"Raw Troubleshooting" is my new series dedicated to each component of the raw diet. Each part of the series will offer detailed information on what to feed, how to feed, and the most affordable options for that category. The final topic up for discussion: Supplements. Be sure to check out the other installments of the series! Organs Meaty Bones Muscle Meat I use the term "supplement" to describe additional nutritious goodies for the raw diet. All are natural, healthy, and safe for ferret consumption. Some may be considered "unnecessary" but others I do strongly believe have important roles in the natural diet. Q- "If the wild polecat wouldn't eat it, why should we feed it?" This is a great question, and I absolutely understand the basis. However, most of what we feed is not what the polecat would naturally eat. Cow, pig, sheep...are all animals the polecat would either never encounter in the wild, or would not bother taking down. When formulating the raw diet for domesticated ferrets, very rarely would you be able to mirror the polecat diet exactly, unless feeding whole prey you hunted yourself, in areas where the polecat resides. This is unrealistic for the majority of raw feeders. Instead, we source meats from grocery stores, farms, butchers, and sometimes online. Farmed prey is much different nutritionally than that of wild prey killed and consumed by the polecat. For one, wild prey is more nutrient dense, often containing healthier ratios of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Farmed animals are commonly kept in less than ideal living conditions and fed inappropriate diets, this has a great impact on the nutrient quality and quantity in the meat. This includes whole prey raised in rodent mills. In addition, the quality of nutrients found in soils used to grow foods for animals are depleting. Read more about ratio diets and their nutritional discrepancies here. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates My Favorite SupplementsI use the following supplements on a weekly basis for my ferrets. *Supplements marked with a: "☆" are safe for kibble fed ferrets. (not sponsored)
Calcium SupplementsI use a calcium supplement twice a week in their two organ meals to help keep stools firm due to the richness of the organs!
My favorite supplements continued...
Supplements I Don't Feed But Would Recommend
Fun AdditionsLike the title suggests, just food toppers to make meal time more special. (not sponsored, I have not tried these products)
Supplements to AvoidThere are many ferret supplements out there you should avoid for a multitude of reasons. Many contain sugars, carcinogenic preservatives, artificial colors & flavorings, and much more. Some of these products can contribute to chronic disease when fed long term.
⚜Always do your research when selecting supplements for your animals, and be cautious if they have a health condition and / or on any medications that may not mix well with the supplement(s) you want to use.
While supplements may not be necessary, they can be used to fill any nutritional gaps created by factory farming, provide anti-cancer benefits and encourage overall health. The supplements I choose must be safe and offer nothing but the best for my fuzzy family.
4 Comments
Laurie D-M
1/9/2021 02:34:09 pm
I tried to leave this at "Contact Me" since it is a general comment but it didn't give me the option to type anything so I'm leaving it here:
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Bryn
1/10/2021 11:39:36 am
What a lovely comment to wake up to, thank you for making my day, Laurie! I'm so pleased I've been able to help give you the tools you needed. It's what I'm here for!!
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julia
1/27/2021 03:42:52 pm
Lots of the sources on this page lead me to a 404 page not found error. Would you be able to update them so I can see those?
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Bryn
1/27/2021 04:41:43 pm
Fixed! They were hyperlinks to other blog posts of mine, they must've gotten unlinked recently when I updated the website.
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