Alternative to raw as a step up from kibble?

[aelainea]

One of my ferrets has digestive issues, which have become worse lately. His poops have been runny and yellow lately. In this past this was an intermittent issue, but it seems to be getting worse. Weirdly, his fur is ridiculously soft and plush (he is by far the softest, more luxurious of our business); not sure how this factors in, if at all. I suspect IBD, but regardless of what is going on I'm curious what changes I can make to improve his diet.

All 3 ferrets are currently kibble fed (Wysong Epigen 90 Digestive Support mixed with Wellness Core Kitten). I've always wanted to make the switch to raw, but I live in a small apartment with limited freezer space (i.e. the above-the-fridge kind). What's more, I myself have been a vegetarian for 15 years so I'm more clueless than the average person when it comes to meat! I've started looking into freeze-dried options (like Archetype), but feeling overwhelmed by the information and ratios and all that. Other brands/options I've seen mentioned when combing through old posts include Instinct and Darwin's.

I guess what I'm asking is, would this be a good place to start (either Archetype freeze-dried or Darwin's raw cat food)? Does anyone use Darwin's? Literally any information, clarity or a point in the right direction is greatly appreciated. Despite doing my best to research on my own, this is 100% new territory for me! 

[Corvidophile]

I used to use Instinct raw bites, my ferret did very well on them and it’s easy to feed, just scoop out little pellets. Not tried Darwin but I’ve heard good things about it. You can also buy a powdered mix for ground meat and make your own that way, this is what I use: www.knowbetterpetfood.com/products/better-in-the-raw-for-ferrets

You’ll want to freeze it into ice cube trays in all likelihood, silicone ones make the food easy to pop out.

[aelainea]

Corvidophile Ohh, I've never seen or heard of the one you linked, thank you for the info! Do you just make soups with it, like one would do with kibble? We currently soak our kibble mix and grind it all together.

[Corvidophile]

You can make it into a soup by adding more water, but at the specified ratio it mixes into a thick dough like consistency.

[caitmonster]

Another option for freeze dried is Stella & Chewys, you can find them in some pet stores and online at Amazon and Chewy.com: www.chewy.com/brands/shop-by-cat-8319?rh=c%3A3312%2Cc%3A7557%2C

The mixes for cats are best for ferrets, since they include the necessary taurine and exclude veggies. They also have probiotics included, which you may find helpful for your one with suspected IBD. It is very convenient, but you do pay more for it compared to mixing your own raw meat fresh.

One note about only feeding grinds or freeze dried, though--you will have to stay on top of teeth brushing, since there's little to no mechanical action on their teeth to remove residue otherwise.

[aelainea]

Aug 22, 2020 21:41:03 GMT -5 caitmonster said:

Another option for freeze dried is Stella & Chewys, you can find them in some pet stores and online at Amazon and Chewy.com: www.chewy.com/brands/shop-by-cat-8319?rh=c%3A3312%2Cc%3A7557%2C

The mixes for cats are best for ferrets, since they include the necessary taurine and exclude veggies. They also have probiotics included, which you may find helpful for your one with suspected IBD. It is very convenient, but you do pay more for it compared to mixing your own raw meat fresh.

One note about only feeding grinds or freeze dried, though--you will have to stay on top of teeth brushing, since there's little to no mechanical action on their teeth to remove residue otherwise.

I will check those out, thanks! In the meantime we switched everyone to Origen Regional Red (didn't want too big of a shock for the moment, since our boy was having issues) and gave a small amount of kefir and slippery elm bark to our boy... huge improvement! Normal poops, normal appetite, energy levels back up and all that. Eventually do want to transition to a more natural diet, so will keep these brands in mind and do more research in the meantime. Thanks!