Diet!

[Deleted]

Trying out each of the sections on here. I know that this forum really tries to get at raw diets, and I feel it is the best, but my parents are vegetarian causing problems. No live animals or meats they told me. So I went to the best dry food out there in my opinion, Evo and 8 in 1 mix. I know this isn't the greatest, but would love feedback.

[raynebc]

If they're making you stick to kibble, you could add some other types to the mix. Wysong Epigen 90 is one of the best for ferrets, although a lot of people lost some trust with the company after they stealthily changed the formula and lots of ferrets had digestive upset over it. They sell a "digestive support" formula on their website that's pretty close to how it was before the change, which is what I use, in addition to Evo and Orijen cat/kitten. I also use Zupreem corn-free ferret food, but I'm working on replacing that one with Wysong Archetype, which is a freeze dried raw diet (uncooked meat, organ and bones) in a clumpy/powdery consistency. I don't know if your parents would consider that close enough to "meat" to forbid it, but if ruling out a traditional raw or whole prey diet, that's a good option. Freeze dried is expensive, but you can use it as a topping for kibble to make it last longer.

[Sherry]

Ask them what they think true carnivores should be eating? And I mean animals who need meat and no veg/grain/fruit.
Also- please show them the end result of forcing their belief system on an animal who is incapable of tolerating it: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/13902/screaming-seizure
THIS is what they in their self righteous zeal are sentencing the ferret to

[racheld]

Do they just not want meat in their fridge/freezer? Maybe you could look into getting a separate, smaller one for the ferret food. If they don't want any kind of meat matter in the house--what do they think is in the kibble?

[racheld]

Sherry it does sound like they're fine with meat-based kibble. I don't think anyone on this forum is trying to put a ferret on a vegetarian diet.

[racheld]

You could also talk to them about the fact that the ferret is going to be eating meat regardless--either on raw or in their kibble. At least if you're buying raw you can try to make sure the meat comes from farms that are less abusive than factory farms and feed lots. You don't have that option with kibble. My Pet Carnivore has a disclaimer saying their animals are free range/organic, as does Hare Today.

[Sherry]

I am talking about kibble

[Deleted]

@sherry yes I do understand that ferrets eat meat because they are carnivores, but let me say that I am not putting down the idea but many products that are in kibble style are close. Think of dogs. In the wild they eat animals and meats. A domesticated dog normally does not eat raw meat or whole animal, I'm not saying none do. Same with many other pets. A domesticated ferret can eat whole prey but it is not "bad" or going to harm my ferrets as I see it. I respect you and this forum, but I feel like you are threatening me to switch. I respect you position in this forum but I feel I give my ferrets a very high quality life! Dogs are carnivores but we do not feed them live/whole prey so I feel that in a ferrets case i am not doing anything wrong!

[raynebc]

Ferrets can survive on kibble, and some kibbles are better than others, but they usually still contain things ferrets aren't meant to eat (ie. carbohydrates). Those ingredients do harm ferrets. Before kibble and other commercial pet foods, people often did feed their domesticated dogs animal bones, meat cuts, etc., or let them hunt their own dinner. Dogs have a better tolerance to modern foods and veggies and generally can live much longer lives than ferrets.

[Sherry]

Trezym- it is not my intention for you to feel "threatened"- but kibble IS the main cause of insu in ferrets, as it is diabetes in cats. This is not simply my opinion.