Can dogs eat ferret food?

Do ferrets do well with dogs?

No, dogs cannot eat ferret food. Although ferret food isn’t toxic for your dog, the nutritional requirements are not suitable for dogs. Ferret foods tend to have higher protein content in the form of meat just like cat food; your dog doesn’t need that much amount of protein so you should not feed ferret food to your dog.

Should I feed ferret food to my dog?

It totally depends on you; ideally, you should avoid it and stick to dog food. You can experiment with dog food with other ingredients that are good for your dog. Ferret food can cause health problems to your dog and hence it is better to avoid it.

What should I do if my dog ate ferret food?

You should observe your dog; monitor the fluid and normal food intake. See if it is having any symptoms like digestive disorder, diarrhea, bloating etc. Ferret food may be hard on your dog’s digestive system and intestine. Therefore you should consult your veterinarian in case there are symptoms and get the treatment done.

What should I do if my dog gets diarrhea or starts vomiting after eating ferret food?

If your dog gets diarrhea or starts vomiting after eating ferret food you should pause feeding your dog for 12-24 hours, so that his stomach can digest it. Keep feeding small amounts of water while you’ve paused the diet and resume feeding with a small diet that is bland like plain white rice or boneless boiled skinless chicken breasts. If vomiting stops, keep feeding the same diet until the diarrhea situation gets better. And if it doesn’t you should get your dog to your vet for treatment.

What are the possible health problems my dog can have if fed ferret food?

There are both short-term and long-term health problems your dog can have if fed ferret food. The short term problems include digestive system upset like vomiting, diarrhea, refusal to eat etc. And if you’re feeding ferret food continuously for a long, the long term effects may be kidney damage due to high protein content in ferret food, obesity, and the many ailments that go along with obesity.

What does ferret food consist of?

Ferret food consists mainly of meat / animal products which make ferret food low in carbohydrates and fiber while high in protein and fat making about 32 – 38% protein and 15 – 20% fat in the whole diet. It is due to the fact that ferrets are carnivores i.e. they mostly prey on animals to get raw bones, raw meat, digested vegetable matter and other tissues. In fact, carbohydrates and vegetable protein found in most fruit and vegetables are not suited for ferrets while dogs are comfortable with it.

How do I keep ferret food away from my dog?

It is very simple to keep ferret food away from your dog. Just keep it out of your dog’s reach. Dogs have a good sense of smell and they may be able to locate the ferret food, so it is important to keep the food at a place that is not accessible to your dog.

Conclusion

Ferret food isn’t technically toxic to dogs but they sure are not very good for your dog either. They can cause stomach disorders and obesity if ferret food is given continuously. If your dog likes ferret food then you may control the amount of ferret food to your dog to a bare minimum like once a week. Giving ferret food once a week in small quantities wouldn’t affect your dog’s health a lot. But there are various alternatives to ferret foods in the market which you can experiment with.

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