# Skunk diet .. ?



## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Out of interest what do you all feed your skunks as a staple diet and how much on average do you feed them (I am guessing every skunk is different...)

Thanks


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## farmercoope (Aug 19, 2008)

LoveForLizards said:


> Out of interest what do you all feed your skunks as a staple diet and how much on average do you feed them (I am guessing every skunk is different...)
> 
> Thanks


I dont actually keep a skunk yet, but have done quite a bit of reading up for when I do get one, Im probably really wrong in what im saying but what the hell,

most people feed a staple diet of veg with added fruit, there is hardly any fruit compared to the veg side of it and they can have most types of veg really.

cauliflour
brocolli
carrots
sweetcorn
sweet peppers
sweet potato (not raw )
potato( not raw )
peas
etc


NO GRAPES
NO OINIONS
ITS BEEN ADVISED TO FEED NO AVACADO EITHER

People also add some calcium to the diet 

cuttlefish
petit filous
cottage cheese (though not as much now)
natarul yoghurt etc.

People also give a small bit of meat sometimes, though im not 100 percent sure how often, its usually in the form of like chicken, mince, stuff like that. the occasional chick( not often at all) Ive also read somewhere no pork but i could be entirely wrong. 

dont know if this is any help.


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

hi

every skunk is different, and most owners have their own variation on diet too..

mine get:

One feed a day, about midnight ish, which consists of

One heaped mug fresh chopped veg (no frozen bar sweetcorn/peas)
one small piece of fruit (1/4 apple sort of size)
one desert spoon cottage cheese
one desert spoon yoghurt
one small handful fresh cooked chicken/turkey

Sometimes the chicken is replaced with egg (anyway bar fried) and fish (although not all of mine will eat fish)

they also from time to time get added in: Bread, Pasta, Rice, Pulses, Day old Chicks, Dead Rodents, insects such as giant morio mealworms. Nuts such as shelled almonds (v good for the coats)

i don't feed "treats" especially unless they are part of the above.. 

if i am taking them out and about, we do often share a tuna mayo and sweetcorn sarnie tho.. but thats about it really 

as youngsters, they need feeding more often, as adults, once a day is fine by them (or at least, mine do ok on it)

Vegwise, almost anything goes. the things to avoid are things like onion, raw potato, garlic, leeks, asparagus. fruit wise, avoid too much citrus/acid based (eg tomato) and do NOT feed grapes or avocado

i do NOT feed cat or ferret biscuit (as these contain a too high protein level and are hard on the skunks digestive system) but i do occasionally give a few LOW protein dog biscuits... both cat and ferret kibble are designed for animals who are obligate carnivores.. which skunks are not.

other things i avoid are red meats, pork, chocolate, fried foods, most human made foods (such as processed chicken slices) wet cat/dog meat

hth

Nerys


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## farmercoope (Aug 19, 2008)

nerys has put it better, still she has got like 11 or so at her place, i dont even have one! haha


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

lol.. only 11 till next weekend, then back to 10 for a bit...

hopefully, if i am still buying ichi back from hannah, it will be up again tho :2thumb:. but we shall see what happens i guess

N


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## farmercoope (Aug 19, 2008)

Just another thing for you....


the exotickeepersforum.co.uk forum has a great thread about this at the moment!:no1:


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## Nerys (Apr 18, 2005)

is that pouchies forum??

wouldn't know... :lol2:

seeing as i am barred from using it, through the actions of a couple of small minded individuals.. :Na_Na_Na_Na:

N


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

LOL nerys you will be down to 10 an i will be up to 5 :lol2::lol2:


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Oh my diets pretty much the same as nerys is too (for my skunks lol): victory:


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## Lucy_ (Jul 9, 2008)

same as em and nerys really... i feed 2-3times a day with one 'topper' a day. and one meal will usually have bit more fruit and one wont have any... also just bought some vita skunk to see what its like... not used it yet though.

sweet potato i feed raw, never given her other potatos however...

Lucy x:2thumb:


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Oooooo whats this vita skunk you talk of lucy lol


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## africa (Sep 12, 2008)

I feed mine similarly to Nerys, neither will eat fish though and they are very faddy with their veg, they only like fresh chicken that I have cooked,if its ready done 'a la Sainsburies' they wont touch it......:lol2:I try to vary the protein and veg throughout the week so as they get a good variety and they get a pinch of SA 37 2-3 times a week too mixed in with their yoghurt or cottage cheese.
Their favourite food is a delectable topping of Marios or Mealies.:2thumb:


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## Talk To The Animals (Jan 10, 2008)

I feed in massive chunks, got bored of dicing things and the skunks loved holding their food so I've kept it that way. They get half a carrot or a whole one if it's small, half an apple, quarter of a tomato, bit of butternut squash, bit of swede, bit of celeriac (which I tried them on when it was reduced and they love it), bit of cucumber sometimes, mange tout, baby sweetcorn, brussel sprouts, anything like that apart from grapes and potatos. Neither of them drink anything so I try and give them stuff with a decent amount of water in it. 

Then they get a bit of chicken or some tuna and a little bit of vita-skunk over the top. Sometimes that get a bit of ferret food if I've run out of meat, but only about 10 little pieces each.

I don't feed to any magic formula or anything, it's more just what I can get at the shops and what's in the fridge. They get about a takeaway tub full each day. 

They had a little tiny Christmas dinner on Christmas day as well. Red cabbage makes their poos bright blue, which was funny!! :2thumb:


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## stoaty (Jul 21, 2008)

Red cabbage makes their poos bright blue, which was funny!! :2thumb:[/quote]

Isn't a shock when you see it for the first time. Been the sado that I am I had to take a picture and send it to everyone I know the first time I saw it.


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## suz&deano (Dec 15, 2008)

I found that with tomatoes - went bright red! was worried til it twigged what he had eaten shortly beforehand!! mine is 7 months and is now on 1 feed at about 7pm, a heaped bowl of veg - peas, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, beans and then something varied like aubergine, cabbage etc so its not always the same, and he also has a pinch of sa37 and has had calcium supplements up til now but is about to come off that in the new year, i give a scrambled egg a couple of times a wk and a spoon of tuna a few times a wk too. oh and sprouts over the xmas period of course!
mine has had grapes as we were told they can be used for a treat, and he liked them but as we have apples in the house more than grapes he doesnt get them much anymore. 
he did used to eat carrot and swede but wont even recognise these as food anymore and totally ignores them! would like to give mealworms etc but from a pet shop they are just bran-fed so don't have the same nutrients, bit pointless unless i go searching for bugs!


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## tillie (Jan 9, 2008)

George has 500 grams a day spit into 3 meals, he is 7 months old.
He gets 80% veg which consists of:

swede/carrot/brussel sprouts/ celery/ cucumber/ peas/ green beans/ sweetcorn/ all peppers/ sweet potato/ courgettes/ brocolli (occasionally)/ cauliflower/ etc

10% fruit..apple/pear/banana/papaya etc

10% protein...tuna/egg/chicken/cottage cheese.

Every couple of weeks he has a brown roll with I cant believe its not butter on. 

And vita skunk every night which contains all the vits and minerals (you can get it from Marie)


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## memzy emma (Aug 19, 2008)

suz&deano said:


> I found that with tomatoes - went bright red! was worried til it twigged what he had eaten shortly beforehand!! mine is 7 months and is now on 1 feed at about 7pm, a heaped bowl of veg - peas, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, beans and then something varied like aubergine, cabbage etc so its not always the same, and he also has a pinch of sa37 and has had calcium supplements up til now but is about to come off that in the new year, i give a scrambled egg a couple of times a wk and a spoon of tuna a few times a wk too. oh and sprouts over the xmas period of course!
> *mine has had grapes as we were told they can be used for a treat,* and he liked them but as we have apples in the house more than grapes he doesnt get them much anymore.
> he did used to eat carrot and swede but wont even recognise these as food anymore and totally ignores them! would like to give mealworms etc but from a pet shop they are just bran-fed so don't have the same nutrients, bit pointless unless i go searching for bugs!


 

Please be careful Tatty had a terrible time and we very nearly lost her, not just down to her diet but the grapes didn't help


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## memzy emma (Aug 19, 2008)

Tatty has a strict diet once a day, time depends on when she gets up.

More often than not she has frozen veg as this is what she prefers along with the occasional fresh veg too, a tablespoon of either cottage cheese or natural yogurt topped with cuttle fish and 5 kidney dog biscuits.

Quite a boring diet but tbh whatever she needs to stay healthy


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## loulou (Jan 18, 2006)

as emma above says, please be careful with grapes, we lost two of our skunks nearly 2 years ago now to renal failure caused by grapes


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

loulou said:


> as emma above says, please be careful with grapes, we lost two of our skunks nearly 2 years ago now to renal failure caused by grapes


 
yes as lou an emma have said 


a percentage of what went on with tatty...............and why she went down hill so fast was partly to do with her diet 

Emma wasnt to know so it wasnt her fault she was following a diet she had been given 

she now follows a diet that the vets researched for her and tatty is doing fantastic an is loosing weight too :flrt::flrt::flrt:

I have 2 heros on this forum that go by the name of tatty an Bam they are both alive against all odds :flrt::flrt:


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## farmercoope (Aug 19, 2008)

and joe of course emma!


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

farmercoope said:


> and joe of course emma!


 
LOL yes joe an of course you too :2thumb:


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