Healthy/Happy Ferret just puked several times, now seems fine???

Question
Hi, I have a healthy/friendly ferret that usualy has no problems, I just noticed him throw up about 4 times around his cage(a tan/skin colour/food colour id assume) then he seemed completely fine. I changed his food(replaced with fresh food from different bag of food) Changed his sheets, and changed his water. He drank a bunch of water, seemed eager to comes out of his cage to play, I didnt allow him because i was afraid of his health. So he went back to sleep. I believe this is the first time hes puked several times at once. Its past midnight so I cant rush him to the Vet. What should I do? He seems completely fine now, and wasnt dry heaving, nor was his poop runny(It looks normal like always) Please any help would be appreciated, Thank You Very Much.

And maybe any feeding tips would help this?

I feed him Marshalls Premium Ferret Diet, and my mother gives him Small pieces of banana's for breakfest every morning, but I read banana's are no good for ferrets, although like I said he has not had this problem before, and he has eaten banana's and his ferret food since I bought him roughly a year and a half ago as a baby.

Thank You Very Much for any help.

Answer
Hi Tom,

Sometimes, ferrets eat too fast and the food doesn't get digested, so it all comes back up. As long as he isn't doing it anymore, there shouldn't be too much to worry about. If you notice that he keeps doing it, then there is definitely a problem and he should be brought in for a check up but as long he isn't vomiting anymore, isn't lethargic, still eating and drinking, then I wouldn't worry about it too much. Keep a close watch on him and make sure nothing changes. If you see anything at all strange, then definitely take him in for a check up, but otherwise just keep watch.

I don't encourage feeding any non-meat or egg treats to ferrets. They are what's called obligate carnivores, which means that their bodies literally can't digest or gain nutrition from plant material (fruits, vegetables, grains) or sugars (lactose, sucrose, etc.). They need protein! Meat and eggs are rich in protein so these are the best treats out there. You can give unseasoned, de-boned meat (raw or cooked, but always de-boned) or unseasoned eggs (raw or cooked). You could also try live or frozen prey (mice, mealworms, crickets, etc.). I don't suggest feeding live prey, however, because there is always the risk that the mouse could hurt your ferret. If you aren't interested in doing prey animals (which I wouldn't blame you for:) ), you could try chicken liver, heart, etc. I would say stick to chicken because they love it and its a good source of protein for them! If you give fruits, vegetables, etc., that might cause a blockage in his system, as he can't break it down, and that could cause his intestine to rupture, which is a serious problem. Vomiting is one of the signs of a blockage, so if you see more vomiting, pawing at the mouth, black, tarry poops, or lethargy then you could have a very serious problem on your hands and I urge you to get him to a vet if you see any of those signs.

Marshall's is nearly ferret junk food, unfortunately. Since they are a quite large breeder of ferrets, you would think that it would be the best food on the market, but this isn't even remotely the case. You should feed your ferret a food that has about 36% protein, 20-22% fat and no more than 3% fiber. Also, taurine should be in there somewhere. Here is a chart listing some of the foods that people feed their ferrets:

http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_treats.html

As you can see from the list, Marshall's is not very good.

I would stay above a nine in the ranking if I were you. Another thing you want to look for in the food is that at least 3 of the first 5 ingredients are from meat products (and not fish). Also, stay away from foods with corn or corn products listed in the first three to five ingredients.

I would suggest switching his food. You need to make the change gradually because ferrets imprint on their food at a young age and they don't recognize anything else as food. Also, you're going to want to do it gradually to be easier on his tummy. You will probably see looser stool than normal for a few days. Just keep an eye on that and make sure he is staying hydrated. If it lasts for more than a week or if he gets dehydrated or stops eating, you should have him checked out by a qualified ferret vet. You should start out with about 85% old food and 15% new food. Keep that ratio for a few days and then put 75% old food and 25% new food and continue that for a few days and so on. You could even mix a couple high quality foods if you wanted to, just in case your normal food changes formula and your little guy won't eat it!

I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews