Is yurio's new diet okay?

[LindaM]

I'm gonna say no. There are much better choices available than either of these two.

So for the NV Instinct RawBoost Mixers, honestly, I'd only ever give those as treats, or crumbled over food as enticement, they're pretty crappy even when wet down with water. Instead, you could pick up the NV Instinct Raw Bites for Felines (Chicken or Rabbit), that is their commercial frozen raw and should be generally be available in a freezer in the pet store. My honest opinion from when I used these, is that while ferrets tend to easily eat them, they stink to high heaven and can't be kept out as long as other products that are similar.

Which one of the Chicken and Whitefish did you get? There are two. The one is with eggs, carrots, & spinach, and the other one is with garden vegetables in gravy. I would really avoid both. They both contain pea protein, which has been indicated as increasing the risk of bladder and kidney stones from diet. Both also contain vinegar and salt, which should really be avoided too.

EDIT to Add:
As with all grinds, you will need to continue brushing your ferret's teeth several times a week. And even though grinds, if properly balanced, are considered a complete meal containing muscle, organs, and bones, your ferret still needs a minimum of at least 3 different proteins.

[Deleted]

Could someone recommend me some brands then? I went to a different pet store then my normal and the section was very poor tbh so if I knew what to look for maybe I'd have an easier time? There doesn't seem to be much information on this feeding method as well, any thing else I feel kind of like I'm flying blind.

[LindaM]

Well, like I mentioned in your other thread, I (and plenty of other people on here) feed Stella and Chewy's, both for FDR and Commercial Raw. So they're a pretty good choice. And then like I said in my post above, you could try some of NV Instinct's Raw Bites for Felines, while they do stink (at least to me and some people), they are considered balanced. You can also feed Rad Cat Raw, but since these do not contain bone but use eggshell instead, they are not for long-term use unless done with other bone-containing foods. There is also Darwin's Pet's Natural Raw. You can use some of the higher raw percentage Primal Raw Feline products (93% raw) too, but I'd use it in conjunction with other products that have a percentage of 95% or higher.

For the best selections on these do not go to run-of-the-mill pet stores (Petco, Petsmart, etc) since they will not stock any, instead look for a holistic pet supply store in your area or nearby. Best way to do this is to go to each provider's website and check out their "Where to Buy" section. Most FDR products can also be sourced online, as can some raw grinds.

Refer to this for more info:
Raw & Whole Prey Providers

[Deleted]

Stella and chewy isn't sold near me it seems, the last mom and pop pet store in my area closed down a few years ago. They sell it on Amazon but how can I make sure I'm purchasing the right stuff with the proper ingredients without reading the bag myself ( I've never bought pet food online?) As for the instinct raw I'll have to look for it because that was a brand I was looking at in the store while briefly thinking for defaulting to kibble instead but I guess I overlooked it in my anxiety.

[LindaM]

It's pretty easy ordering pet food online, and almost all online stores will let you see the ingredient list, either via an image or written out on the product page. You can also Google the brand and product in question and look for the ingredients on their website.

[Deleted]

okay rad cat would be the full nutrients for my fuzzy? Long as I get three protein sources

[Sherry]

As your first post is deleted I can't comment on anything that was in there. But if it is frozen raw you are going for, look for something aimed at cats.

[Deleted]

Sorry I thought I could delete it and retype it 😔

He is currently on Vital® Grain Free Chicken & Ocean Whitefish Cat Food Recipe With Carrots, Eggs & Spinach with rehydrated rabbit rawboost mixers from instinct

[Sherry]

Not a problem What you have to do is click "edit", and then you can change it
I am going to assume that is a kibble? If so please change him off that one right away. Pea product in kibble is being linked to kidney and bladder stones in ferrets. And they have split the pea so they can put it lower on the list of ingredients. If you are going to do a raw switch, even to commercial raw you will need to do a transition for him. Get the commercial raw(look for at least 95% meat, 5% or less fiber) and read through some of the switches in our mentoring archives. Start a thread in Diet Transitions to get some help getting him changed over

[Deleted]

It actually was in the frozen raw section so .....a raw kibble?

[LindaM]

Sherry couldn't see your original post and when you Google the product by name as you mentioned it, it appears that it could be a kibble one on their product website since the photo on there is stupidly small. But I believe it's just commercial raw nuggets, yes? Either way, it still remains a not so good choice, both that one and the one with the garden vegetables and gravy. They contain only 90% meat, include pea protein, and rather importantly contain vinegar and salt too.

[Sherry]

From Linda's description it does sound like a commercial frozen raw, but meant for dogs with a veg content that high. You need to look for one 95% or higher of meat/bone/organ. Preferably whole animal grinds.

[Deleted]

I ended up finding two stores near me that does carry raw right now we're trying out the beef raw bites and duck Stella & chewys! So fair he's living the soup so thank you so much for your help in finding an proper food

[LindaM]

That's great news! I'm so glad he's liking the new food. Remember, he needs to get at minimum 3 different proteins on his weekly menu. So if he's happy with the beef and duck, you need to at least add one more. Of course, the more variety you can offer, the better.

Which Stella & Chewys did you end up with in the end? The Feline product or the Canine product? If you got the Canine one, be sure to add some hearts (pureed or slivered small works great) mixed in with the meal, or be sure to give some extra hearts for treats in the week, that way your ferret will not get an insufficient level of Taurine.

[Deleted]

I got the cat duck duck goose which after a little scruff and stuff he goobled up this morning