How to Make Ferret Vitamins

Ferrets imprint on food when they are very young.

You want your ferret to be as healthy as possible, but ferret nutrition is tricky business. Ferrets have complex nutritional needs and must have access to several vitamins in order to be healthy. Unfortunately, it is also possible to overdose your ferret on vitamins. Vitamin C happens to be water soluble, though, which means that you can give your ferret all the vitamin C it will eat, and any excess will come out in the ferret's urine. It could be tough to convince your ferret to eat plain vitamin C tablets, so trick him by mixing them into treats.

Things You'll Need

• Caramel flavored popcorn cake
• Ferretone
• Vitamin C tablet
• Knife
• Mortar and pestle
• Spoon
• Bowl

Instructions

1. Talk with your ferret's veterinarian about your plans to make homemade vitamins. Ask the vet if he approves of this idea and whether he thinks your ferret needs supplements. Make sure to tell the vet what type of feed your ferret has and whether you are feeding the ferret anything extra.

2. Cut the Vitamin C tablet into quarters. Your ferret will not get sick if he eats too much vitamin C, but he may reject the treat if he can smell it. Ferrets imprint on foods, meaning that they decide what they like, when they are very young. If your ferret thinks his food or treats smell weird, he will not eat them.

3. Crush one-quarter of the vitamin C tablet with the mortar and pestle. You want to make a fine powder. Transfer the powdered vitamin C to a bowl.

4. Add 2 tsp. Ferretone to the powdered vitamin C in the bowl and mix thoroughly. Ferretone is a ferret fat and caloric supplement that is very palatable to ferrets. Some ferrets will eat anything with Ferretone on it.

5. Drizzle your Ferretone and vitamin C mixture over a caramel popcorn cake as though it were frosting.

6. Offer the treat to the ferret. If he's never had Ferretone and is hesitant, put some Ferretone on his tummy. He will lick it off and then want to devour his vitamin treat.

Tips & Warnings

• You can eat the vitamin C tablets too.

• Never substitute a ferret's regular food with vitamins or treats.

References

• Oz Ferret: Vitamins and Minerals
• Ferret News: Homemade Ferret Treats