it needs. No meat is the same. Some proteins have more vitamins and minerals than others, some less. Even some certain cuts of meats contain more or less. By feeding a diet like the Frankenprey diet, along with a variety of meats, you can certainly ensure that it is balanced. For more information on balance and variety, please check out these articles.
Raw Vs Kibble.
With the species appropriate diet, you know what you are feeding, you can even go as far as to look into meat source if you would prefer to feed animals that have been treated and slaughtered humanely. Whereas with kibbles, the manufactures may keep hidden ingredients from being listed on the product. Things such as Excitotoxins (Commonly labeled as flavour or flavour enhancers etc), or Ethoxyquin. You will also notice that a majority of kibbles fail to list the percentage when it comes to certain things, such as salt (which should be avoided). Have you ever seen something like... Meat Meal? Never lists what meat is in the meal, so it is highly likely a 4-D Meat. Could be from any source. Very scary stuff and should really be avoided at all costs. If you don't know what is in the meal, who's to say that your ferret may or may not get an allergy or an intolerance to it? Many Kibbles contain carbohydrates in the handful, along with plant matter and plant based proteins. Kibbles also use by-products, which are 4-D Meats. The animals used in kibbles can be collected from almost any source. There is no control set in place over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying before slaughter), goats, pigs, sheep, horses, rats, animals which have been euthanised at animal shelters, restaurant and supermarket waste, road kill, etc. You could very well be feeding pets, to your pet. Isn't that a little concerning?
Ferrets were not designed to eat Kibble (Dry pet food), their teeth are not made for chewing, grinding up the biscuit. Each of the ferret's 34 adult teeth serve a specific purpose, and allow for the efficient consumption of raw and whole prey foods.
To read more on the teeth of the ferret, please click here to follow up on my article about teeth.
Their teeth are designed for flesh, organ and bone, not an abrasive biscuit. Kibble is the most significant single contributors to the incase of periodontal disease in companion animals. Most companion animals on a kibble diet over the age of 3 (cats, dogs, even ferrets) have some form of periodontal disease. IT DOES NOT CLEAN TEETH, and thus causes build up of plaque and tartar, which then leads to poor dental health of our ferrets. It increases the chance of teeth wear since the kibble grinds away at the ferrets teeth at faster rates, not simply because their teeth are smaller, but because they have proportionately less volume of dentine when compared to the teeth of larger carnivores.
To read more on the teeth of the ferret, please click here to follow up on my article about teeth.
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| Photo Source. |
Their teeth are designed for flesh, organ and bone, not an abrasive biscuit. Kibble is the most significant single contributors to the incase of periodontal disease in companion animals. Most companion animals on a kibble diet over the age of 3 (cats, dogs, even ferrets) have some form of periodontal disease. IT DOES NOT CLEAN TEETH, and thus causes build up of plaque and tartar, which then leads to poor dental health of our ferrets. It increases the chance of teeth wear since the kibble grinds away at the ferrets teeth at faster rates, not simply because their teeth are smaller, but because they have proportionately less volume of dentine when compared to the teeth of larger carnivores.
To read more on why kibble destroys the teeth of a ferret, please click here to see the article written my Bob Church.
Thank you for reading my blog post in regards to general ferret nutrition. I covered quite a few subjects, and I do hope that this becomes useful to anyone reading. For more information I highly recommend you check out The Holistic Ferret Forum website. If you have questions, you can contact me VIA email or through my Facebook Page.
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If you are interested in switching to a raw, whole prey (or both) diet, but are not sure where to start or would appreciate someone to guide you, then I highly recommend signing up for the mentoring program on The Holistic Ferret Forum.
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