Having an obligate carnivore as a pet can be a bit frustrating when it comes to feeding it. You might want to switch up between food and give it lots of different treats, especially the ones it craves all the time it sees you eating. But a simple dietary mistake can cause a lot of damage and make you run to the vet.
While ferrets are often compared to cats, they shouldn’t drink even 10% of the milk a cat can. This is because they’re lactose intolerant. And sadly, other types of drinks can cause serious problems as well, especially when given in big doses. This is why water is the best and safest hydration option for your ferret.
Can ferrets drink fruit juice?
Ferrets are built in a very special way, which makes them only capable of digesting meat proteins. Diary and plant proteins should almost never be offered to a ferret as they’re simply not equipped with the proper digestive system for that.
But if you absolutely want to give your ferret some fruits, it’s better if it’s some type of juice. This is because it will be able to digest it a lot faster and it won’t create so many problems. It might still cause an upset tummy but if the ferret drinks less than a teaspoon of fruit juice it will be fine.
One very important thing you need to keep in mind is that you should never give your ferret to drink fruit juice that you bought from a store. They’re often labeled as “100% natural” but they all have some types of chemicals and additives to prolong its life. These additives can create serious health problems from a ferret, especially if it already has a weak body.
Stay away from fruits that contain acids as well. This includes oranges, lemons, limes, grapes, and grapefruits. Some somewhat safe fruits are apple, melon, and banana. But you should never give your ferret more than a teaspoon a day. It would be even better if you’d only use the fruit juice on grooming days to keep them still.
You can get a fruit juice maker and make your own juice at home. Dab your finger in it and let the ferret lick it off while you’re brushing its coat with the other hand. And when it comes to nail clipping, just put a few drops on its tummy and let it lick it while you’re working.
Can they drink anything besides water?
Ferrets can easily visit their water bowl up to 20 times a day. This means that you should always make sure the ferret has water. More than that, the ferret can’t drink anything else but water and you should be very careful about the water you’re giving your pet.
There are some fruit juice and pet milk that can be offered as treats once a few weeks, but water should be the only thing used as a source of hydration. And pay a lot of attention to the type of water you’re letting your ferret drink.
Tap water contains harmful additives and most tap water systems contain chlorine and fluoride. These can cause some very serious health problems to a ferret. Healthy ferrets might not show any signs of health problems for years. But a ferret with a weaker immune system can get extremely sick.
Distilled water is a popular choice among new owners as well. This is because they know for sure that the harmful contaminants have been removed. What they don’t think about is the fact that the distillation process takes out some very important minerals as well. This makes distilled water a bad choice as well.
A ferret needs magnesium along with various other nutrients so it can stay healthy. You should also keep your ferret away from polarized water, oxidized water, and ionized water. And when you’re getting bottled water for your ferret, you need to find out where the water actually comes from. You don’t want tap water that simply has some additives in it.
The best option is filtered water as it doesn’t have any of the contaminants but still contains the important minerals. Bottled spring water and filtered water should be the only thing your ferret drinks.
FAQ
Can ferrets have apple juice?
Apple juice is an acceptable treat for a ferret but not more than a teaspoon a day. It’s even better if it’s only used as a treat during the grooming process.
What fruits can Ferrets eat?
Ferrets have a hard time digesting fruits but very small amounts are somewhat acceptable. Apple, banana, and melon are the only fruits that won’t cause major problems.
