Switching Foods

Switching to a New Food

This is FC&E’s guide to switching kibble, as explained by Mary Wesker.

Kibble should ALWAYS bee gradually switched from one to the other (see our food page for acceptable, ferret safe kibbles and supplements).

Most people will start with a 1:4 ratio of new to old food (or 25% new, 75% old) and increase the new (usually by 10% or less) while decreasing old every 2-4 days.

HOWEVER. I prefer to suggest the slower method to help avoid digestive upset. So I personally recommend 10% new and 90% old to start, and increase by 5-10% every 4-6 days. This is not necessary for all ferrets, but some do better this way.

“My ferret is picky and won’t eat anything else!”

We hear this a lot. Nearly ALL ferrets are picky, due to imprinting on food, so far as to imprint on a brand. There ARE ways to get the pickiest ferret to try new things; you just need to be persistent and a little tricky. Here’s some tried and true tips:

  • It helps to mix the kibbles, in their proper percentages, overnight in air tight baggies. Their scents will mingle and this usually makes ferrets more amenable to trying it.
  • You can mix your measured out kibbles with warm water, and make into a soup. You can also add the recommended low sodium/low veg stock chicken broth, a raw whisked egg/egg yolk, or salmon/pollock oil. (PSA: If you mix these things, you must remove the kibble and clean the bowl an hour or so after serving due to risk of contamination.)
  • You can use a coffee bean grinder or blender to grind it all to dust and make a soup that way.
  • You can crush the new food and sprinkle/mix into the old so they can’t pick it out.
  • Hand feeding is effective with some ferrets.

A proper transition should be done at the ferret’s pace. Some take a week or so, some can take several months. If you see signs of digestive upset (loose/watery stools, gas, sudden refusal of food or sudden abnormal aggression [this can mean upset stomach/stomach pains/ulcers you do a slow transition to minimize the risk of ulcers due to a large change in diet, usually from low quality to high quality]) Stop, reduce the amount of new food, and wait longer before increasing it again.

Some people also add a probiotic like BeneBac, Digest-All, or Animal Essentials during transition to help combat any digestive upset. As always, follow proper dosing instructions and consult a ferret knowledgeable exotics vet.

Why Can't I Just Give Them the New Food?

By Holly

Ferrets CAN STARVE this way. They imprint on their food, which means they will not recognize other food as something edible. They are only familiar with one thing as a "food", the rest of it is like you offering a piece of glass. They literally do not know they can eat it, and many ferrets have starved to death when owners try to switch “cold turkey”.

That's why we suggest the above tips on how to help your ferret switch to a new food and recognize that it IS edible. Some ferrets are VERY picky and it can take a lot of time and patience from you. There are some ferrets who may have eaten a few different foods at a younger age, so their palate is wider and they are easier to switch 😊 This is one great reason we suggest mixing 2 or more kibbles for their diet, so they are used to diversity!

But please, never go cold-turkey and give your ferret something new and basically starve them til they eat. They are your babies, and need help understanding that this new food is good for them!


My Ferret Is Eating The New Food And Ignoring The Old!

By Holly

That's great!! However an abrupt change can still upset their stomach - a change in food too quickly can result in indigestion, possible nausea, and horrible mucousy poo.

I would use the soupies method above for a week or two, using the ratios as you would a slow transition, until they're to about 75% new, 25% old. At that point it's fine to give in to the full new food.