Treats?

[stigmata]

I'm a new ferret owner and I have a question. I was at trader joes today browsing through different options I can use as a treat. I'm looking for something with protien, no sugar, and no carbs. I saw some things that I thought were goodbut then I realized I should leave this for the pros before I buy anything . What healthy snacks do your little bundles of joy eat that is also not harmful to them? I eat organic only so my fuzzy will too .

[bluemoose]

Because they're obligate carnivores, my fuzzies only eat animal products (but not dairy of course). Mine love egg, fish oil, or just kinds of raw meat they don't usually get. Freeze dried raw can make a good treat because it's non perishable and not as messy as fresh raw.

[rarnold18]

I give them quail eggs as a treat and it doubles for enrichment because I only crack it a bit so they can get their teeth into it but the rest they have to do and it always ends up rolling around making it harder for them to get at the good stuff! small bait fish (left over from the boys fishing), and whole baby quails and bunnies are great treat for them too, my Ping goes nuts for bunnies and will hiss and screech at anyone trying to get at "her" bunny!

[sunnyberra]

I give my guys eggs, too (they love having the shells cracked but not completely, too). I also give mine olive oil. I use a bit of pumpkin in their diet, too, for hairball/obstruction prevention and as a tummy soother for my IBD fert, Pixie, but Sian and Hiko think it's a wonderful, tasty treat when it's slightly warmed up.

Besides that, Pixie and Yogi do get bits of meat baby food (turkey, primarily), because they have such a soft spot for it And I'll give f/t day old quail and quail/chicken feet as a snack/treat, too.

[otterwoman]

Do you guys mean raw eggs or hard-boiled? Sorry if that's a really dumb question.

[bluemoose]

Mine always get their eggs raw.

[jacksmomma]

dehydrated chicken gibblets... or fresh... or used to be fresh until they stashed them My guys love these things

[sherrylynne]

Jerkies are another good treat for them. Any dehydrated meat that doesn't include salt, etc.

[otterwoman]

Does the egg make a huge mess? Can I try a regular chicken egg?

[sunnyberra]

My guys get raw, mostly, but I have given them hardboiled before. They prefer the raw

My guys can tend to make a bit of a mess if fed in the room (which part of the reason they HAVE their own room), because they'll try to "stash" the yolk to get it away from everyone else. When they realize they can't they slurp it as fast as possible. Generally, I just have to spot clean right beside the plate.

I use chicken eggs. I'd use something else, but I don't know where to find them.

[rarnold18]

I always feed the eggs raw and I do feed both chicken and quail eggs depending on what I have on hand, I only feed eggs in the cage, where the mess is somewhat controled, and the dogs get their eggs outside or I end up with shards of egg shell scattered through the house and I'll tell you egg shell stuck into the bottom of your foot at 3am is not a make me happy experience!

[mustelidmusk]

Dried lamb/bison/cow lungs are a favorite with a lot of ferrets, and they're cheap, easy to break into treat-sized bits, and they're not messy. Great for foraging cups since they easily break into any size. It doesn't matter if the get stashed under the bed, behind the couch, etc.

My brats LOVE the texture and the taste.

Look for packages at pet food stores that contain frozen diets. I think I may have even seen some from PetSmart (Merrick brand?)

There are quite a few brands out there. My brats prefer Baa-Baa-Q's/Moo-Moo-Q's brand, which have a really light puffy texture. But they eat other brands as well. Merrick's is probably the easiest to find.

-jennifer

[otterwoman]

I tried a raw egg- put it in their bowl. At first no one went for it but when I came back an hour later, the bowl was licked clean!

[sherrylynne]

When you give a raw egg, sometimes it helps to scramble it in the dish, so the yolk is disbursed throughout.
Glad they enjoyed it

[shilohismygirl]

for treats, they get their freezedried raw chicken. I also give them these wysong treats made out of meat that my secret santa gave us and they love them. Fiddler and the rest do their routine of tricks happily with these. I think it is something they look forward to every day or every other day.