How to Feed Your Ferret Right
For your pet to live a long time, a proper ferret diet is crucial. Without correct feeding your ferret is at risk for serious health problems. Ferrets evovled to be meat eaters and because of this they need a high protein, low fiber diet in order to do well. Several years ago the best choice for feeding ferrets was high quality cat food. You can always buy a premium quality cat food for your ferret, but now there are several different ferret food choices available that provide just what your pet needs – high quality fat together with low carbohydrates. With the proper mix your ferret should be able to achieve its maximum life span.
The proper diet is crucial for a baby ferret. Here’s the important things to look for when choosing food for your ferret: 35-40% protein, 18-30% fat, 2% fiber, 21 amino acids, less than 7% ash and some good carbs like rice flour or brewer’s yeast. Look out for ferret foods that incorporate frozen fish as your ferret won’t eat it. It is not uncommon for ferrets to refuse foods they don’t like until the starve. Higher quality ferret food is frequently more expensive than a premium quality cat food, but ferrets tend not to eat very much, so it may not be very expensive in the long run. Supplements won’t be needed if you’re making sure your ferret gets a healthy diet.
In order to ensure the consumption of sufficient calories to maintain good health, your ferret needs to eat at least twice a day. Because ferrets are small animals the portion sizes given to them should be small as well. Moist food should only be left out for about 45 minutes. If it’s not eaten in that time period it should be removed. If you want to have the food available for longer than that, you may want to consider dry pellet food. Dry pellets help to keep your pet’s teeth clean and can be left in your ferret’s cage for the entire day. If you use a dry pellet food for your pet, don’t forget you that need to make sure there is always fresh water available. Ferrets seem to prefer drinking from a dish rather than a water bottle so supply them with fresh water in a bowl. Remember to change their water frequently to keep it fresh and clean.
Treats are not necessary for your ferret but can help when you are attempting to housebreak your pet. Good snack options are cooked eggs and meats. You should stay away from high-sugar fruits or candy as well as any dairy products like ice cream or milk. Also, avoid nuts or nut products. Any of these things can cause nutritional problems. Several health problems that your ferret might encounter include malnutrition, obesity, tooth decay, diarrhea, intestinal blockage, insulinmoa and hypoglycemia. Be sure to use treats sparingly so your ferret doesn’t begin to refuse its normal food. Your ferret does not digest vegetables and grains well, so it’s best to avoid them. And, onions should be avoided at all costs as they are poisonous to ferrets.
Making sure your ferret has a healthy diet is crucial in maintaining a long and healthy life. Your ferret will be content, comfy and less susceptible to any life-threatening illnesses. Ferret owners shower their pets with lots of care and affection, but, the kindest thing they can do is to ensure that their pet is fed properly.
