Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2015 8:05:02 GMT -5
Apologies in advance for the mass of questions! Until I recently did ferret research I'd never heard of feeding whole prey to anything besides reptiles and inverts.
I do not have a fuzzball yet, but I plan to get a kit eventually, and want to put my kit on a whole prey diet, since that's a lot easier for me than frankenprey. So, to make sure I do this right, here are my questions!
Meat Variety: Is it necessary to use different types of whole prey to make sure a ferret's diet is nutritionally complete? I really don't think I could bring myself to feed rabbits, guinea pigs, and baby birds, and while I might be able to do rats, I'm not certain simply because I know rats as purely companions. Mice I know I could do just fine, so is feeding, say, just mice alright? I could do pieces of other animals (chicken drumsticks, beef, etc), if having multiple protein sources is necessary.
Does "whole prey" mean WHOLE prey: I know ferrets need all the organs, bones, and meat, but do ferrets also benefit from the fur, skin, and brain? Or rather, will I need to skin/remove any parts of whole prey?
Meal time preparation: What actually needs to be done to whole prey before giving it to a ferret to chow down on? I know it needs to be thawed, but should it be microwaved, or just thawed in general? Should I cut it into pieces? Most animals seem to accept warm food more readily, so is it the same for ferrets? Do I need to add any special powders or extra ingredients?
Different Ages of Mice: I've heard mice have different nutritional values at different ages, which makes sense. So will I need to feed several different ages (pinkies, hoppers, juveniles, and adults), or would a ferret be better off just getting pinkies and juveniles?
Taurine: From what I've read around here, ferrets get taurine from eating hearts (I admit that sounds both epic and creepy...I told my sister and she was excited and said ferrets are secretly werewolves
), is this correct? So by feeding whole prey, heart and all, should a ferret get enough taurine?
How many mice makes a meal: Ignoring the alliteration there, how many mice would, say, and average sized neutered male ferret need to eat per meal (or what's the meat to weight ratio)? And how many meals should a raw fed ferret get in a day?
Dental health: I'm under the impression that, when on a raw diet (getting whole bones), ferrets are pretty much set, as far as dental health goes. On whole prey, will a ferret still need a good teeth brushing, or should they typically be just fine?
Kit vs Adult nutritional needs: In all other animals I know of, the nutritional needs from birth to adulthood changes quite a bit (rats go low protein, high protein, low protein, lower protein). Is this the same for ferrets? Do they need higher and lower % of certain nutrients as they age, or is it pretty much always the same? Does the need for high protein ever change at all, or is, say, 50% protein always good?
Aggression towards other animals: I know the "raw food makes ferrets feral" thing is complete nonsense, but is it possible eating whole prey could result in a ferret being more prey-driven? Or will a ferret not correlate a live animal to the thawed meal in its food bowl? Not really a major issue except I don't want to have to apologize to people if my ferret eats their small dog (I swear I am kidding!).
I think those are all of my questions for now! I'm sure I'll have more later Sorry if I sound ridiculously uneducated, I've wanted a ferret since I was very young but haven't really been researching until just these past two years, so my ferret knowledge isn't exactly at its peak. I wouldn't have even considered a raw diet a year ago, until I went through a huge fiasco with my rats having nutritional issues due to their "lab blocks," and having to switch them to what's essentially the equivalent of a natural diet.
Well, thanks for any help that can be offered, it's always appreciated!
I do not have a fuzzball yet, but I plan to get a kit eventually, and want to put my kit on a whole prey diet, since that's a lot easier for me than frankenprey. So, to make sure I do this right, here are my questions!
Meat Variety: Is it necessary to use different types of whole prey to make sure a ferret's diet is nutritionally complete? I really don't think I could bring myself to feed rabbits, guinea pigs, and baby birds, and while I might be able to do rats, I'm not certain simply because I know rats as purely companions. Mice I know I could do just fine, so is feeding, say, just mice alright? I could do pieces of other animals (chicken drumsticks, beef, etc), if having multiple protein sources is necessary.
Does "whole prey" mean WHOLE prey: I know ferrets need all the organs, bones, and meat, but do ferrets also benefit from the fur, skin, and brain? Or rather, will I need to skin/remove any parts of whole prey?
Meal time preparation: What actually needs to be done to whole prey before giving it to a ferret to chow down on? I know it needs to be thawed, but should it be microwaved, or just thawed in general? Should I cut it into pieces? Most animals seem to accept warm food more readily, so is it the same for ferrets? Do I need to add any special powders or extra ingredients?
Different Ages of Mice: I've heard mice have different nutritional values at different ages, which makes sense. So will I need to feed several different ages (pinkies, hoppers, juveniles, and adults), or would a ferret be better off just getting pinkies and juveniles?
Taurine: From what I've read around here, ferrets get taurine from eating hearts (I admit that sounds both epic and creepy...I told my sister and she was excited and said ferrets are secretly werewolves
), is this correct? So by feeding whole prey, heart and all, should a ferret get enough taurine?How many mice makes a meal: Ignoring the alliteration there, how many mice would, say, and average sized neutered male ferret need to eat per meal (or what's the meat to weight ratio)? And how many meals should a raw fed ferret get in a day?
Dental health: I'm under the impression that, when on a raw diet (getting whole bones), ferrets are pretty much set, as far as dental health goes. On whole prey, will a ferret still need a good teeth brushing, or should they typically be just fine?
Kit vs Adult nutritional needs: In all other animals I know of, the nutritional needs from birth to adulthood changes quite a bit (rats go low protein, high protein, low protein, lower protein). Is this the same for ferrets? Do they need higher and lower % of certain nutrients as they age, or is it pretty much always the same? Does the need for high protein ever change at all, or is, say, 50% protein always good?
Aggression towards other animals: I know the "raw food makes ferrets feral" thing is complete nonsense, but is it possible eating whole prey could result in a ferret being more prey-driven? Or will a ferret not correlate a live animal to the thawed meal in its food bowl? Not really a major issue except I don't want to have to apologize to people if my ferret eats their small dog (I swear I am kidding!).
I think those are all of my questions for now! I'm sure I'll have more later
Sorry if I sound ridiculously uneducated, I've wanted a ferret since I was very young but haven't really been researching until just these past two years, so my ferret knowledge isn't exactly at its peak. I wouldn't have even considered a raw diet a year ago, until I went through a huge fiasco with my rats having nutritional issues due to their "lab blocks," and having to switch them to what's essentially the equivalent of a natural diet.Well, thanks for any help that can be offered, it's always appreciated!
All kidding aside. Ferrets are what they are...superbly created hunters. They can hunt and kill creatures 3 and 4 times their size and weight. Considering your own menagerie, I would be very cautious unless you can provide a very distinct space for your ferrets away from your little furries and feathered creatures. We have dealt with the horror of other members who have come home to death and destruction at the paws of their wee weasels. 
