Choosing a ferret diet: is a natural diet right for your ferret?

Until the last 40 years, ferrets were fed what we refer to as a "natural diet," which was similar to the diet of the domestic ferret's wild ancestors. In recent years as ferrets have become more popular, they have been fed commercially prepared ferret, cat, and kitten diets. While this is convenient for us as owners, is it what our ferrets were meant to eat? What exactly is a natural diet, and what are the benefits and concerns associated with it?

FERRETS ARE CARNIVORES

Ferrets are obligate carnivores, which means that they get their nutrients from a diet high in animal protein and fat. Their diet must be a meat diet, because they are unable to digest vegetable protein. They need food that is very low in carbohydrates, and they get their energy from animal fat. This is why proponents of a natural diet argue that ferrets' bodies are actually designed for a whole prey or raw meat diet.

Ferrets have a short GI tract populated with simple organisms, and they don't absorb nutrients as well as other animals can. They are intended to eat food that provides them with a highly concentrated fat content (calories for energy) and highly digestible meat proteins for maximum nutrition.

While there are a number of high quality ferret kibbles available today, many of them contain a high number of grains, corn, and other sources of filler material in addition to vegetable protein. Ferrets who eat diets with excessive vegetable protein can suffer from poor skin and coat quality, decreased growth rates, bladder stones and other conditions.

Insulinoma is also a concern, as a high level of carbohydrates in a ferret's diet puts too much stress on the pancreas. While there is no definitive proof that a diet high in carbohydrates causes insulinoma, it just is not healthy for the beta cells in the pancreas to be overworked. When beta cells work too hard, they become overactive (hypertrophied) and either burn out (stop working altogether) or go to neoplasia (cancer).

MYTHS ASSOCIATED WITH A NATURAL DIET

Before I explore what feeding a natural diet entails, there are a few widespread misconceptions associated with feeding whole prey or raw meat that need to be addressed.

First and most importantly, your ferret will not turn into an aggressive wild animal if you feed a raw diet! Kim Schilling, author of Ferrets for Dummies, draws a great parallel. She points out that cats are great hunters and, at times, vicious hunters, playing with their prey before killing it. They kill countless mice, birds, rabbits, and other wildlife throughout their lives, yet they still remain sweet and cuddly companion animals that are perfectly happy to sit in your lap, purring and allowing themselves to be petted. It is not going to be any different with ferrets. Eating raw meat isn't going to transform your sweet little girl into a vicious killer.

Many ferret owners point out that diseases could be passed from the prey animal to the ferret. If you are feeding your ferret the dead mouse from your mousetrap, the spread of disease is very likely. However, there are a number of reputable sources for humanely killed, frozen prey animals, and as long as you stick to getting prey from those sources, your ferret should be fine.

Another misconception is that to feed a natural diet, you must feed live prey. This is not true, nor is it even recommended. While some ferrets may be able to catch and kill their prey, the majority are going to take time to adjust to a natural diet, let alone be able to hunt for their own food. Ferrets are fully domesticated after all! Also, if you were to feed live animals, you also risk your ferret being bitten by the prey animal. The point of feeding whole prey is not to allow your ferret to hunt live animals, it is to provide a nutritious diet.

TYPES OF NATURAL DIETS

I will discuss two types of natural diets in this article - a whole prey diet and a raw carnivore diet. Bones and meat are the staples of a natural diet, regardless of which type you choose to feed.

Whole Prey Diet
A whole prey diet is the most balanced natural diet, and it refers to feeding ferrets pre-killed, frozen prey such as mice, rats and chicks. Ferrets have teeth that are designed for cutting meat and bone, so whole prey provides them with the necessary exercise for teeth and jaws and cleans their teeth and gums. Whole prey also gives your ferret the chance to experience a variety of tastes and textures, so it's enriching as well.

Raw Carnivore Diet
Another natural diet option is a raw carnivore diet, which is a good alternative for ferret owners who are hesitant to feed prey animals to their ferrets.