A list of treats people feed their ferrets follows this article, this list is the result of responses from folks on the FML, The Ferret Board, and 2 News Groups where I posted the question "What snacks do your ferrets love?". If you have a snack your ferrets love and it is not listed here please e-mail me and I will add it to the list.

Supplements and Treats

Unless you are feeding an improper diet vitamin supplements are not necessary for the healthy ferret. If your ferret is ill your vet may recommend you supplement his diet with vitamins but stick with the quantity the vet recommends as large quantities of vitamins over a long period of time can build up in the body and cause problems themselves.

During the colder months when you run your heat the air in your house may become dry. This dry air can cause a ferrets skin and coat to become dry itself. A few drops of Ferretone or Linatone a couple times a week can help maintain a healthy coat. Ferrets love the stuff but remember too much of a good thing is still too much! I mix equal parts of olive oil with the Ferretone to cut down on high vitamin A content.

Nutrical is a good supplement for young or ill ferrets. Ferrets also love it as a treat anytime! Nutrical is good for stimulating the appetite of ferrets, however it has a high sugar content so use it sparingly. You may want to give Nutrical and Duck Soup (this is a mix of many things used well a ferret is very ill) to your ferret as an occasional treat, that way he will be used to them in case he does get sick!

Ferrets can get hairballs like cats but unlike cats they do not throw them up. Many ferrets have needed surgery for blockage caused by hairballs. To help with this problem use a cat laxative like Laxatone or Petramalt twice a week during the time your ferret is changing his coat. They will love you for it! Again these things are great for ferret but use sparingly because of the sugar content and with the hairball remedies you may end up with a ferret with diarrhea if you give him too much.

As for treats, ferrets love anything "you" have but there are things they should not have. Nothing with a bone should ever be given. You should avoid treats high in sugar as ferrets have trouble digesting large quantities of sugar and this can lead to problems with the pancreas. Some good "people" treats to share would be bagels & cheerios. Chocolate should never be given to a ferret. Ferrets love fruits and veggies, but their systems don't. Ferrets do not digest fiber well at all; a banana in comes out a banana. They enjoy treats like banana, raisins, peeled grapes & blueberries. Oh, and they love mashed potatoes. Things to avoid are hard veggies like raw carrots these can actually cause blockage. The key to remember is that even a safe treat is not good if you give him too much, a good amount would be about 1/2 teaspoon of any treat per ferret. And 3 raisins are plenty for one ferret. Too much fiber can cause diarrhea and dehydration.

Most important of all remember to love your ferret everyday!

Tricia Conley

Frisky Ferrets of Louisiana

FFerrets@aol.com