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Post by pastelsummer on Dec 19, 2010 22:28:38 GMT -5
is it normal for a ferret to poop less when on a raw diet?
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 19, 2010 22:55:20 GMT -5
I think so because I have definitely noticed a decrease in poop and I have not even made a full switch. My ferret eats grain free kibble and freeze dried raw. He barely touches the kibble though. I think it is because they have to eat a lot more kibble to get what they need. If you feed them good stuff they won't need as much.
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Post by justahannah on Dec 19, 2010 22:56:53 GMT -5
Definitely! All my kids poop a bit less often and it's way smaller & way less stinky than it used to be. I noted the same effect with my cats too, and with 7 critters running around litter box duty is so much easier now  . |
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Post by bluemoose on Dec 20, 2010 0:11:39 GMT -5
Yup, that's actually one of the benefits of a raw diet. You've probably heard that ferrets on a kibble diet should have food available at all times. This is because there is less nutrition in kibble so the ferret needs to eat more often to meet it's nutritional needs. Because kibble is less nutritious than raw, the ferret's body uses less pound for pound and passes more as waste. For instance, a pound of kibble will produce more waste than a pound of raw. So not only is your ferret eating less raw than he would kibble, he's also producing less waste from that raw. Neat huh?  |
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Post by pastelsummer on Dec 20, 2010 1:15:14 GMT -5
sweet!!!! I love this raw stuff!
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Post by rarnold18 on Dec 20, 2010 7:23:51 GMT -5
Yes it is normal for them to poo less because their body is using up more of what is taken in, with kibble there is so many additives and fillers that the body doesn't use they poo a ton! Another benifit of ray...their poo is also less stinky too!
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Post by miamiferret2 on Dec 20, 2010 21:42:18 GMT -5
i think that must be why my ferret barely touches the grain free kibble. he gets what he needs with the raw food so i guess he just doesn't need it.
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Post by katt on Dec 20, 2010 21:59:06 GMT -5
Absolutely! They typically poop less, pee more, and their poop will look different each time Based on what they ate last.  |
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Post by pastelsummer on Dec 20, 2010 22:22:56 GMT -5
i also noticed he is drinking water less and is desperate for it constantly is that normal?
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Post by rarnold18 on Dec 20, 2010 23:59:19 GMT -5
drinking water less, yes, because they get most of their moisture from the raw meat as for being desperate for it constantly I don't know...
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Post by pastelsummer on Dec 21, 2010 0:22:04 GMT -5
i meant to say NOT desperate for it anymore.
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Post by bluemoose on Dec 21, 2010 1:59:58 GMT -5
Yes, drinking less water is completely normal. Animals like cats, dogs, and ferrets are supposed to get most of their water content from their food. That's another reason kibble is so unnatural especially for cats and ferrets. Obligate carnivores on kibble will drink more than ones on a raw diet but they still don't drink enough to make up for the water they're missing by eating a dry food. Dogs are more thirst driven but cats and ferrets on a dry food are constantly on the edge of dehydration because they aren't driven to drink huge amounts of water even if they aren't getting enough.
My animals are all fed raw. The dog only drinks after he's been running around and I almost never see the cat or ferrets drinking. They always have water available of course but the ferrets are more likely to play in it than to drink it. They get nearly all the moisture they need in their food.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 21, 2010 23:26:30 GMT -5
My ferrets still do drink, but no where near as much. The bowls are more likely to be emptied by my water diggers  |
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