Since ferrets are highly susceptible to this virus with a documented 100% fatality rate once contracted, ferret owners have every right to be concerned. 

Out of an abundance of caution, ferret owners should consider: 

• Stay informed! Closely monitor the USDA website 

• Do not take your ferrets outside for the time being. Ferrets can contract the disease if they come into contact with infected animals and/or their feces. This includes keeping your ferrets separate from animals that are frequently outside that may track in infected feces. 

• Keep your ferrets indoors, and keep the outdoors away from your ferrets out of an abundance of caution. This includes keeping your shoes away from areas your ferrets can access, disinfecting your hands prior to handling them, and potentially changing your clothes if you work closely with poultry/wild animals.  

Diet Options

• Avoid raw poultry/eggs at this time, as they pose the highest risk for giving your ferrets HPAI. 

• Feeding air-dried, freeze-dried, and raw meats poses a risk for infecting your ferrets.

  • If your ferret is on a kibble diet already, continue to feed kibble at this time and consider stocking up on it in case of shortages. 

  •  If your ferret recently transitioned to a raw diet but you are very concerned about their risk of infection, transition back to the kibble diet they did well on with the addition of a probiotic to aid in digestive upset during the transition back to a lower quality food (I highly recommend Proviable DC which can be purchased over the counter). It's not uncommon to have diarrhea for the first few days when transitioning back to a kibble. 

  • If you feed a freeze-dried raw diet and wish to continue feeding it, do so with the understanding that the freeze-drying process does not effectively inactivate the virus. Some companies, such as Stella&Chewy's, claim their HPP (Highly Pressurized Processing) inactivates the virus, but are not willing to disclose the pressures/temperatures they use to inactivate the virus as it is a "trade-secret". The same goes for freeze-dried eggs. Feed at your own risk. 

  • If you feed a raw diet but would like to cook it to temperatures that inactivate the virus, do so under the understanding that cooking a raw diet causes nutrient loss and cooked bones are not safe for ingestion. In my opinion, this is a great alternative to raw feeding, but there are still risks of malnutrition involved. The higher the temperature and the longer a meat is cooked, the more nutrient loss is involved. You can attempt to replace these nutrients with a raw meal completer, but it is impossible to prove that you are fully replacing the lost nutrients. If you feed something like a whole prey grind that includes bone content, consider switching to a boneless grind that still follows the appropriate meat:organ ratio and find a way to supplement calcium without overdoing it. It is likely that your ferret will reject a cooked diet initially, same as they did with a raw diet prior to transitioning. You may need to follow the same switching steps for the raw feeding guide as you would with raw, but substitute it with cooked meats. Feed at your own risk. Remember, do NOT offer any animal (including your ferrets) cooked bones, as they splinter and risk trauma to the mouth and GI tract.  

    • • Study Showing HPAI Inactivation Temperatures 

  • If you wish to continue feeding raw, consider avoiding all raw poultry and move towards better-controlled prey items such as rodents. Frog legs are also an excellent source of protein/fat and serve as a great bone-in meat. This conversation is less likely to occur with most of my followers, and is better served for those that feed frankenprey or whole prey items. Feel free to consult the members of Holistic Ferret Forum.