From:
Vicki Montgomery
Date: 2007-11-10 20:24:42 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Ferret treats?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi Linda;
Wishing you lots of good luck with your ferrets.
SInce ferrets are OBLIGATE carnivores they get all of their nutrition from meat. They should ideally have NO fruits or veggies or carbohydrates. Ferrets get their energy from fat, not from sugar as we do.
There is some thought now that the sugar from the F,V and carbs contributes heavily to the high incidences of insulinoma our ferrets have.
Good treats would be meat... cooked or raw chicken, turkey or other foul (there are those who have a preference one over the other of raw or cooked.. arguments of best for health - salmonella infections etc - so choose your preference and feed)... hamburger, steak - etc.. now you can also go online and find natural foods to buy and feed, such as pinkies (hairless because of youth rodents)... if you have problems finding a site for raw, natural whole prey foods check for snake food... that will get you some hits.
Because most ferrets are weened and raised on kibble often they will not take to meat... So it's your job to make them eat their meat, just like making human's eat their veggies. One way to start would be to buy 2nd stage ckn or turkey baby food and get them licking that. You may have to force a tiny bit into their mouths over and over before the realize that it does taste good.
It is a good idea, in my opinion, to have your ferrets eating a bit of meat soup or baby food everyday as a treat. That way if / when they become ill and don't want to eat their food, they often will still eat their treat/soup.
You can also make homemade soup by boiling some ckn, or other foul, to death ( I use lightly salted water), when cooked tender pull meat from bones (when you can handle it of course), put in blender or food processor with broth and fat from cooking and process/blend into a milk shake consistency.... not too thin / not too thick... you can pour into ice cube trays, freeze then pop into freezer bags for storage... just take out what you need, heat, stir with finger to check for hot spots and then serve at a nicely warmed temp.
You can add what you feel is helpful... I add a bit of nutrical and chealated iron.. sometimes pedialyte or ensure... some people add heavy whipping cream or if ferret needs weight gain lets them lick it up without additive...
Some people will tell you it's ok to give a few raisins or cheerios.. that is very old information in the light of current theories... so I tell people.. why chance it if there is a possiblity that the theory is right.. that fruits, veggies and carbs contribu
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