Can I Give My Ferret Boiled Eggs?

boiled eggs

Can you give your ferret boiled eggs?

Egg is a staple food and this is for many reasons. It is not only widely available but also provides the body with important nutrients. That’s why they make a good addition to a healthy, balanced diet.

Both the yolk and the egg white are good sources protein but more so the latter. In fact, one large egg can provide the body 13 percent of its daily nutrition need. That’s why when you are trying to grow and form muscles; you consume as much egg as possible.

Around 15 percent of the body’s daily required Riboflavin can be easily fulfilled by one single large egg. Riboflavin is what we need for physical growth and red blood cell production.

Eggs also contain Vitamin Bs like B12 and B6, Vitamin A, Vitamin D and Vitamin E. And many other nutrients like calcium, selenium, magnesium, folate, phosphorus, zinc, sodium, iron, beta-carotene, manganese, potassium and fluoride.

Can I Give My Ferret Boiled Eggs?
Yes, but with moderation and not as a meal substitute

Ferrets have unique feeding requirements. Carnivores by nature, a ferret’s diet must be high in protein and fat. Protein-rich food like eggs are a good addition to a ferret’s diet. Eggs whether raw, scrambled or boiled are usually given as a treat to them. Not only do they love and enjoy eating eggs, it can also provide them with needed nutritional supplements.

Ferrets are fun pets. They love to run around, play tag and chase, chew on things and hide items. They love to cuddle and snuggle making them very lovable. They are very active, social and highly trainable too. You can make feeding them with boiled eggs a part in training and treating them. Other treats favored by ferrets are bits of meat and liver. Some pet owners can often times get carried away in giving them treats. Avoid anything sweet as sugar is not good for ferrets. If they get used to sweets, it may be hard to control their eating habits and they can get tooth decay, excess weight and hypoglycemia. Be especially wary of giving chocolates which contain theobromine and is toxic to pets when given in high doses.

But it is important to note that even if they love eating eggs and can eat them every day, they cannot live eating eggs alone. In fact, giving them eggs should be strictly moderated. Just like humans, ferret can overeat too. Over consumption of eggs may lead to some health problems. Too much egg white in a ferret’s diet may cause biotin deficiency which can lead to skin, hair and nails disorders and also affect the nervous system. It was found out that raw egg white is rich in avidin that inactivates biotin absorption hence can lead to biotin deficiency. It was also indicated that this is usually the case when eggs make up more than 20 percent of a ferret’s diet. But it is also worth noting that apparently, avidin can be destroyed by cooking the egg that’s why boiled eggs are better for ferrets than raw ones.

Eggs, in general, are good for ferrets. But more and more ferret owners prefer giving them cooked or boiled eggs. Raw eggs can be infected with salmonella. Symptoms of Salmonella enteritidis bacterium infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever which will be apparent in 12-72 hours after consumption of the contaminated egg. Once infected, you need to bring your ferret to a veterinary clinic and be treated with antibiotic. Some infection may be worst than others and can prove fatal. So it is better to have your ferret take boiled eggs to have to same great benefits but less health risk.

Although ferret should be fed with protein-rich food, everything that it consumes still needs to be carefully scrutinized. Even commercially available ferret feeds should only be used if they are meat-based. Look for meat, meat meals and eggs in the ingredients. Avoid those that contain vegetables, sugars, soy, grains, corn gluten, rice gluten and other grain products that may have some protein content but are not meat-based. Not all food items even those that are said to be really intended for ferrets are good for them unfortunately.

A ferret can be fed with boiled eggs but not in excess as anything that is too much can be bad. A ferret cannot also live on boiled eggs alone. It is good to introduce some variety to a ferret’s diet but always keep in mind what are recommended and what can be beneficial for your petโ€™s overall health.

2 Responses to “Can I Give My Ferret Boiled Eggs?”

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  1. Carla Jo Tye says:

    This is a very good article. I want to start feeding my ferret eggs, so how much is too much in measuring spoons sizes, please?

    • p.swainson@sky.com says:

      My 3 love raw eggs and raw chicken mixed together. But Eggs are only once a week or so or the mess to clean up is not good! ๐Ÿ™‚ The joys of Ferrets ๐Ÿ™‚

      If your Ferrets are as mad as a bag of frogs when running round the house chasing 2 dogs and healthy and active, then you are doing it right it seems to me?

      Not a Vet and only my opinion ๐Ÿ™‚

      Paul

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