Can ferrets eat crackers? The simple answer is no. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, which means they should only eat meat and not any plant-based foods. No wheat, corn, fruits, or so on!
This can be very dangerous for the ferret’s pancreas because their pancreas can’t handle sugar.
So your answer to the question “Can Ferrets Eat Crackers” is NO!! A big No!
Why is that the case? Ferrets’ organisms cannot process sugar-containing foods. Their pancreas will suffer severe damage and eventually will lead to their death.
Diabetes and Hypoglycemia in Ferrets
Ferrets are at risk of developing severe problems regarding their pancreas. Sugary treats can make this risk worse.
Moreover, a high-carbohydrate diet can cause your ferret’s blood to be overflowing with glucose. According to Dr. Susan Brown, this may lead to insulinoma – cancer of the beta cells in the pancreas.
The pancreas will eventually get inflamed and become unusable.
Even though these kinds of treats (such as crackers) aren’t exactly toxic, ferrets can develop diabetes later in life. Diabetes develops when the pancreas can no longer produce insulin.
Ferret Food
What can I give my ferret instead? You could feed your ferret treats such as a boiled egg or some raw chicken breast. These are safe foods for the ferrets to eat, but they should not have any crackers!
Did You Know:
The average adult female eats 1-3oz per day, and the average adult male eats 2-4oz of food per day.
If you want to keep it all-natural, you should feed a raw diet. That means you try to skip on the kibble and go all-in on raw meat! One of the advantages is that you can personalize your ferret’s diet to get all the nutrients they need.
You can also feed them eggshells if you want another way of giving them extra calcium without having too many eggs around.
Lots of ferret owners love to feed something called Frankenprey Menu. Essentially, Frankenprey is a Prey Model Diet (PMD), a diet consisting of raw meaty bones, muscles, and organs.
The suggested ratio is 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% organs and tries to resemble what actual whole prey would consist of.
Every ferret owner should also be prepared to feed their ferrets different types of food. This is because every ferret has a different diet preference and can’t always eat the same thing throughout your day.
For example, if you want your guy to have more protein in his diet, you can supplement it with raw eggs!
Ferret Diet
Ferrets need meat because it’s what their bodies were built to digest best out of anything else. A diet based on other things besides meat can lead to nutritional deficiencies in the ferret and may cause health problems down the line.
Basic ferret foods are:
- chicken breast
- chicken wings
- turkey necks
- rabbit
- game birds
- lamb
- organs
- beef
- minced meats
- bones
- ferret kibble
- eggs
- fish (seldomly)
If you get your ferret at a young age, make sure to introduce a variety of foods to it as soon as possible. This way, she will grow up knowing what is good and bad for her.
And not only that. By 6 months of age, ferrets are imprinted on their diet. That means you will have a hard time teaching an old ferret to eat something new.
If you are feeding kibble, ensure that it is high quality. By that, I mean avoid kibble with low protein content, food colorings or preservatives, and corn.
In fact, buy the only kibble that is approved for ferrets.
Avoid giving your ferret anything that isn’t meat or doesn’t have some protein content. It may be tempting, but the pancreas cannot digest carbohydrates well, leading to a life-threatening illness called pancreatitis, which causes an animal’s body to shut down from damage in various organs, including kidneys and liver.
read.. can my ferret have an oreo?
How often Do Ferrets Eat?
Ferrets can eat every few hours (6-8 times a day), but it depends on their activity level. They have short digestive systems – what goes in comes out – pretty fast …
All ferret owners should have a food dish in the cage to give them easy access to food and water at all times, as well as an extra bowl that is just for dry kibble or treats in case they want something different.
When you are not near your ferret’s cage, fill up these dishes with some of their favorite foods, such as boiled eggs, raw chicken breast slices.
Ferrets need fresh water available at all times, so be sure bowls are always topped off when full.
Advisable Ferret Treats
Ferrets can be fed treats such as a hard-boiled egg or raw chicken breast instead of a cracker made out of wheat flour.
Ferrets can be fed treats such as a hard-boiled egg or raw chicken breast instead of a cracker made out of wheat flour.
In the end, it’s always best for you to ask your vet what they recommend before deciding on anything, as some people may have different opinions from yours on what food items are acceptable.
Summary
It’s always best to consult with a vet before deciding on any food items for your ferret. Some may have different opinions on the subject than you do!
In the end, avoid feeding your ferret anything that can be detrimental to their pancreases, like crackers and sweets. Processed foods will only harm them in the long run, so cut those out as well if you want your ferret to live a long life!
Hopefully, this blog post has helped answer any questions you had about whether or not it is okay to give your pet ferrets treats such as crackers.
