It probably won’t do them any harm, but feeding fish to a ferret is not ideal for several reasons.
Can you give your ferret fish?
Ferrets are affectionate and playful animals that when happy and healthy will bring happiness and joy to you and your home. As a loving and responsible ferret owner, it is important to make sure you feed your pet a nutritious and balanced diet to support a long life full of energy and good health. Always read the labels and ingredients on anything you feed to your ferret. A high protein and fat content is best and avoid too much fiber as your ferret will struggle to digest it. Processed or cooked meats are also not a good idea, raw foods are always easier for your ferret to eat.
Although eating fish will not cause any harm to your ferret, it is not a good idea to do so. Fish or seafood products can cause your ferret to smell funky. Fish is not part of a ferret’s natural diet and can often taste unpleasant to them anyway, so they may reject it. Chicken, mince, turkey, small mice and birds are a much more suitable diet to mimic a ferret’s natural diet.
If you do feed your ferret some fish for a treat, make sure to stick to white fish and preferably cooked as this will help to keep the odor down. Take time to make sure to remove all the bones from the fish first, especially the small sharp ones that might get lodged in your ferrets throat, stomach or intestine. It is best to buy whole fish instead of canned, which often has seasonings such as salt and pepper. These are not good for your ferret so make sure not to add any other herbs or spices during preparation. Make sure your ferret has a constant supply of fresh water.
Never give your ferret regular fish-based products, cooked bones, salt, dairy products or chocolate, these can cause health problems, discomfort or even death if consumed regularly by your ferret. Your ferret will appreciate raw chopped fatty meats such as beef, chicken, rabbit or lamb. Good quality cat biscuits can also be enjoyable for them, but you may have to experiment with a few different foods before you find something your ferret will like, they are notoriously fussy eaters especially in later years when they have grown familiar with their regular eating regimen. A good diet will keep your fuzzy friends healthy, happy and vibrant for many years to come.