Pulse - August 2023 - 21

THE RVT
Mice vs. Kibble
The Ferret Food Debate
Adrienne A. Kruzer, BBA, RVT, LVT
F
errets are popular alternatives
to pet cats and dogs
for those who want a slightly
smaller pet. Not only do they live
longer than a hamster but ferrets
are also much more playful
than a typical caged pet. Ferrets
are often purchased from pet
stores and like most other furry,
small animals, so is their food.
But is packaged ferret kibble
really the best diet option for a
pet ferret? Or is there something
more natural, like whole prey,
that you should be recommending
your clients feed to their
ferrets?
Pet ferrets suffer from a myriad of diseases
and it's no secret that proper nutrition plays a
vital role in the overall health of a pet. Because
of this, the best diet recommendations should
always be made known to ferret owners.
Ferrets are a domesticated subspecies of
the European polecat and were originally bred
to hunt vermin. European polecats are typically
darker and larger than domesticated ferrets but
they are not feral ferrets. There are, however,
feral ferrets that were once pets and were either
released or escaped into the wilds of the United
Kingdom. Despite what some people may
think would happen to a pet ferret left to fend
for itself in the wild, these feral ferrets not only
survived but thrived. They fared so well in the
wild that they even bred with European polecats
creating polecat-ferret hybrid offspring.
These wild hybrids now make up a large population
of the European polecats in the UK and
are more genetically similar to pet ferrets than
their pure polecat parents. These healthy, wild
ferrets therefore provide pet ferret owners with
a great opportunity to take a look at what diet
allows these animals to thrive.
Diet options for pet ferrets include comPULSE
AUGUST
2023
mercial ferret food, commercial cat food, and
whole prey items. Both commercial ferret and
cat foods are available with and without grains
and are the most popular options among pet
ferret owners. Just like other commercially
available pet foods, this is due to the wide
availability and ease of feeding. Pet owners are
comfortable simply scooping some kibble into
a bowl but kibble actually isn't the best option
for their ferrets. Ferrets are carnivores and
while their nutritional requirements are similar
to a cat, their digestive tracts are much shorter.
Ferrets also need their diets to have 30-40%
high quality protein, 15-30% fat, low fiber, and
low carbohydrate contents. Additionally, their
teeth easily develop plaque and tartar from
only eating kibble and a number of diseases
that pet ferrets commonly develop may also be
linked to kibble diets. Domesticated ferrets are
almost genetically identical to the wild ferrets
in the UK that are thriving on whole prey diets.
Whole prey diets are nutritionally balanced for
ferrets, keep teeth clean, and may even decrease
the incidence of some diseases.
Many ferret owners unfortunately do not
like the thought of having to feed a small, fuzzy
mouse to their pet though so if you have a client
that is unwilling to offer a whole prey diet,
there are two other options. A grain-free, high
quality commercial ferret food should be your
second recommendation behind whole prey
and if ferret food is temporarily unable to be
purchased, high quality, grain-free kitten food
should be the final recommendation. Adult
cat food and commercial ferret and cat diets
with grains often do not have enough protein
or fat in them and the grains are unable to be
digested by a ferret. Dilated cardiomyopathy,
insulinomas, periodontal disease, and concerns
for increased incidence of other diseases have
all been suspected or theorized in ferrets being
fed inappropriate diets long term.
If you do have a ferret owner that is willing
to feed whole prey to their ferrets, prekilled,
frozen mice are ideal for an everyday
meal. Ferrets should be fed one thawed mouse
at a time with a total of two to three mice per
day, depending on the size of the ferret. Mice
should never be thawed in the microwave but
a frozen mouse will quickly thaw if placed
in a bowl of warm to hot water. Ferrets eating
whole prey can be fed outside to keep the
house clean or offered a mouse in an area that
is easy to sanitize in case the ferret is a messy
eater. Other fully developed, whole prey items
can also be offered but adult mice are readily
available from suppliers.
Ferret owners that prefer to have the
convenience of kibble but don't mind the idea
of feeding mice can reap some of the benefits
of a whole prey diet by offering an occasional
mouse. This will still provide the ferret with
some of the dental benefits that whole prey offers
and can also replace a meal of kibble since
it is nutritionally complete. P
References
Fekete, S. G., Fodor, K. , Proháczik, A. and Andrásofszky,
E. (2005), Comparison of feed preference and
digestion of three different commercial diets for
cats and ferrets. Journal of Animal Physiology and
Animal Nutrition, 89: 199-202.
Bell, J.A. (1999 Jan) Ferret Nutrition. Vet Clin North
Am Exot Anim Pract. 2(1):169-92, viii.
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