Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I understand ferrets can't have more than the occassional lick of dairy products, but like them. At the store today I noticed these juiceboxes full of milk treated so that the lactose was broken down? So that cats could drink it. Would this be ok for ferrets too?

I tried that kitten milk on my ferts once and they all got the runs badly, never again. You actually can give some dairy to ferrets. Heavy whipping cream (not whipped cream) is almost lactose free and is safe to give. Start with no more than a teaspoon per day to let their systems adjust to it and expect some loose poops but then you work up to a tablespoon per day without any problems. Unsalted butter is also fine in small quantities. Not all ferrets are lactose intolerant either. I have several that can handle small (tsp) doses of whole milk or a few bites of cheese without any adverse effects. I did have one little boy who started projectile vomiting after just a taste of whole milk. I gave him some carafate and he was fine.

Goats milk is also a good alternative if you want to give your ferrets dairy. Very few react to it.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

There really isn't any good reason to give ferrets dairy products esp. more often than an infrequent treat. My understanding is not that thy are lactose intolerant but that (lke many dogs) they do not tolerate the fat in dairy products therefore causing diarrhea. That being the case,I had a ferret that was ill and could tolerate fat free milk with no problems. But I still must ask....why?
Nancy

That's the first time I've heard that theory and it really doesn't hold up to ferrets since they do take cream well and all it is is fat. There's almost no lactose, no calcium, etc. It's a little vitamin A and a lot of fat. Ferrets thrive on a high protein/high fat diet. I've been giving cream to my ferrets for years and as I've already said, it's a great way to put weight on a thin ferret quickly. I always mix cream into my soup for post-surgical ferrets to give them a little extra fat. It's a lot better than giving something like Boost that's full of sugar.
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I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

I believe I have seen info somewhere on Ferretcentral.org that recommends heavy whipping cream to put weight on ferrets as well, not sure who it was on the site making the recommendation. I've never done it myself, but just stating that I have heard it was recommended for that purpose for ferrets.

I do the same as WeaselLuvr. When mine get ill, I like to add the cream to Hills A/D canned food. The food is very easy to digest, and with cream they really love it. I don't add a lot of cream, just a little. Also, when I have to give meds, it was usually a battle. Then I would add it to a teaspoon of cream and they drank it all up. If the med is in pill form, I dissolve it in a few drops of water, then add cream. The cream I give as a treat or when they are ill. In all the recipes I've seen for 'duck soup', they've always added cream. I think that's for both the taste and the fat. I also have heard it's the lactose that can cause problems, not the fat.
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Kat
Ferret mom to Jasmine and Daffy
A Cheesehead from Wisconsin

I ask not out of possibility of use, but out of pure curiousity. I wish i could say I ahve a ferret, but my motehr hates them dearly, unfortunatly. I'm fairly well learned on their care though.