New Adventures Await

For those that follow us on Facebook you already know what adventure I am talking about but for those that don’t know. As of June 30th the kids and I will be Home Free.

We will be living a non traditional life as nomads in a van until I am able to get us back into a non moving home if that should be the case. I should say that I am not one to do much of anything traditionally but this is even new for me.

The van or Ferret Chariot 2 is pretty much outfitted for travel and pets it seems as all of the normal places a pet might try to hide has been closed off. 

So I will be putting into long term use the knowledge I have gained over the years of traveling to Blog Paws and who knows maybe this will add a different dimension to the blog.

I do know that Marcuz and Marylin will be updating their travel blog on Facebook more often now.

If you would like to donate towards us either getting a solid home or just some gas money you can do it one of two ways. You can donate using the donation button here on the blog or you can donate through the Go Fund Campaign.

I have a week of work coming up and then we will be headed to Kentucky to see a friend or two before heading towards D.C. Want us to stop and see you leave a comment below. Sorry we can’t come to California.

Jo

Roadtrips and Hashtag Contest

Can you believe we leave for our trek to Vegas on Tuesday. Our friend over at Fidose Of Reality left today for their trip and you can follow them on twitter with the hash tag #FidoseAcrossAmerica for those not familiar with Carol Bryant or Dexter her cocker spaniel you need to check out her site. What many don't realize is that her and I live in the same state but at opposite ends. *Chitters* So seeing her hash tag made me realize that I might be missing an opportunity to let you all in on the adventures the furbabies and I will be having on our trip.

My only problem is I can't decide on what our hash tag should be and the list of options kept growing but I have narrowed it down to these last three which are:

#TravelingFerrets

#FerretsontheMove

#ScamperingAcrossStates

Because I can't decide which one of these I like the best I am opening it up for a vote and the hash tag that gets the most wins but that's not all I will chose from all the voters of the winning hash tag one person and they will receive a surprise from us either in the mail if you aren't attending Blog Paws or at the conference. To vote leave your choice along with your first name in the comment section.

The voting will go from today until Monday when the winning hash tag will be announced at the weekly #PetChat along with the winner of the surprise.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

 

Technorati Tags: hashtags,travel,Blog Paws,Ferrets,voting,winner,surprise,PetChat

Technorati Tags: twitter,roadtrip

Harness Training

Now that I know I will be going to Blog Paws with my kids, it is time to get them use to their harnesses again. Normally I would’t have to do this as we would have been on many outings during the winter but this winter was brutally cold and full of snow.

 

So my fur kids got to stay inside just being lazy if you can really call it that. Lol. I mean ferrets sleep around eighteen hours a day and the other six hours they play and get into mischief. More about that later.

So my kids haven’t been in their harnesses since October, well Manny was in his to go to the vet in November but that doesn’t count. So on Sunday I got out their harnesses and of course they had to check out the bag they were in and make sure theirs was in it.

Marylin still hasn’t decided what she thinks about them as they aren’t really stylish at all and she tends to be a bit of a Diva at times.

Manny pulled out his blue one that I am going to have to replace soon which I don’t know how he is going to like that since his harness used to belong to his big brother James of Jessie who went OTRB a couple of months after we went to Bark World. Manny will pout if I put the wrong harness on him. Guess it is like Linus®’s blanket for him.

Then there is Marcuz he has to have red or as close to red as possible. Maybe it is to show off his fiery personality.

While there are other styles of harnesses out there I prefer the H style as I can adjust it to the right size for each of my kids. Marylin should be done growing but that doesn’t mean she won’t put on weight like Manny and Marcuz do during the winter and then lose a few pounds in the spring when they blow their coats.

It only took Manny and Marcuz a few minutes to adjust to wearing their harnesses again but Marylin isn’t liking her’s and when I took it off she tried to hide it. The second time I put it on her she did the “I can’t walk with this on.” pose and when I took it off she tried eating it.

 

So while the boys are like okay when are we going somewhere Marylin is still at the training stage for now and I will work with her every day so that she gets use to wearing it again so that she will be safe when she meets her adoring public in May. Well I did say she was something of a Diva.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Semi Wordless Wednesday: National Ferret Day.

Yep you read that right today April 2 is officially National Ferret Day for the first time ever. While ferret owners have recognized this as an "un"official day for several years this is the first time it is official.

 

 

and this month Blog Paws is celebrating small pets this month! Can't believe that Blog Paws is just around the corner. 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

 

Wordless Wednesday: Iz Luvz Youz Hooman

 

 

have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Did You Know That Ferrets Get Colds

 

I just got over a bad cold. The kind where your head feels like it is going to explode. What many people don’t realize is that ferrets can and do get/give human colds. They can also give it back to the human if precautions are not taken to prevent the spread of the virus.

The precautions are the same ones you would take to prevent other family members from getting your cold. Hand washing is the number one thing you can do. I also have hand sanitizer in every room so that I can use it frequently before and after touching my fur babies. I also tend to wear a mask as not to breathe too many germs on them. The ideal situation would be for someone else to take care of them until I was well over my cold but ideal isn’t always possible.

Colds can last anywhere from seven to ten days and that does not include the time it takes to incubate. So your ferret may already be headed to having his/her own cold before you even see signs of your own cold.

So how do you know if your ferret has a cold? Pretty much the same way you know you have one. Runny nose/eyes, sneezing, sleeping more than normal, not wanting to play, and eating less. Treating a ferret with a cold is pretty much the same routine you do for yourself. Lots of fluids, a soup called Duck Soup (not made from ducks), warm bed and as long as they are eating and drinking well there should be no need to see the vet. However, if a ferret has stopped taking fluids/eating for more than 24hrs or has diarrhea you need to at least call the vet and ask questions to determine if medical treatment is needed. Dehydration is major concern as it can happen quickly and can lead to death if not treated immediately.

The same can be said for the flu. Did you know that the ferret was used to create the flu vaccine? The ferret's body system works similar to the human body. The ferret is also susceptible the Swine flu and can be fatal if not treated quickly enough. The swine flu can be fatal to the ferret if it is not managed well.

It should also be said that if a ferret already has an underlying issue such as Adrenal Disease or Insulinoma the cold/flu needs to be addressed ASAP as these diseases lower the immune system and the simple cold is not so simple in these ferrets.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Play/Bored

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

 

Year in Review: 2013

As I sit here sipping at my coffee and watch from my window the snow that is falling I realize that Enlightened Ferret kind of fell down on the job this last year.

The first half of the year seemed to go well but behind the scenes, it was starting to show signs of no feeling it. On top of that our business Enlightened Ferret Fashions took on a mind of its own and gobbled up time that would have gone into writing.

We were completely sponsored for Blog Paws in 2013 something we’ve been working on for a long time. Which was great but it also left us feeling even more exhausted and taught us a valuable lesson. I loved working with Linda Cope and Denise (Sorry I can’t remember your last name) from Marshall Pets but being an introvert (is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people.) and trying to be an extrovert clashed badly.

.

Kind of like a motorcycle tangling with a semi the motorcycle is going to lose ninety-nine times and so started the slow decline of posts for the rest of the year.

June saw me finally getting a bi weekly paycheck in the form of a job. Working for the Post Office which is great for many reasons but it ate the last little bit of time I had left for me. So now I was working basically two jobs, being a seamstress for Enlightened Ferret Fashions and a PMR (Post Master/Mistress Relief) and what was supposed to be only a few hours a week exploded as the main Post Mistress took time off as she hadn’t been able to for over a year.

Don’t get me wrong I love working there but it is hard to get a set schedule set when you don’t know what is happening day to day. But I digress as the blog suffered for it.

Half-heartedly I posted pictures on Wordless Wednesday until even that faded. So I took several steps back and have been analyzing just where I wanted this blog to go in the following year but I also went back to the first few posts of this last year and saw that I set myself some very unrealistic goals that probably set myself up for some failure.

So the New Year is going to see some changes to Enlightened Ferret.

I will be posting a written post on Mondays and a pic on Wordless Wednesday. Granted that is a lot less than I have been doing but for the moment that is all I can do. They will be a mix of education, news, personal, and reviews, some of these posts maybe very lengthy depending on the subject of the post. Along with the occasional post challenge such as the one on Jan 10. (see badge for details)

Thank you for sticking with Enlightened Ferret though its silence and now that we are rested up we hope to hear from you all as 2014 starts its march towards 2015.

              

Have a Chittering Good Day and a Dooking New Year,

Jo

Marcuz’s Grand Adventure: AKA Heart Stopping Fear

Yesterday was a day of highs and lows and one very prolonged heart attack. I cannot stress the need for ferret proofing and being observant of your environment. Yesterday was Monday and I had to get up early to go to job training down in Butler, Pa.

That meant I had to get up at 6am to get everyone feed, watered, and rotated. Now the room where Boyd the cat normally resides is being remodeled along with the roof being done on that side so he and I are residing in the ferret’s room.

During the day, the ferrets are out of their cage and at night, Boyd gets out of his crate to roam the hallway and the room. Boyd has a bad habit. He scratches at the window screen and nothing has stopped him from doing it. What I didn’t realize was that he had actually put a hole in the screen, which wouldn’t had been a problem if I had seen it before I left for my training that lasted from 8am to 5pm

I get home around 5:30pm and go upstairs to get out of my jeans and take my knee brace off entering the room I noticed that several things are out of place on the windowsill and then I see the six-inch long hole. Panic sets in and I start looking for my fur kids. Sleeping in a bin is Manny and Marylin.

As you can see from the pictures, I tore the room apart looking for Marcuz.

Looking out the window cold fear starts to develop as I realize that Marcuz had to have gone through the hole and out onto the roof. Racing down the stairs, I grab Manny’s harness and a leash speeding through the living room roomie asks what is wrong but the lump in my throat won’t let me speak so I just wave her off.

Stopping on the porch, I peer around the corner afraid to find a tiny broken body. There is none so the cold fear starts to receded and the panic starts to take over again. I can’t call for Marcuz as he is deaf and wouldn’t hear me. After checking around the outside of the house I go back in and get my voice to work long enough to tell Roomie that Marcuz has to be outside somewhere.

To which she tells me that Mr.. Z had been going ballistic earlier in the day and she thought someone had been knocking at the door but when she checked there was no one there but Mr.. Z laid on the floor and stared outside. Roomie thought it might have been the stray cat that comes around or the dog from across the street.

Back upstairs to make sure I hadn’t over looked one of Marcuz’s hidey-holes. I hadn’t so back down the stairs and Mr.. Z and roomie are outside checking out things. Mr.. Z seems to be on the trail of something but what it was unknown and didn’t seem to be Marcuz. Thankfully, our neighbors are good and they put their own dogs inside or in the dog’s kennel.

This weekend was the community day yard sale and I hadn’t gotten all the boxes back inside so before getting off the porch for the third or fourth time I shook each box in hopes of noticing a weight difference or having Marcuz pop out of one.

Around the block, checking the tree Marcuz loves to dig at when we go for cool evening walks to the back yard where the Ferret Chariot is parked. Roomie says to check under the garage. It is kind of dark under there so I start to go inside to get the flashlight when I hear something on the porch. I stop and look to where the sound is coming from and from behind the board leaning against the wide railing comes this grayish pink nose.

Marcuz’ white first is dusky grey and he smells of dirt but he is perfectly fine. Did he drop from the roof to the ground? Or did he get down to the gutter and follow it around to where the plastic was stapled to the roof and used it as a rope to get down? Or did he somehow figure out how to go down the ladder? I have no answers but there is not a mark on Marcuz.

I am sure that my neighbors finally have proof that I am the crazy ferret lady after this adventure. Taking Marcuz back up to the room I secured the window and took his access to it away before letting him loose and what does the little booger do? He starts weasel war dancing around the room with this look of pure delight.

My nerves are still shot and my chest hurts from where my heart was pounding on it but thankfully, Marcuz has been found uninjured and unfazed.

Moral of the story: ALWAYS CHECK! Ferret proofing isn’t a onetime thing and needs to be constantly updated.

Have a Safe and Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Let’s Not Fry the Ferret…

The summer heat is just now starting to creep up on us here in Western PA. I have a feeling it is going to be very humid and hot this year.

Now is the time we should be preparing our pets for the coming heat.

Ferrets do not do well in temperatures over 68 degrees and like many animals do not have sweat glands to regulate their body temperature.

While dogs can pant ferret’s don’t and it is easy for them to suffer heat stroke.

Each year we hear of children and service animals (police dogs) that have been left in the car when the temperature seems reasonable outside it is slowly baking them from the inside out.

I try not to take my fur kids on outings when the temperature is going to soar well over 70 degrees and if I have to do so I have a number of things I do to keep them cool and comfortable.

1. I fill a gallon jug with water and freeze it.

2. I fill a gallon size sealable bag with enough water that it will lay flat and freeze that.

3. I have a crate fan and keep extra batteries.

4. Plan out where you have to go and the amount of time you will be at one place.

As I said I don’t take them on outings if at all possible but sometimes emergencies arise and you have to go out with your ferret.

The gallon jug of water does two things. The first is I place it in front of the crate fan so that the air is cooled and isn’t just the heated air being blown around. Yelch. Second as it melts it is a cold drink for the ferrets. Just like humans animals need to stay hydrated in the summer heat.

The frozen flat bag is placed inside the carrier with a covering over it. This gives the ferret a place to lay down and stay cool and comfortable. The cover keeps the ferret from getting too cold or having their belly stick to it.

The crate fan I have uses 2 D size batteries and can eat them up in a matter of minutes depending on how long and how high I have the fan on so it is best to have extra batteries.

By knowing how long I will be out allows me to schedule stops at places where I can let my ferrets out of their carrier and the car. One of the best places is the park and since most of the outings go past the park they get numerous chances out. I am also lucky that the local pet/farm store allows animals inside where it is air-conditioned.

The best rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t want to stay in the car with windows up leave your pet at home. For those that earn a living by helping humans then the humans need to plan for the heat.

Police dogs should have adequate water and if it is possible a gallon jug of frozen water in the back with them.

If you see a pet in distress in a car call 911 and report it.

Best Advice: If you don’t have to take your pet with you DON’T!

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Blog Paws Moments

Holy Ferret! Blog Paws flew by in an instant. Didn’t we just get to Tyson’s Corner?

Now we are unpacking the bags of swags, sorting the ferret’s luggage from mine. My throat feels like someone shoved a tennis ball halfway down it and my voice is squeaky. This makes Manny come looking for the toy.

My favorite moment?

Getting my ferret shaped jump drive from Marshall Pet. I don’t think there are any photos or videos floating around of me bouncing up and down like an excited little kid getting something they really wanted at least I hope there isn’t.

I know I squealed with delight. I’ve wanted it since it came out. It is still sitting exactly where I put it when I received it. In the nametag pouch.

What was your favorite moment?

Best surprise moment.

When roomie’s puppy mill rescue dog Ariel barked for the first time. The look on that sweet face was adorable as she looked so surprised at the sound that came out of her. Then just to make sure she did it right she woofed a couple more times.

What was your surprise moment?

The Aha moment.

I’ve tried for years to understand how to put a book proposal together and have always fell short of completing one. Thanks to Darlene Arden’s session, I have a good grasp on the concept and an understanding that I didn’t have before along with a few good laughs as she has the best sense of humor.

What/When was your aha moment?

I know you from somewhere moment.

I heard the story of how a pet owner reconnected with his pet sitter almost 10 years later. How incredible was that?

As for me, it was the hotel clerk I used to deliver to every night when I worked for a pizza place and he ran the front desk.

Did you have one of those moments?

My sponsors, , set up a great play area for my kids to play in although I think they slept most of the time but it gave people the chance to see what a ferret looked like and if they happened to be awake and playing how cute they could be.

Next year Blog Paws will be in Vegas and I already have my ticket thanks to Lisa Taron The Pet Blog Lady.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Blog Paws 2013 Photos

View Full Album

 

We are defiantly feeling the Blog Paws Hangover today. Still can’t believe it is over already.

Next year we are headed to Vegas!  Enjoy the photos.

Have a *yawn* Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Blog Paws T- Minus 12 Days

Where has the time gone? Soon the fur kids and I will be joining other like-minded bloggers and pet related people in Tyson Corners, VA to expand our network and reconnect with friends.

This year is even more special for Enlightened Ferret because in addition to our long time supporter Lisa Taron the Pet Blog Lady.

Manny has known Lisa the longest and can’t wait to give her more ferrety kisses and introduce her to his sister Marylin.

Marshall, no not the clothing store, is also sponsoring us. Manny and Marylin are both Marshall ferrets and will be enjoying their sponsored small animal play area along with their brother Marcuz off and on throughout Blog Paws.

I am excited that there will be a brand there that geared to the ferret parent (ferrent).

Who knows maybe the 3M’s will give a weasel war dance demonstration for those that would like to learn those crazy moves. No guarantee though as ferrets have their own ideas of things.

We are grateful to our sponsors both old and new and can’t wait to see them both in just a few days.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Justice for Grace.

 

Disclaimer: Photo is graphic. If abused animal disturb you then this is not the post for you.  If you continue to read you do at your own discretion.

For my regular readers you know I don’t often post about those evil people who abuse animals but when I do it is because one of them has grabbed a heart string and plucked it making it sing out in need.

Grace is one of those that has plucked more than just my heart string among us ferret lovers. I first saw a picture of Grace when it was posted on the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach’s Facebook page.

She is one of the lucky ones as she was abandoned in an apartment building hallway and animal control was called who in turn called the Outreach who knew exactly where to take her for the best medical care she could get.

An investigation has been opened to find Grace’s owner so that charges can be brought against him or her. There is no way this happened in a few days

and I hate to think about how she managed to survive this long.

If you would like to help Amazing Grace you can donate to the Chadwell Animal Hospital - 443-512-8338 VET INFO or send it to PayPal account steph@wmafo.org and add a note that says for Grace.

Another way to help is to bid on some amazing items from the Ferret Fabulous Finds Auction House 10% is donated to a weekly ferret shelter from all of the artists who have items listed and I am proud to be one of those artists with my unique ferret clothing and I will be donating between 15% and 100% depending on the item sold.

( Ferret WarmUp Jacket for fur challenged ferrets)

If you live in the Washington D.C. Area and recognize this little girl or might know who abandoned this sweet soul please call your local animal control with the information. This little girl did nothing to deserve this abuse.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Fur is in the Air

Silly title I know but Spring began on March 20^th this year and it is time for the ferrets to blow their coats for the first time this year. For those that don’t know ferrets shed their coats twice a year. This is known as blowing the coat.

The boys have blown their coats enough times to know that it will be daily grooming until they aren’t leaving a lot of hair on me and in the air, more likely up my nose.

Marylin on the other hand isn’t too sure of what is going on but she loves the daily grooming like the true princess she believes herself to be.

Disclaimer in accordance with FCC rules: This is my opinion about a product I received in 2010 and the replacement in 2012. There is no other compensation for this post.

The one tool I absolutely love is the FURminator®. I was lucky enough to score one at the first Blog Paws and have never looked back.

Although I had to get a replacement one since Trixie the Blood Hound decided, it would make a great chew toy and broke several of the teeth.

FURminator® was at the Salt Lake City Blog Paws and when I told them about needing to get a replacement they laughed at the fact Trixie broke the teeth on the tool and not her own. My only complaint it’s pink not one of my favorite colors but hey it is a great tool for the amount of grooming I am doing now days.

I wanted to see just how much fur came off each fur kid in one sitting. So I put a plastic baggie next to the grooming area and as the FURminator® got full, I would put the fur into the plastic bag. 

Imagine my surprise when my chubby Marylin nearly filled the bag from her 30 minutes of grooming. Most of that chub was from the amount of fur she had surrounding her little body.

 

Second place went to Marcuz with him filling his bag almost to half. What surprised me was Manny he had hardly any fur to put in the baggie. But I found out why when I went to change their bedding. He has been using one side of the blanket as his personal scratcher so now it looks like a furry blanket instead of soft baby blanket. Yes, my kids are spoiled.

I went to do groom time only to find that the FURminator® had grown legs and walked off the table. I was pretty sure it was Marcuz who had taken it as he had been trying to take it all day. The handle of the FURminator® is made from a soft rubber and I guess to him it smells good.

Looking into Marcuz’s hidey-hole I was surprised not to find it there but he was curled around his favorite mouse sound asleep. Off to the next hidey-hole that belongs to Marylin who decided it was time to play sneak attack as I looked into the basket.

Good thing I was expecting it…sort of as it is still unsettling to have just less than two pounds of fur leap up at you with paws outstretched from under the pile of toys but no FURminator®. That left Manny’s hidey-hole and looky what I found in there.

Guess I am gonna have to lock that tool up when it isn’t in use.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Did You Know…

That ferrets can be taught to walk on a leash like a dog. I get an assortment of different looks when I walk my three fur kids and the most received statement is “I didn’t know they would walk on a leash.”

Like training a dog, you have to have the right equipment.

What you need:

A harness

A belled collar

A leash

A tandem lead

Ferretone

There are different styles of harnesses to choose from and the one you choose has to fit your lifestyle. What works for me may not be the style or design you want. There are three main styles of harnesses and they are:

This is one of the cheapest one it’s made from a twisted cord that loops over the head and has a plastic slider that has a button lock making it look like one of those Bolo Ties   seen on Oil Tycoons but without the silver tips.

To make the second loop you take the line with the metal clip under the ferret’s body behind their front feet and clip it into the plastic loop on the side of the slider.

This type of leash is attractive to many first time ferret owners because of cost but the effectiveness of using this leash is almost nil. The button lock doesn’t stay locked and agile ferrets can maneuver enough to unlock it and slide it so they can walk out of the harness.

The Neoprene Harnesses are usually brightly colored and has Velcro® on the ends that go around the neck and around the body.

 

The Comfort harness is similar to the Neoprene Harness in design but also features buckles for added safety. The furkids buddy Snotface Critter wears one on his travels and Marylin wore a smaller version until she was big enough for her newest harness.

I use the H style harness mainly because it was the only style available where I live until recently when the store started adding more designs to their inventory and Most of the time you bought the harness and leash as a set. These are made from nylon webbing and are adjustable around the neck and body and has the same buckle as the comfort harness.

 

All but the string type harness have a D ring for the leash to attach to. It is important to make sure the harness fits correctly. To loose and the ferret will escape too tight and then the ferret won’t be able to breathe or move properly. Rule of thumb I use is one finger between the ferret and the harness.

Always start harness training inside.

I cannot stress this enough. First, it allows the ferret the chance to get use to having the harness on in a controlled situation. If the ferret realizes they can get out of the harness, they will do so in the safety of their home and not in the big wide world of unknowns.

Second, it lets you adjust the harness so that it is not too tight or too loose without the worry of the ferret escaping.

To Be Continued…

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Snow Day

 

 

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

 

 

Are We Jeopardizing Our Pet’s Health?

I watched The Doctors yesterday, February 27, 2013; the show was titled Guilty Pleasures Jeopardizing your Health.

I am sure most of us try to eat healthy and avoid the sugar trap. I found that many of the foods we think are healthy really aren’t. The most disturbing fact was that most of us consume 150 pounds of sugar a year. The recommended about is 34 pounds. That equals out to 6 tablespoons of sugar daily for women and men get to consume 9 tablespoons.

Most of us blow those amounts out of the water with our first can of soda or with our daily coffee intake. One can of soda has 10 tablespoons of sugar.

These facts got me thinking about our pets and how much sugar do we give them unknowingly? We know that sugar plays a role in obesity, diabetes, and it has also been suspected as part of heart disease.

Most of us know to read labels on the foods we eat and some of us have started reading the labels on our pet’s food as well. The problem is that our food is required to have a nutrition facts panel that must have specific things such as serving size, the amount servings per contain/package, and the amounts per serving and what the recommended daily value.

One of these facts is the amount of sugars. Example did you know that a serving of Cheez-It® has 0 grams of sugar.

But most pet food labels have what is called the Guaranteed Analysis.

“At minimum, many state regulations require a pet food to guarantee the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. The "crude" term refers to the specific method of testing the product, not to the quality of the nutrient itself.” Pet Food Labels – General

Typical Guaranteed Analysis for a Good Ferret Diet
Crude protein	38.0%
Crude fat	18.0%
Fiber	3.5%
Ash	6.5%
Moisture	10.0%

 

It is normal to see the following ingredients in ferret food.

Chicken by-products, herring meal, corn, cod fish, animal liver, dried beet pulp, brewer's dried yeast, cane molasses, salt, sodium propionate, DL-methionine, L-lysine, taurine, vitamin A, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, riboflavin supplement, niacin, biotin, choline chloride, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, BHA, vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (a source of vitamin K), D calcium pantothenate, manganese oxide, inositol, ascorbic acid, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc oxide, cobalt carbonate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite.

You can see there is no mention of the amount of sugar on the Guarantee Analysis. For ferrets that develop Insulinoma these ingredients can play a devastating role.

One of the ingredients Brewer’s Yeast is used to lower blood sugar which is something we don’t want to do in a ferret with insulinoma as his/her blood sugar is already low due to having too much insulin in his/her blood stream.

The other ingredient is cane molasses, which is a byproduct of white sugar, and the gram amount is 55-70 per 100 grams of molasses.

Just by having these two ingredients, we are causing a blood sugar drop only to have it spike again in our ferrets.

It would be interesting to know if these two ingredients could be causing the Insulinoma to show up in so many ferrets over the age of three.

Learning what goes into our pet’s food needs to become as high of a priority as knowing what is in our own food. By learning this we can better help our pets live longer and have happier lives.

What is your opinion? Of this list of ingredients do you know what they do or where they come from?

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Walking

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo