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Post by Sherry on Feb 16, 2011 9:26:58 GMT -5
First- yay! for kits eating everything  And yes, using a feeding den, or even hooking the meat to the cage is is likely the way to start going. There are a number of ways to set up a den, or to hook the food. And it might take a few attempts to find the one that appeals to them most! As for the ground beef bone, I can't see it being much different than the elk or bison I buy. Some of the bone bits I find scattered in the cage, since they spit them out when they are larger than the ferrets like  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2011 21:31:17 GMT -5
Just wanted to let you know I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. Not much has changed in how well the ferts are eating the soup with chunks. Timmy will nibble at them, Scarlett scarfs them down and Miko and Zip are not much into it.  I should be doing some shopping tomorrow and and going to look for some ground chicken to mix in the soup to see if I can get Miko and Zip eating it better. Then I'll add more chunks. Our state tax came in so I bought the FN and am just waiting for it to come in. And as soon as the federal comes in I'm putting in an order for some dif types of ground at hare today. Gonna give those a try mixed with the chicken soup and see how they take it. I really wish Miko and Zip wouldn't be such picky pants over it. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2011 4:17:19 GMT -5
Ok well I've gotten Miko Timmy and Scarlett all eating ground raw just fine. Zip is still needing work though. But I was able to stuff a little more in her tonight than earlier. Katt was telling me that it cold be that they back slided a little from a new fert being brought in. But they are catching up again. This is adding hope to my ground idea. Once I get them all eating ground well I'll start mixing chunks in that. I honestly think my soup was too watery and with my old crappy blender it was either practically whole and tied on the blades or watery. Getting them on ground I think will make adding whole chunks easier. I got my hearts and livers again and will make some organ soup to mix with the ground. Thinking about the bone in ground from hare today, will the bone pieces be enough to keep their teeth clean? If they are I may stick to ground for a while and get them a live mouse to see if they will trigger the prey drive. I would just stick to whole ground if the bone in it was enough to keep the teeth clean. I mean I'm not too concerned with Miko Timmy and Scarlett but I worry Zip will starve. what are your opinions? Also, My FN will be in tomorrow! It's in transit to Athens right now! YAY!!!!
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Post by Sherry on Feb 23, 2011 18:05:31 GMT -5
First- YAY for the FN!!! You'll adore it Unfortunately, bone in ground will do nothing for their teeth. What cleans the teeth is scraping it against the bone as they bite through it. Definitely a lot healthier than kibbles, obviously, and all the other benifits of raw, but not the teeth. And using the ground to work up to chunks is a good idea. Some actually prefer the texture once they get used to the taste of raw With Zip, you might want to try a different meat. Can you also get ground pork or turkey? You are going to have to keep coaxing her, unfortunately. With mine, all of them were ready for bone in meats, and Boris was still gagging at pureed soups I also think you can start adding slivers of meat in for Miko, Timmy and Scarlett- they are doing really well! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2011 23:15:43 GMT -5
 Everyone is eagerly eating ground raw! YAY!! Even Zip! She was like "nom nom nom" LOL!! I guess she got tired of waiting for kibble and finally realized it ain't comin'. I decided to not give them any more kibble, and scruffed and stuffed my hold outs thinking as long as I got some food in them they wouldn't starve and would eventually realize I'm not giving it up and they WILL eat it and rather eat it than be hungry. AND IT WORKED!! I'm going to give them a few days (Miko and Zip) of just getting used to the ground raw with out me stuffing them and eating on their own before I start adding slivers in a week or so. I also wondered how dried gizzards, being that its a tough meat, would do for their teeth. I hate the idea of only being able to switch to a ground raw diet and their teeth going to crap but SHOULD that happen I'm trying to come up with ways to make sure their teeth stay good up to and including brushing their teeth. Hmmmm.... Perhaps I'm still just worried about them not getting to the point of eating a wing or mice or something. I may be worrying over nothing. I guess I should take this step of Miko and Zip giving in and eating the ground well on their own and big time hope and encourage me to keep at it but I'm a worry wart. LOL! It's hard to turn it off, ya know? Any how, that's all for now. Oh also, the ferrets are lovin' the FN! It's AWESOME! But I noticed something. I'm going to have to add a litter box to the top level also. Timmy just has a hard time making it to the bottom level when he needs to go. His poo is still really mucousy and he goes often. Whats up with that? Also, I don't know if it's him or someone else but the poo SMELLS BAD. Like rancid, or like burnt rubber.  I thought raw was supposed to make it smell less. Is there something wrong with one of them or is all this just part of the process? I will say this much, the smell didn't start until I started giving them straight ground with nothing else added yet. Is it that they are not getting enough of the other goodies, and since Miko and Zip are eating the ground I should at least add some of the full soupies to it? Ok THAT is all I have for now. LOL
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Post by Sherry on Feb 26, 2011 23:38:24 GMT -5
The poo first. It almost sounds like there's still some sort of an infection or bacterial build up going on. Mind you- it could be the stress of the diet change(soups to ground, and no kibbles), so if they are all acting normal, just keep an eye on it for a bit to see if it clears up. It shouldn't smell like that. If you are giving beef, it will be stronger, but not rancid. And now- congrats on the success! That's pretty major Even fresh gizzards will help the teeth, by the way. And we'll get them on bone, so don't worry about that  It all just takes time! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 0:06:25 GMT -5
Is there anything I can do to help with that? Like acidophiles or something? I know it helps humans but can it do the same thing for ferts?
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Post by Sherry on Feb 27, 2011 11:56:52 GMT -5
You know- I'm wondering if the balance of "good" bacteria is up to par, since he was on antibiotics for quite a while. Will he take yogurt and pumpkin? Both are fantastic at feeding the gut bacteria. I honestly don't know about acidophilus.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2011 18:19:27 GMT -5
Paying closer attention to what his poo smells like, it actually kinda reminds me of breast fed baby poo. Like a mix of poo and sour milk. I wonder if his tummy is sour. I'm actually about to make a trip to the store in a few min (after I shower) and get some more yogurt. I wonder if I just didn't give it to him long enough before. The vet had told me also I could give any of the fert peptobismol if any of them had upset stomach. I might could try that too. If none of that starts to help I'll call the vet again. ETA: Forgot to tell you I caught Zip going back for more ground! YAY!! She's actually starting to see it as real food! So, so far Timmy, Zip and Scarlett have been caught going back for more. Now I just need to be sure Miko is doing the same. |
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Post by Sherry on Feb 27, 2011 18:25:44 GMT -5
That does kind of sound like an overgrowth starting. Try doing the 1/2 tsp yogurt and 1/2 tsp pumpkin daily for a week. It should help. If it doesn't show signs of getting better within 3-4 days, he may need another trip in.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 1:59:09 GMT -5
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Post by Sherry on Mar 2, 2011 10:31:01 GMT -5
Oh WOW!!!! That's fantastic  Zip was amazing  Scarlett's still got a bit of a learning curve, but she's getting there Next time, I'd not put them all in together, though. It's not unheard of for two ferrets to latch onto the same live mouse. And you DO want a clean kill, after all. And being in there with a mouse alone might trigger the boys prey drive a bit more- although with the one who was flat ferreting, he might be more of a lover ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 12:52:53 GMT -5
That sounds like a good idea. Really Miko and Scarlett did about how I expected. Knew Scarlett would be into it. Miko is just going to need some time to get used to it. She did get a taste of it but she gagged. LOL! She'll improve though. Scarlett I watched eat one of them. Timmy and Zip shocked me the most. They both had totally dif reactions than what I expected. Mr. lump on a log just laid there? Not what I expected of him since he's done the best with the switch. (Or next best since Scarlett joined the team) He was just totally disinterested. But Zip,  I was impressed! And she was FAST in her kill wasn't she? Had I known giving her a live one would have triggered the drive I would have given her a live one a long time ago! I'm pretty sure she ate one of them. I had left them in the bath tub with their mice while I cleaned their cage, and they had pooed in the tub and ended up getting a bit of it on them. So I had to give them baths. Besides, they were need of a grooming any how. Those claws grow fast. Any way, Zip, though she's put on weight since I got her home, is still a skinny Minni and when I picked her up her belly felt very round. Also, after I got them all dry and back in their cage, I gave them a heaping bowl of SUPER chunky thick soup (that I burned up the motor on the blender to make so thick and chunky ) so that those who didn't eat any mice could eat. Well the others went to town eating, even Scarlett who ate a mouse already the greedy pig! LOL! Zip didn't want any. And she's been eating REALLY well lately. Had been eating the super chunky soup and ground very well. Even being eager to eat it. Didn't want any last night after the mice. Those two things together, rounded belly and no interest in food, lead me to believe that she ate the other mouse. Now that at least Scarlett and Zip see mice as food I can give pre-killed to them. Miko and Timmy will have to learn I guess. But the whole thing was very exciting! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2011 13:00:03 GMT -5
OH also to add, Yeah Scarlett DOES have a bit of learning to do. I still think she did pretty good, but she could have been quicker. Maybe since I know she'll eat mice, I'll take pre-killed and play with her with it before letting her eat it. Maybe that way next time they get live (as I planed to do that any way every once in a while for enrichment) she'll be quicker with her kill.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 2, 2011 20:36:44 GMT -5
Oh, now that she knows they're edible, she'll learn REALLY quickly ;D I'd not worry about that too much. I also think it's time to move past soups. Start cutting up smallish bits, and just put some of the soup you have on top, or mix the smallish chunks with it. Keep adding less and less of the soup til they are on all chunked meat.
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I should be doing some shopping tomorrow and and going to look for some ground chicken to mix in the soup to see if I can get Miko and Zip eating it better. Then I'll add more chunks. Our state tax came in so I bought the FN and am just waiting for it to come in. And as soon as the federal comes in I'm putting in an order for some dif types of ground at hare today. Gonna give those a try mixed with the chicken soup and see how they take it. I really wish Miko and Zip wouldn't be such picky pants over it.