Raw food diet for ferret?

Question

I want to start feeding my ferrets (and possibly dog and cats too) the B.A.R.F. (biologically appropriate raw foods) diet, as I found out it increases their longevity. Can someone please help me find a place to buy prepackaged raw ferret food? I've found it for cats and dogs, but I can't find it for ferrets and they have different vitamin needs and cant digest anything but meat. I'm too nervous about borne illness to prepare it myself. The ferrets are the most pressing, as one probably needs surgery to remove an adrenal tumor and I got a reality check about their typical lifespan on commercial diets. They are 4 1/2 now and the vets never seen one older than 6. On the BARF diet they usually live into their teens. I'm also looking into V.I.B.E. therapy if I can find someone with a VIBE machine in Virginia. As for the food-price is no object. If we're going to pay over a thousand dollars for Rascal's surgery we're not going to skimp on the food to keep them healthy

Answer 1

I am a proponent of raw foods however I think you've not been given the whole story in regards to diet and lifespan. Hopefully this will help a bit and remember that adrenal is very common and at 4.5 years he still has a good life ahead of him.

First to order a BARF diet I'd suggest http://www.homemade4life.com

the shipping information is on the site and it's a good quality food. The ferret and cat food are the same, as it's based on the nutritional porportions found in the animals prey. There are some vegetables and grains in all BARF diets, this is to simulate the natural amount of food found in the prey (rabbit, mouse, rat, etc.) stomach in which the predator would eat. Though cats and ferrets are biologically very different animals and require different medications this is more due to differences in their anatomy and not in their diet; they have similar prey.

It may be very hard to switch your ferrets to a raw diet, especially if they've been eating kibble all their lives. Ferrets imprint on foods very young and introducing new foods can take some effort. It's not impossible but going from a dry kibble to a moist raw diet is very different and may cause the ferret a good deal of stress. Stress triggers illness and in a ferret with adrenal you may see a sudden onset of advanced symptoms or it may allow another illness to set in. It's not impossible to transition a sick ferret to a raw diet but should be done with great care as it may make the current conditions worse.

An alternative to a raw diet which may be an easier transition is one of the lo-carb kibbles. I highly recommend Innova Evo- Ferret, Cat, Puppy or Red Bites Small Dog, all are excellent foods and not only meet the requirements for a ferret but actually exceed them. They are made with human grade meat and are based on a biologically appropriate diet. Even the Puppy formulas are so high in protein and low in carbs that they are recommended for ferrets. I feed a couple whole prey or Frankenprey meals a day to my ferrets and keep kibble available at all times. They get a mix of Innova Evo Ferret, Innova Evo Red Bites, and Ori-jen Cat/Kitten (another low-carb high protein kibble). Innova Evo is made by Natura foods if you are looking for a dealer near you, if you prefer to order online you can find it at this store.

http://stinkweasels.com/home.php

Very few ferrets live into their teens (especially in North America) and diet is only a portion of the overall health of a ferret. Breeding and environment play just as big a factor and though there was a time when ferrets averaged 9-11 years that has not been for a very long time. Mass breeding, early/spay neuter, prolonged photoperiods and of course environmental factors like exposure to carcinogens have greatly shortened a ferrets lifespan.

Changing diet is a great way to start and one of the few things we have control over but know that it will not bring about miraculous changes. You may or may not see a longer life span and you will have no real way of knowing if it's the diet, surgery or likely a combination of both.

I'm glad you are getting the surgery, I've had great results with it for my kids. If you can look into following it with a shot of Lupron to help stop a second onset.

I've included a link to a forum below, there are many on the web that are helpful this is just one I would suggest.

Good luck!