Sensitivity to chicken??

[sherrylynne]

Boris has had a couple bird seed type poos this morning. He had chicken wings last night. This is new. Is it something I should be concerned about, or just keep and eye on? Do ferrets even develop food sensitivities to foods they've eaten previously with no problems?

[Jaycee]

I think that has something to do with getting use to a new food item. The seedy look is because it was undigested food....it should get better soon. Ferrets do have a sensitive digestive track, so it takes a while to adjust.

[Forum Administrator]

Some ferrets have issues with poultry, but honestly its usually cooked, processed poultry. I know plenty of dogs that had allergies to "chicken" when they ate kibble, but when they eat fresh raw chicken they have no trouble.

My ferrets have a weird poop every once in a while, I feel thats normal as long as poopy looks normal most of the time I would monitor Boris, if he continues to have this poop day after day when he eats chicken, I would worry, otherwise I wouldnt be too concearned.

[tss]

Another thing to watch is the brand, if you used a new brand or cut of chicken it could have been packaged differently. Some brands use cooked broth with added salt to tenderize the chicken.

[sherrylynne]

Thanks, everyone. I'll keep an eye on him for now. I hope he hasn't developed a sensitivity, because I just went out and spent $78.00 on fert food, and 1/3 of that is chicken!

[sherrylynne]

Ok, it's been two weeks since I noticed that he seemed to be having funky poos after chicken. It's still happening. His appetite is still good. Energy levels are still through the roof, and he's drinking well. But his poos are still either yellowish, bird-seedy, and mucousy, or they're greenish and slimy. But only after the chicken. When he's had a chicken free day, they are normal. He'd had a regular fecal done in May, and everything was fine. What do you think? Can he have other bird, ie: duck, turkey, quail, etc? Because I think I'm going to try him with something else for a week, see what happens.

[Forum Administrator]

When a ferret has a sensitivity to chicken, you will need to find appropriate replacements for chicken in the diet. Chicken is usually what people use for their raw meaty bones. Raw meaty bones are very important and should be fed atleast 4 days week (or up to 7 days a week). Other appropriate sources of raw meaty bones include:

Rabbit
Duck
Quail
Pheasent
SOME parts of turkey (turkey necks, and the two middle bones in a turkey wing)
Oxtail (you may have to cut this into managable pieces)
Whole raw fish (feed no more then 1x per week) whole, raw anchovies, sardines, and smelt (NO FEEDER GOLDFISH!)

Another option for ferrets with a sensitivity to chicken is to replace some of the raw meaty bones meals with whole prey. In order for there to be enough calcium in the prey to replace a RMB meal, it will need to be an ADULT animal).

So for example you could wind up doing something like this for him:

MONDAY: Oxtail (you will need to add in a little bit of beef chunks too, since these are kind of boney)
TUESDAY: Pork Chunks (or whatever other meat you want)
WEDNESDAY: Adult Mouse, Rat, or whole fish
THURSDAY: Lamb chunks (or whatever other meat you want)
FRIDAY: Rabbit, Quail, Duck, or Pheasent raw meaty bones (legs, thighs, etc)
SATURDAY: Middle Segment of turkey wing (radius and ulna w/ attached meat) and/or extra meaty turkey neck
SUNDAY: Organ meat (beef, pork, or veal liver. Pork kidney, and beef heart) and quail/duck/or chicken egg.

Of course, modify as needed, but you get the idea. Oxtail and turkey necks are actually quite cheap, but they ARE kind of boney and some ferrets may have trouble eating them. If this is the case be sure to cut the bone down in size a bit (make sure its not a size that your ferret will try to swallow without chewing, as this can cause choking), also, if you cant find a nice and meaty oxtail or turkey neck, be sure to add in a bit of boneless beef or turkey in addition to the neck or tail.

Rabbit, Quail, and Pheasent can be kind of expensive, but if you can find a source for them that would be great! Only feed rabbit 1x per week, as it is kind of low in taurine and fat.

I hope this helps. Let us know if this works out.

[sherrylynne]

Thanks, Guili. I was wondering about that. I was actually concerned maybe I wouldn't be able to feed any fowl. I'm also guessing Cornish hen would be out for this week anyway? If I'm trying him for the week without chicken, anyway .

[Forum Administrator]

Try the game hen, he might do okay with it. If not, oh well, atleast you tried. Some ferrets who eat kibble have a sensitivity to chicken, but its just "cooked" chicken. When you put them onto RAW chicken, sometimes they are just fine. Some ferrets are sensitive to chicken, but not game hen. Some ferrets are sensitive to chicken, but not any other type of poultry or fowl, while others can't even eat a bird without getting bad poop. Just depends on the ferret. You'll need to experiment with him and see what he can tolerate and what he cant Good luck and let me know what happens.

[mustelidmusk]

Duck is also a good, higher fat dark meat ( more taurine) that an help balance out taurine if you feed more rabbit. Taurine can also be added with supplements.

That being said, the conservative approach is to provide taruine-rich foods. However, there is no proof that ferrets need taurine. Some people feel they don't need much, if any at all. this is idea comes from the fact that cardiomyopathy in cats improve when dietary taurine is increased. But this is not true for ferrets - ferrets with cardiomyopathy do NOT improve when taurine is fed. Dogs do not require taurine since they synthesize it. Cats do not synthsize taurine, and we don't know what ferret do!

I know somebody in the UK who has a friend who feeds rabbit carcass only. He has had healthy ferrets for many years. BUT - the meat content will depend upon what the rabbits are fed, the breed of the rabbit, whetheror not the meat was frozen, how long it was stored,etc. In short, I would assume ferrets require taurine and feed accordingly or add supplements.

Taurine is one of those things that's relaively safe and effective when given as supplements. ( it's not like vitamin A or other fat-soluable vitamins that can easily be overfed).

-jennifer

[sherrylynne]

Well, Boris had game hen last night, with a somewhat funky poo, but not nearly as bad as the chicken. I have duck, and rabbit, turkey, etc. My main concern was bone content for the calcium, but I think I'll add some eggshell to the muscle meats, see how that goes. Could I use these for soupies, since the chicken is causing a problem?

[sherrylynne]

Well, it's only been five days, but his poos are doing just fine without the chicken. I guess I know what the problem is. It's weird. Soupies(cooked chicken) doesn't seem to cause a problem. But then maybe I just didn't realize at the time... I guess maybe I'll use duck or turkey for the duck soup then! I'll keep an eye on the soup poops just to be sure! What I've started doing is when the others have their chicken, I'll give him something else, ie: duck, rabbit, etc., to fill him up, then he pays no attention to the chicken, other than to try and stash it . He's always preferred to be hand fed anyway. Spoiled brat!

[Forum Administrator]

I am glad that you have found something that works for Borris and you. Glad his poopies are looking better, it always makes me happy to hear about "good poop" LOL!