Nutrition and Nutritional Physiology of Domestic Ferrets

Presentation Description / Summary: Ferrets (Mustela putorious furo) are very popular pets across the US and Europe. Despite their popularity, their nutritional requirements are not entirely known and commercial pet ferret diets are often formulated according to requirements for mink. Ferrets have a relatively short gastrointestinal tract, with a simple stomach and they lack a cecum and an ileocolic valve, which expedites the gastric transit time. Ferret digestion is relatively inefficient; therefore, their diets needing to be highly digestible and relatively low in fiber. Common nutritionally managed diseases in ferrets include obesity which is common particularly in male ferrets, pancreatic beta cell tumors that are often managed with high-protein, high-fat diets and urolithiasis. Cystine urolithiasis incidence has increased over the past decade to become the predominant urolith composition in pet ferrets in North America. While the reason for this is unknown, commercial ferret diets and genetic inbreeding have been hypothesized to be contributing factors.

Learner Outcomes: 1. Become familiar with ferret nutrition and common nutrition related diseases 2. Review nutrition-related diseases in ferrets