bad food

Question
Hi,
My dad said I might be able to get a ferret, but I have to read up on them first. Can you tell me what kinds of foods ferrets souldn't have?

Answer
Hello maki,
Thanks for your question. Your father is very wise to tell you to read up on ferrets before owning one. A very good book is
"Ferrets for Dummies" by Kim Shilling. Also, here is an excellent website you should visit, to see if ferret ownership is right for you:
http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/ferret/ferret.html

As far as what food to feed your ferret, there is no "best food."
Becoming a new ferret owner, you will be introduced to a lot of differing opinions about what to feed your ferret, there are truly as many differing opinions as there are ferret owners!  Some people feed ferret food, some cat food, and some even raw meat!

I personally do not recommend commercial ferret foods, due to the high amount of fish meal in them can cause ferrets to have loose stools, and pungent stool and oily coats.
They are also VERY costly, and in my opinion, with  not much higher benefit.
Many "ferret" foods are simply repackaged mink foods which are high in fish or fish meal. Also, a lot of them contain high Ash, and A high ash content in foods can lead to urinary tract problems.

I personally feed my ferrets a POULTRY based cat food
(I used "Special Care" by Purina, which is available in your GROCERY cat food isle.) and then gave them a couple of drops of ferretone every week. This feeding system was recommended to me by a vet that owned ferrets for years, and I highly recommend it. You will notice a big difference in their coat, it will become softer, not so oily, and their odor will be
a lot less! I have used this feeding formula (I learned from a vet who had ferrets) for 12 years, and have had ferrets live to 9 years old on it, with no health problems. I did actually change three times to the so called "better" ferret foods, only to be unpleasantly surprised. Plus two of my ferrets refused to eat on Marshall's ferret foods. So I went back to this, and haven't changed.
as far as what ferrets SHOULDN'T eat, avoid giving them sweets, especially chocolate (which contains a stimulant that can have bad effects on ferrets) and sweets that stick to their teeth. Onions or garlic, can cause changes in ferrets' blood, so should also be avoided. Ferrets are also lactose-intolerant, so should not be fed cow's milk or milk products, and cheeses.. .  Salty snacks, that tend to be packed with additives, should also be avoided.
Good luck with your new pet, and feel free to ask any additional questions you may have.
amy