i was just wondering i can feed my ferret iams dog food?

Answer 1

ferrets are similar to cats in the fact that they require a higher fat and protein content in their diet then dogs. By feeding them dog food you would be depriving them of their required daily nutrition which would lead to serious health problems and at the extreme end - death.

If you cannot get a good quality ferret food, it is recommended that you feed a kitten formula and it should be a high quality food. Iams IS NOT a premium food and does not contain healthy ingredients. It is primarily fillers and by-products. This is the same with ALL vet foods as well as those found in grocery/department stores. High quality foods are found in pet speciality stores.

Natura, the company that produces Innova (the healthiest pet food in the world by far) is actually now producing a ferret food. You can find a store near you by checking out their website at www.naturapet.com. Eagle Pack also produces a relatively high quality ferret food as well.

So, stay away from dog food. Stay away from low grade foods like Iams, Eukanuba, Science Diet, Purina, Pedigree, etc. And find a high quality ferret food or kitten food if you can't get ferret.

Answer 2

I would only feed them dog if you are out of your regular ferret food and need it to get them through tell you can pick up some more, My ferrets actually use my dogs food as a snack when they get up to play so i always half to make sure the water dish is full if not they spill it and the food dish has food in it , i have given my ferrets dog food just to get them by when i noticed i forgot they were out of food. Don't let any one say they will die LIE
anyway ferret need a very high protein diet because they burn their food very fast dog food doesn't actually have that protein go figure any Iams is a great brand they do make it for kittens not cats get the kitten food and it should Be fine i know some stores sell 4lb bag and that will last a few days for just one ferret.

Answer 3

If anything please feed the Iam's kitten food...ferrets need a higher protein and fat level..there is only ONE dog food that will be acceptable and that is the Innova EVO for dogs...this kibble is actually smaller than the new EVO for ferrets. Plus the dog food version is a lot cheaper! Best yet it has all the right protein, fat and meat content needed for the ferrets....This food comes highly recommended by our vet who is very ferret knowledgable.. ProPlan, Iam's etc can be mixed with it for a mixture which ferrets enjoy...Usually I would NEVER recommend a dog food for a ferret but the ingredients and analysis speak for themselves :: 42% Protein, 22% Fat, plus the extra bonus of NO CARBS!! Ferrets do not need the carbohydrates. The ferret food version has a protein of I believe around 50% but I would be cautious if starting this out on an older ferret who may have some hidden kidney problems because the additional protein is not good for them...I hope this answers your question... Iam's kitten food is fine as long as it is mixed with other high protein foods and stay away from any dog food except the EVO... I have owned ferrets for over 12 yrs with the majority being rescues and they are treated better than some members of my family...Good luck with your fuzzy!

PLEASE GO TO: www.naturapet.com to get the answers about the ingredients for the EVO dog food (a good source of food for FERRETS) hard to believe but it is TRUE! and I am not saying to use Iam's kitten food exclusively (but the question was asking if it was ok to use the Iam's dog food which is a NO but the kitten food would be preferred over this) but to have it mixed with other high protein kitten food (not adult cat food) for a variety if it is going to be used at all . The EVO dog food has the first 4 ingredients being: Turkey, Chicken, Turkey meal, Chicken meal...there is NO corn in this. If in doubt please visit the web site I listed...Please don't close your mind to this food since it is a dog food...and we all know dog food is a no no...but it is a diet for the carnivore our ferrets are with all the right contents!.

Jackie and her crew of 5

Answer 4

No, certainly not dog food, it's lacking Taurine to keep your ferts eyes and heart healthy, but some kitten foods are okay. Here's a list of different foods people have been giving their ferrets. It shows you the ingredients and all. Hope it helps:
http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_treats.html
BTW, there are a lot of ferret foods out there that aren't worth feeding to any animal, Marshall's is one of them. Just because it says FERRET FOOD doesn't mean it's necessarily a good idea to buy it. Become a label reader. Most of the first 5 ingredients should come from the meat group and things like corn should not be in it.

Answer 5

Last year there was a major issue with some of the common dog food brands being contaminated and many dogs and cats did die. I think IAMS was one of the brands and possibly Pedigree as well. They are both grocery store brands and I don't feed either to my animals. While they may currently be SAFE to feed to your animals, that doesn't mean they are quality foods. Those are pretty much the top rung of crap you can buy at the grocery store, and I'm sure someone else will reply with several better dog food brands such as Innova Evo, Blue Buffalo or others. I feed Royal Canine, which is about midling in quality, but there are a few medical issues for my animals so they had issues with some of the better foods I tried and that's what we found that they could eat and still meet their nutritional needs.

Answer 6

No, dog food is bad for ferrets, IAMS is even worse whether it's cat or dog food. Dog food doesn't have enough meat protein in it, not as much as cat or ferret. Feed him either ferret food or cat food, just make sure that it's high in protein and doesn't have corn in the food. Just a filler that will make him eat more and use the litter more.

Answer 7

I wanted to own a ferret , but since I have 2 cats I was worried it might eat their food and get poisoned or something, and I was told by a veterinarian that you can feed them cat food as a last resource, but it should be the high-end commercial stuff like Eukanuba or Pro-plan, not the cheap stuff like whiskas, because it will cause them tumors. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

No only ferret food

Answer 9

NO>>>>>>>>>>>>> dog food is not recommended for ferrets. I own 2 ferrets and they do not like the expensive ferret foods, they only eat catfood. Mine love 9-lives cat food and they have been eating this for 8 years now and have no health problems.

Not dog food. Ferrets fed only dog food will eventually die of malnutrition. Obligate carnivores have special requirements for several nutrients missing from commercial dog foods. In addition, ferrets are unable to digest the high levels of carbohydrate in dog food. They need to get most of their calories from simple carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Ferrets have such a short intestinal tract they can't eat very much at a time, and therefore need a concentrated diet. They should get most of the calories in their diet from fat, the most concentrated source of energy.
Premium quality cat foods sold in pet shops and veterinary clinics are not formulated specifically for ferrets, but most of them are palatable and all of them are nutritionally adequate for pet ferrets. Generic cat foods, sold in grocery and farm supply stores, are NOT good for ferrets. Generic cat foods cost much less than premium foods, but they have some important nutritional deficiencies, and are too low in fat. The ferret has to eat at least twice as much of the cheaper food to get the calories he needs. It is a false economy to buy these products for ferrets.

Answer 10

NO! only ferret food.