From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-08-14 03:36:54 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Blood Donations
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4438834.1123990614799.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Author wrote:
> hello all,I was wondering about the post below as I have read and been told that ferrets
> cant eat fish??
I am not sure why fish were mentioned, either, but certainly fish in moderation are fine in ferrets' diets, and can be good. There are better iron sources, though, if that was the aim -- liver, for example.
Fish in the diet is a matter of degree, like so much else. If the diet is largely composed of fatty marine fish or mollusks then nutritional steatis can occur. In moderation, though, fish is a wonderful source of nutrients including those important Omega 3 Fatty Acids that can be kidney protectors.
Actually, the raisin and fig mentions bother me more. Figs can easily induce diarrhea in ferrets though they do seem to love them, and raisins have been known to cause kidney failure in both ferrets and dogs.
Honestly, I suspect that if the treating vet had wanted anything special done beforehand then the vet would have recommended something.
It might be better to not stress the ferret with a large change in diet or routine beforehand, but I really don't know.
When we have had one serve as a blood donor we were not told to do anything special before.