Post by jojodancer on May 15, 2008 8:10:49 GMT -5
Raisins and grapes are both bad for ferrets. At first they people thought they were healthy treats, but in the last few years it has been discovered that they are definite no-nos.
Raisins are a dried food, which increases the probability of blockages and IBD -- hard foods are more difficult to digest and can get stuck in the intestines or at the end of the line.
Dried fruits also have a much higher sugar content than raw versions of the same - however grapes are bad as well. Foods high in sugar and carbs is arguably the leading factor of insulinoma.
And the most important reason to stop feeding raisins and grapes is that they have caused acute renal failure in pets:
* In July 2004, the ASPCA poison control center put out a warning to stop feeding grapes and raisins to your pets as it may lead to acute kidney failure. (www.apcc.aspca.org)
* Dr Jerry Murray dvm, mentioned that the May2005 issue of Veterinary Medicine has a good article on raisin and grape toxicity in dogs, reinforcing the need to not feed grapes or raisins to any pet.
(http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG14346 )
* Another link reiterates that although the studies only conclude that dogs are susceptible to the acute kidney from eating grapes and raisins, it is thought that cats and ferrets are susceptible as well. (http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG635)
So the answer is NO grapes or raisins for any of your pets. It's a fairly new discovery (2004-2006) so any books published before that will be out of date. If you have food that has raisins in it (such as 8-in-1 crunchy fruit treats) be sure to toss out the pieces of raisins it has.
Raisins are a dried food, which increases the probability of blockages and IBD -- hard foods are more difficult to digest and can get stuck in the intestines or at the end of the line.
Dried fruits also have a much higher sugar content than raw versions of the same - however grapes are bad as well. Foods high in sugar and carbs is arguably the leading factor of insulinoma.
And the most important reason to stop feeding raisins and grapes is that they have caused acute renal failure in pets:
* In July 2004, the ASPCA poison control center put out a warning to stop feeding grapes and raisins to your pets as it may lead to acute kidney failure. (www.apcc.aspca.org)
* Dr Jerry Murray dvm, mentioned that the May2005 issue of Veterinary Medicine has a good article on raisin and grape toxicity in dogs, reinforcing the need to not feed grapes or raisins to any pet.
(http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG14346 )
* Another link reiterates that although the studies only conclude that dogs are susceptible to the acute kidney from eating grapes and raisins, it is thought that cats and ferrets are susceptible as well. (http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG635)
So the answer is NO grapes or raisins for any of your pets. It's a fairly new discovery (2004-2006) so any books published before that will be out of date. If you have food that has raisins in it (such as 8-in-1 crunchy fruit treats) be sure to toss out the pieces of raisins it has.