Old Bones

[luci]

Is there any danger of bones becoming dangerously brittle from just sitting out? Like if all the meat had been eaten off and they stashed the bone and went back and ate it a day or more later?

[Forum Administrator]

Honestly, I've found some pretty dried-out, brittle "old bones" that my ferrets have stashed. IMO these types of bones CAN pose a danger if your ferret shows interest in them and tries to eat them. Some ferrets wont' touch old bones, while others will. I would do your best to discourage the eating of old bones. Your best bet is to remove any bones that have not been eaten within 24 hours. After about a day, the bones start to dry out, and yes, they do become dangerous.

*Sorry if I'm rambling or repeating myself....its is almost 3am where I am at

[spiritualtramp]

My kids never seem to touch old bones, though they do stash them. I do imagine that they'd cause a problem if they tried to eat them, though, as they do get pretty brittle, so keep an eye on stash spots.

[luci]

That's what I was thinking. Yesterday morning I fed the cats chicken drumsticks and then last night one of them wanted to go out in the garage. There was a bone out there and though it had some bits of skin on it it looked pretty dry. But she ate the whole thing! I really doubt if the ferrets would eat an old bone. It's tough enough to get them interested in ANY bone, but I'll keep a better eye out for cat leftovers and stashes.