Proper Nutrition For Ferrets
Proper Nutrition For Ferrets
Feeding your ferret with a proper diet is very important. A well balanced, healthy diet can definitely increase the lifespan of your ferret. The diet need not be complicated but the ferrets require frequent meals. Ferrets are carnivorous animals and cannot live without meat. Fresh raw meat is an integral part of a ferret’s diet, but you must clean it properly as it may contain some harmful micro organisms and parasites that can cause health problems. You should feed them with high quality lamb or chicken that is preserved naturally with vitamin E. Feeding the ferret with meat alone is not recommended as it may lead to fatal nutritional imbalances.
Ferret nutrition must be:
* low in fiber
* high in energy
* high in protein
Ferrets have short digestive tracts, that is why they require a food that has digestible protein. Food that lists corn or grain as the main ingredient must not be used. Your ferret will not get nutrients in the right amount with grocery store kitten or cat food. These foods have too much fiber and not enough quantity of animal protein. This food can contribute to malnutrition, stones in the bladder and kidneys, dull coats and various other health problems.
The best way to provide ferret nutrition is by supplementing your pet’s chow diet with some cooked chicken(which includes fat, skin, chicken hearts and livers) or raw chicken that is thawed and frozen(freezing process helps to kill some bacteria). Some doctors also recommend to allow ferrets to chew soft ends of the bones. Bone marrow is rich in nutrients(that includes calcium)that ferrets require in order to stay healthy. Never give your ferrets to chew small bones as these bones can splinter and get stuck up in your ferret’s digestive system.
If you are serious about ferret nutrition then you need to provide your pet with water and fresh food 24 hours a day. Ferrets require several small amounts of meals during the day (up to 10 in 24 hour period) because of their fast metabolism. Ferret food generally spoils easily, hence you need to keep a watch for” stashes” of food
Keep fruit and vegetable treats to a minimum as a diet that is high in vegetable protein and has low animal protein content can lead to malnutrition and possibly death. Fruits also have a high sugar content that can give rise to ferret insulinoma. Moreover, vegetables and grains contain complex carbohydrates that are not easy to digest.
Some ferrets are sold when they are very young, in such cases you should give them a mix of soft or crushed food along with milk that is slightly warmed up. For ferrets, lactose is difficult to digest, hence lactose free milk is the best option. You can also take the help of Internet or a veterinarian in case you want know more about ferret nutrition.
Nowadays, specially formulated ferret food is readily available in the market and is also recommended by most veterinarians. Dry pelleted food is also very nutritious and it also helps to keep your ferret’s teeth clean.