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Fish?
Jan 24, 2010 18:09:21 GMT -5
Post by justahannah on Jan 24, 2010 18:09:21 GMT -5
I ran a search but all that kept popping up was fish oil stuff . I've read in quite a few places that ferrets shouldn't eat fish or kibbles with fish in them because of additional smell issues, but I haven't encountered that at all (mine smell like sunshine and grape soda, and the poo is totally non-offensive like it was before I started adding the fish) so I thought I'd see if anyone else on here feeds fish, or maybe if anyone knows if it is just the difference between processed fish and raw fish? It's not a huge part of their diet, I started adding it a couple months ago for the fatty oils and to help convince the cats to eat raw, but it's usually about 3 lbs of whole smelt/whole mackerel/sometimes salmon cheeks/scraps per 20ish lbs of food I grind up.
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Fish?
Jan 24, 2010 20:42:21 GMT -5
Post by Lynxie on Jan 24, 2010 20:42:21 GMT -5
I think the main issue is mercury buildup in he fish. However, small, freshwater fish once a week is ok.
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Fish?
Jan 24, 2010 22:35:51 GMT -5
Post by justahannah on Jan 24, 2010 22:35:51 GMT -5
Thanks, nothing I saw mentioned mercury, just the increased stink (which I'm still curious about other's experiences with that). The smelt are freshwater lake smelt, but I'll have to find out which lake they're coming from to assess their mercury risk, and though the mackerel's saltwater, the risk there varies by species/location so I'll have to get that info too..the fish market's going to love me next time I go in . Any given week fish is 10-15% of their diet and they really dig it, so depending on what info I find I'll either stick with it or reduce it to an occasional treat.
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Fish?
Jan 24, 2010 23:18:05 GMT -5
Post by sherrylynne on Jan 24, 2010 23:18:05 GMT -5
As a rule, the smaller the fish, the less mercury buildup in the body. Small fish take in mercury, larger fish eat them, the mercury accumulates, larger still fish eat them, even more mercury accumulates in their bodies, etc. Which is why pregnant women especially are warned not to eat tuna or salmon more than weekly at the most. Smelts are fairly good, but still the once a week rule is a good one, just to be safe. That and the fact that fish are not anywhere near a regular part of a weasel's diet. That said- my Lucrezia is absolutely MAD about smelts That's how I found out some ferrets WILL overeat
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Fish?
Jan 25, 2010 0:16:47 GMT -5
Post by mustelidmusk on Jan 25, 2010 0:16:47 GMT -5
I feed a little bit of salmon every couple of weeks. I do feed to salmon oil daily, but I use purified stuff that has the toxins/heavy metals removed. My ferts do not get stinky poop from the small amount of fish they get.
Also, the feral populations of ferrets in New Zealand have been found to be fish eaters...they dine on eels that seasonally swim upstream from the ocean to spawn in the shallow fresh/brackish waters of various streams.
-jennifer
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