Why It's Important to Read Labels When Choosing a Food
There are so many foods out there, that choosing one for your ferret can be overwhelming. All Natural, Holistic, Premium, Complete and Balanced- what do these terms mean, and do they mean anything when it comes to the quality of the food? The answer might surprise you!
Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to the terminology used on pet food labels, but the fact of the matter is, the majority of these terms has no legal definition. What does "natural" or "holistic" mean anyway? The meaning is so broad it's impossibly to apply any sort of concrete definition to the terms.
The best thing to do when considering purchasing a food is to ignore the pretty pictures on the front, and look over the Guaranteed Analysis and ingredient declaration. The guaranteed analysis lists the protein, fat, fiber, moisture, and other nutrient percentages contained in the food.
For ferrets, you want to look for at least 40% protein, 18-20% fat, and less than 3% fiber.
Looking at ingredients, at least 4 of the first 6 should be meat. Look for named meats, such as "chicken" or "turkey" and not un-specified sources like "poultry" or "meat".
Let's do a quick comparison!
Unfortunately, there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to the terminology used on pet food labels, but the fact of the matter is, the majority of these terms has no legal definition. What does "natural" or "holistic" mean anyway? The meaning is so broad it's impossibly to apply any sort of concrete definition to the terms.
The best thing to do when considering purchasing a food is to ignore the pretty pictures on the front, and look over the Guaranteed Analysis and ingredient declaration. The guaranteed analysis lists the protein, fat, fiber, moisture, and other nutrient percentages contained in the food.
For ferrets, you want to look for at least 40% protein, 18-20% fat, and less than 3% fiber.
Looking at ingredients, at least 4 of the first 6 should be meat. Look for named meats, such as "chicken" or "turkey" and not un-specified sources like "poultry" or "meat".
Let's do a quick comparison!
Both foods sound good on the package, and certainly the bright colors and cute pictures on the Friskies makes it look appealing, but when you look at the ingredients and guaranteed analysis the Orijen out performs the Friskies on every level.
So, next time you are at the store looking for a new ferret food, don't be afraid to pick up those bags and read those labels!
<3
note: I'm using cat food in this particular post because of the many owners who feed cat food to ferrets. You can also find a similar post comparing ferret foods under Nutrition