Ferret poop!

[Deleted]

Hey there.

I have had my ferret Rosie for about 6 months now. Store advertised her as 10-12 months old and the vet said she couldn't have been more than 6months because she still had her baby fuzz.

She has been pooping what would appear to be little balls (not seeds) that are all connected. It doesn't appear like a blockage and I feed her Totally Ferret drastically watered down to help digest it.

I can't figure out how to post a d*mn picture but I need advice on whether or not this is normal.

It's literally the same poop every time. Normal length except looks like oiley seeds.

I don't think she has a blockage and she acts totally normal. No limping or acting weird. Still eats regularly.

Is this normal?

Thanks

-D

[Deleted]

Welcome to the HFF

A picture would be great. Most of us use a photos sharing site like photobucket but I'll link the thread to posting pictures. If that doesn't help then post again and I'll find someone to help you with the more tech savvy stuff.

holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/47/post-pictures-videos

I'm also linking the poop chart to see if you recognize the poop from the chart:
holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/2469

You said her poops are always the same and that she appears healthy and has good energy levels.
Does her poop smell really bad?

I looked at the ingredients on the Totally Ferret Food and there seem to be alot of fat.
Fat is great for ferrets and is important for their energy. Rosie's poop sounds a bit like it may be undigested fats.
No harm there, it's just that she may have a bit more than she digests and it comes out as looking like little balls or is seedy looking.
Kibble fed ferrets have much larger poops and the filler is not digested but eliminated so poops look bigger and are a bit smellier.

The Totally Ferret has chicken in it and it's possible that she might have an allergy or intolerance to chicken.

Let's see what the others say and I'll keep an eye on this thread.
:wave3:

[Sherry]

It sounds from your description to be "bird seed" type stool. They don't look so much like actual seed as they do little yellow/white globules all connected. If so it could be a sensitivity to the chicken in the food.

[Deleted]

All this for this furry ball of laughter.

I was under the impression from research that there was no chicken in totally ferret. I guess I never really looked at the bag. Now I feel stupid.

Either way here is a photobucket attempt at linking her poop picture.

We have her in a back room with open windows and the poop in the back has seen 10hrs of air so it's a little dry.

The front poop is 10 min after she woke up and ran around for a bit.



Edit: she doesn't seem to have "horrible" smelling poop. When I get close to inspect the poop then yes, yes it smells. But she apparently had her back scent glands removed before we got her, also she is spayed.

[Deleted]

Furry ball of laughter...that's wonderful.

I'll tag Sherry again but this poops looks like she might be having an issue with the chicken.
See how it's a bit mucousy. That's a defense mechanism to help her body with the irritation.

[Sherry]

That is bird seedy If you have to feed her a kibble, Orijen is one of the better ones, and you can get non chicken variety in that.
Even better if you are uncomfortable with giving a full raw diet would be either freeze dried raw(feed rehydrated twice a day), or give a commercial raw. You KNOW you have no chicken in those then.

[Deleted]

I live in New York and am not sure what kibble is around.

I figured she was on the kibble, she likes it, continue with it. I have no use to feed her raw anything just for ease of my life.

Ok so what's the deal then. It just looks like undigested fats, and chicken?

Should I switch her immediately and keep her on the kibble ?

[Sherry]

Unfortunately kibble is about the easiest in the world to feed. You just dump it into a bowl and forget it. Raw does take a bit of work indeed.
However- I would look at what else you can get that DOESN'T have chicken in it for her. You should have some specialty pet stores around, or pet boutiques. Those carry the "better" quality kibble, and often the freeze dried.

[Deleted]

From what I'm reading Orijen is a cat food? But it's all meat and the non chicken is well, no chicken.

By freeze dried your implying what? Freeze dried raw dead stuff? Sounds like something she would like.

The petco in the area apparently sells orijen but I'm not going to go get it until I know exactly what I am getting.


Edit: yeah I'm probably going with this Orijen. Now that I'm reading on it the people who do the raw diet are set on it. And the people who use kibble are set on it. But this Orijen appears to be what I'm going to get. The red bag. Regional apparently.

Edit the edit!! This is the description for Orijen cat and kitten regional grain free no chicken kibble.

Orijen Regional Red Grain-Free Dry Cat Food features exceptionally high inclusions of fresh, whole meats and richly nourishing liver, tripe, cartilage and marrow in ratios that mirror the natural feline diet. This protein-rich recipe contains a symphony of fresh Angus beef, wild boar, Alberta lamb, heritage pork and bison, all ranch-raised in the Canadian region for a natural formula that's unmatched in nutrition and taste. Plus, each morsel is infused with freeze-dried meats and liver so it's bursting with the natural savory flavors cats love.

Does this sound good? I legitimately am learning everything about ferrets butt backwards. It's a trip.

[Sherry]

With Orijen what you will want is Regional Red for cats. To switch to that, start by adding a very small number of the new kibbles in with the old. You can also mix in the new(25%) with old(75%) in a container, shake daily and let sit for two weeks. Then start adding that to her dish, and keep topping the container up with the new food.
With Freeze Dried Raw, yes it IS raw(which is what they are meant to eat). Here is a link to Stella and Chewy's(cat), the duck/goose, turkey, and rabbit would be ones to try. You can get these either freeze dried or as frozen raw. www.stellaandchewys.com/products/cat-dinners/

[Deleted]

And eventually with the new Orijen she will have smooth poop!? That's my goal! Or will it always be partially seedy because of the kibble

[Sherry]

It should only be seedy if she has too much fat(as can happen with raw), or if she is feeling a bit stressed.

[Deleted]

Ok. Cool. Thank you so much. I found a local store called Treats Unleashed and he said believe it or not I'm not the only one who comes in for Orijen regional red grain and chicken free kibble for their ferret. That made me feel better.

If I ever need a future poop inspection. Your the lady!

Thanks again. And Rosie says hello.



Edit: yes I've trimmed her nails since this picture lol

[Deleted]

You should really consider raw, with raw you have much more control over what is in the food and it is better for them leading to fewer health issues down the road. With that said if you aren't comfortable with the concept of raw yet then this food chart will help you pick out a better food:
moredooks.herobo.com/search.php?chart=ferret

Thankfully the internet makes finding food easier.

You are right that Orijen is listed as a cat food but there are more regulations on cat food than on ferret food in the U.S. and they are both obligate carnivores that require taurine.

The regional red doesnt have chicken in it and after some coaxing my group has taken to it nicely.

If I've just repeated info you already have just ignore my I am in a rush and might not have caught all the posts.

better food will mean better and less poops

[Deleted]

Cool thanks for the input