Nutrition for Ferrets

Feeding your ferret a proper diet is extremely important.  Ferrets, like cats, are strict carnivores that are designed to eat whole, small prey animals.  In nature, ferrets would only encounter carbohydrates in the partially digested stomach contents of their prey.  The most common diet fed to pet ferrets in the United States is dry kibble, however these diets still contain high levels of grain.  The most important thing to look at when choosing a food for you ferret is the label.  The optimal diet contains 30-35% crude protein (high-quality meat sources) and 15-20% fat content.  The first three ingredients of a ferret diet should be meat products.  Dry diets can also be supplemented with:  fresh raw organ or muscle meat and raw egg.  Fruits should be avoided and fresh water should always be available either in a sipper bottle or a heavy crock-type bowl.  If a bowl is used it should not be easy to overturn.  Supplements should never be added to the ferrets’ water because they will degrade quickly.  Make sure to speak to your veterinarian if you have any questions about your ferret’s diet.