From:
Mike Janke
Date: 2001-07-02 19:45:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Ferret only eating Meow Mix :P
I'll probably get trounced on for saying this, but even Meow Mix is
not going to kill him eating it for a few months.
Back in 1986, when we knew no better, we fed our first ferret a
similar crappy food. I don't know why, but he was the longest lived
of any ferret I've had since and he never had adrenal disease,
insulinoma, or any other illness of any kind. Well, OK, he did eat a
piece of rubber and had to have surgery, but his health was great his
entire life. He was almost eight when he died of some mysterious
illness that caused rapid and complete paralysis.
So I can't see where a few months of Meow Mix will hurt. Even if you
sneak in just one extra piece of kibble per day, you can slowly mix
in ever increasing amounts of something better and he may learn to
accept it.
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Amy Seyler" <mgilists.va@v...> wrote:
> I would like to get an opinion on those knowledgeable with
nutrition (Bob C, Tom Willard, vets, etc.).
>
> Here's the skinny: my ferret Max has been on duck soup for probably
about the last 4-5 months, and he's been subsisting on nothing but
that. This was due to a bad tooth and major gingivitis which was
taken care of about 2 months ago. But Max absolutely REFUSED to go
back on a kibble diet -- and at 7, it's hard to argue with him.
However, he has absolutely nothing wrong with him (knock on wood!) so
I was looking about feeding him duck soup 2x/day for the next 1, 2 or
even 3 years, which can't be too good on his teeth (or anything else).
>
> Anyway, I got a number of suggestions from both this list and the
FML, and have tried them all but to no avail. Then I had an epiphany
of sorts -- one of my long-dead rescues, Elektra, was eating Meow Mix
when she came to me, and even after I got her on a good diet she
still considered Meow Mix a great treat.
>
> Well, wouldn't you know, I bought it this weekend in desperation,
and Max has been chowing ever since. Probably eats every two hours.
But the food is CRAP!
>
> Here's the question: How long can Max be on this food before it
does harm? I plan on gradually sneaking in the good stuff but he's
been so picky and so hyper-alert to good food that it may take a
while. Is it okay to have him eat this for a few months (he still
gets duck soup as a supplement, but half of what he used to)?
>
> Any responses would be appreciated!
>
> Amy, Dave, Sarah & Paul
> (and their gaggle of giggling ferrets)
> RIP Ian, Elektra, Claudia & Sidney