What can I do for my ferret to loose weight?

Question

My ferret has gained sooo much weight in the past year or so. I have no idea what I should do. What kid of diet do you put a ferret on??

Answer 1

a liquid diet.

Answer 2

What are you feeding it? If it's cat food then that's your issue - it's loaded with grain that will turn into fat. And it lacks the nutrition your ferret needs. How often is this ferret getting out-of-cage playtime? If it's not at least a couple of hours every day then there's your other problem. A third issue could be a health problem. Has this ferret seen a vet? Internal masses can bloat a ferret. Your ferret should see a ferret-knowledgeable vet at least once a year for a thorough exam.

Answer 3

Maybe you should get a leash and try walking your ferret every day or so. Does your ferret have any exercise equipment? You might look into that option, also. The following is from ferretfacts.com. This site also has some other facts you may enjoy.

Ferret food must be high in animal protein (chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, etc) and fat. Protein should be about 35% to 40% minimum, and fat should be around 18% to 20% minimum. They do not have the ability to digest fiber, so their food must be low in fiber. Look for a food that has quality sources of animal protein and fat as at least three of the first five ingredients. Kitten food does not have the proper nutrition that ferrets need for their main food. Dog food also lacks the nutrients needed to properly maintain ferret health.

It is best to give your ferret a variety of food mixed together, that way if one of the foods becomes unavailable, your ferret will still have other food to eat. In general, ferrets tend to be picky eaters that imprint on their regular diet, so it’s good to have more than one choice in their everyday mix of kibble.

If you do have to switch foods, try to mix the new food with the old food before the old food runs out. That way you can switch them over slowly, which will make it more likely they will accept and eat the new food.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Answer 4

Did you know that ferrets will also gain weight in the cooler months, and lose weight during the warmer season? That could be a reason why your ferret has gained weight. This is normal. In the cooler months, they need the extra fat to keep them warm and then lose it for the summer months. They will also have more fur growth, and then it will shed.

Is your ferret truly overweight? Is s/he able to get around, walking on all 4 feet with his/her belly touching the ground? Active or laying around? Very few ferrets are truly overweight. Some of them are big ferrets (males can get to 5 lbs and look big) compared to other ferrets.

But if you're still worried, the best bet is to take him to the doctor for a check up. Dooks!

Answer 5

A truly overweight ferret is a rare thing indeed. How heavy is your ferret? Is it male or female, spayed/neutered? How much time does it get out of the cage??
Healthy female ferrets usually weigh in at 3/4 to 3 pounds, males between 2-6. Ferrets in the US are usually at the lower end of the spectrum with females around 3/4 to1 1/2 and males around 2 1/2 to 3 pounds. Ferrets that have been unaltered or have been altered later in their lives(as is the rule in Europe) tend to get larger.
It is highly important that your ferret gets plenty of exercise, so make sure it gets as much out-of-cage playtime as possible. Walking on a leash will not work your ferret nearly as hard as a good play session in a ferret-proof room can.
So get it out of its cage and interact with it, play, play, play!!!
Ferret have a very high rate of metabolism and therefore have to be able to feed at will any time. Their blood glucose levels can take a drastic drop if they do not eat regularly.
A ferrets weight will fluctuate seasonally by as much as 30% and right now is the time they put on their winter weight. They also grow a winter coat making them look a bit pudgier than they were in the Summer.
So, weigh your ferret to make sure he/she is actually overweight, make sure you feed a good quality ferret food and watch the amount of treats you offer. Treats aren't really a necessity, they are a purely human thing that ferrets can easily live without. Give your ferret plenty of play time and if you decide that your ferret really is way too heavy take it to the vet to make sure there aren't any underlying health problems.
I have four ferrets and they all weigh in differently at different times, especially my two oldest ones. As long as they eat, drink, poop, pee and play I'm not too worried about them.
If you need ideas for playing, check this out:

http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Animal,%20Ferret.htm

Good luck to you and your fert, hope all's well.

Answer 6

Ferrets CAN NOT eat fruits and vegetables! They are obligate carnivores and are true meat eaters only. They must eat frequently, but you can portion the meals into several small amounts per day. Also, increasing exercise and activity daily is very important. And no treats!

Answer 7

Walk him. There are tons of tiny leashes that can fit a ferret. Imagine if you spent all day in the home or in a cage with nothing to do but eat and sleep, you'd probably get a little hefty too.

Answer 8

You need to let him out of his cage and take him on a walk on a little ferret leash. Everyday, and put him on diet food, not sure what kind but im sure you can find some.

Answer 9

Take it to the vet and make sure there isn't a health problem first. Best thing besides the diet change is to play.

Answer 10

Ferret should be at their maximum weight at this time of year, so why would you want to slim him down.

The should also be fed on 100% raw meat and offail

Answer 11

I got my dog down to weight by reducing his food servings. It sounds so easy, and it is. But you have to reduce it by like 1/3 to 1/2. Don't just shave it back by 25%. You'll get him/her down in like a month's time. And don't worry about how s/he will *feel* about having a little less food. They're not that complicated, and in the wild, animals are used to periods of less food and then periods of more food -- that's life.