Zupreem makes 2 types of ferret food–Zupreem Premium Ferret Diet and Zupreem Grain Free Ferret Diet. From the names, it is difficult to know which is better. Premium usually means better than regular, but what about grain free? For many ferret parents who want to give their ferrets a healthy diet, but don’t know the specific nutritional needs of ferrets, both seem to be good choices. Are they? Is Zupreem Premium ferret food better than Zupreem Grain Free ferret food? Or is it the other way around? Or are neither of these popular ferret foods healthy choices for your ferret? Read this Zupreem Ferret Food Review and find out.
If you want to understand the nutritional requirements of ferrets see What is The Best Ferret Food? Healthy or Not?
Ferrets need:
- Meat-based protein (35-45%)
- Fat (15-20%)
- Vitamins and minerals (including taurine)
Just as important, certain types of foods can be harmful to ferrets:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Starches
- Sugars
Zupreem Ferret Food Review: Premium vs. Grain Free
Let’s compare Zupreem Grain Free ferret food and Zupreem Premium ferret food.
Zupreem Grain Free Ferret Diet
Specifics:
- Size: 4# bag
- Price: Around $20
- Protein: 40%
- Fat: 20%
- Fiber: 3%
First 7 ingredients:
- Chicken meal
- Sweet potatoes
- Chicken by-product meal
- Chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols)
- Potato protein
- Potatoes
- Chicken
Pros
- Higher protein than some ferret foods
- Low fiber
- Grain free
- Contains probiotics, vitamins, and minerals
- Ferrets tend to like the taste
Cons
- Not starch free–contains potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Contains fruit
- Not all protein is meat based
Zupreem Premium Ferret Diet
Specifics:
- Size: 4# bag
- Price: Around $20
- Protein: 40%
- Fat: 20%
- Fiber: 3%
First 7 ingredients:
- Chicken meal
- Wheat flour
- Chicken fat
- Potato protein
- Chicken
- Dried egg product
- Dried plain beet pulp
Pros
- Higher protein than some ferret foods
- Low fiber
- Contains probiotics, vitamins, and minerals
- Ferrets tend to like the taste
Cons
- Not starch free or grain free–contains wheat, potatoes, and other starches
- Contains fruit
- Not all protein comes from meat sources
Zupreem Ferret Food Review Conclusion
As you can see, there isn’t a big difference between Zupreem Premium ferret food and Zupreem Grain Free ferret food. They both have about the same amount of protein, fat, and fiber. Zupreem Grain Free may have more chicken as a source of protein, however. Both contain an alarming amount of starches that are unhealthy for ferrets. The main distinction is that Zupreem Grain Free Ferret Diet uses more potatoes than Zupreem Premium Ferret Diet, which uses wheat and other grains. All these starches are unhealthy for ferrets.
There is a better choice. If you want your ferret’s food to be as healthy, natural and genetically appropriate as possible, I would recommend Wysong Ferret Epigen 90 Digestive Support. You can read my review here.
If you would like more information on ferret nutrition, check out What is The Best Ferret Food? Healthy or Not?
If you would like to see my ferret food comparison chart, click here.
I welcome you to share your experiences with these ferret foods in the comments.
Hi Sandra,
Great info! You’ve obviously done your research on Zupreem. I like how you provided links to more info to research about ferret food and ferret nutrition. I appreciate all your hard work and wish you all the best!
Blessings,
Mike Jay
Thanks for your comment Mike Jay!
Hi Sandra,
I’ve had several ferrets over the years, and am thinking about getting another one as the little clowns are one of my favorite pets. I didn’t know they require taurine in their diet, I thought that was specific more to cats but I learned something today!
Hi Laurie,
The more we learn about ferret nutritional needs, the better able we are to provide our ferrets with proper nutrition. If you decide to to add a ferret to your family, please see my various articles on healthy ferret food options.
Great article on Zupreeme ferret diet!
It has been many years since I had my last ferret, and I really miss having them around the house… Back then, there were no real ferret-specific foods, or at least they weren’t readily available. I can only remember one, actually, and I only discovered it toward the end of my last little guy’s life. At that time, the standard suggestion was to use kitten food.
I am so glad that there is a better understanding of their care and needs now.
Yes, Craig kitten food was recommended for ferrets when they first started to become popular pets. Now that more research has been done on ferret nutrition, there are many ferret food choices, such as Zupreeme ferret food. The more we know about the nutritional requirements of ferrets, the easier it is to select much healthier options.
Hi Sandra, thanks for this review about Zupreem ferret food products. It really is helpful that you have taken the time to compare these Zupreem products against each other! Thanks, Sean
Happy to be of help, Sean!
So… Will this food harm them?
Hi Trish, thanks for our question about Zupreem ferret food. Zupreem is better than many, but it does contain starches, which are unhealthy for ferrets. If you want your ferret’s food to be as healthy, natural and genetically appropriate as possible, I would recommend Wysong Ferret Epigen 90 Digestive Support. You can read my review here