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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2014 13:19:00 GMT -5
So my pickiest ferret, Jesse, is finally eating the skin in the raw soup I have been making them!(I started leaving chunks of chicken skin in the mixture) And lately, it seems like he has gained sooo much weight! He was 2.2lbs about 3 weeks ago, and my scale isn't working right so I haven't been able to weigh him but I know for sure he's gain at least half a lb. He wasn't really into the raw at first, and stuck with the kibble, and now he's just gorging on it! Is it normal for them to gain this much weight!!? Also, his fur is SO soft now!! He had really coarse fur and now its super soft and fluffy! Is this all normal? Or could it be from the change in seasons? Also both of them have a yellow streak going down their back that they just developed..I was wondering what that was about also! I'm just surprised that these changes in Jesse are happening already, especially because I still mix their raw soup with a teeny bit of kibble, I'm not even fully raw yet! I haven't seen any weight gain in Walter(Who was the bigger one at first, but a lot less picky, so he'd eat any treat out there) This is Jesse before the change..  And this is him today!  |
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Post by Heather on Apr 4, 2014 15:31:46 GMT -5
Skin is loaded with fats and nutrients, so yes that can make a difference if he's suddenly decided to start eating that. I don't know what mixture you're feeding or what recipe but I'd be removing the kibbles from the recipe and balancing it so he can get the best nutritional value possible. Ferrets often seem to eat and gain huge amounts of weight when they first switch, it's like they're trying to make up for the nutritional deficit that they've been suffering with while eating kibbles. How have his seasons been up until now, normal weight loss in spring with darker coat? This too can make a difference. I have a boy who's birthdate would have been in Jan/Feb....he thinks summer is winter and winter is summer and puts on and looses weight accordingly.
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2014 22:13:00 GMT -5
Yeah he's putting on a ton of weight and his fur is growin out white!! So weird. He also seems to be in sleepy mode. He'll wake up and wander around and scratch a little bit and then hide under the couch(his favorite spot) to sleep.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 5, 2014 8:32:51 GMT -5
What was he like late last summer? Did he gain weight and winter coat, or did he drop weight and get more active?
He sounds like his seasons are switched.
And that yellow stripe is from oils coming out of the body.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2014 13:03:25 GMT -5
I just got them both this winter around February so I'm not sure!
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Post by Heather on Apr 6, 2014 15:23:38 GMT -5
Do you know anything about them? When they were born? This isn't giving you a hard time but it can help deciding if he's got his seasons switched around. It does sound that way
ciao
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2014 19:01:53 GMT -5
They were both born in February. At least that's what the lady at the shelter said
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2015 17:59:20 GMT -5
Do the oils come out from the season change cause my boy has developed a yellow stripe
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Post by crazylady on Apr 17, 2015 11:49:15 GMT -5
Hi yes the oils come out normally in spring but if he is mixed up it could be simply his body releasing oil into his hair shafts to soften them up if he has gone from dark to light he sounds like he is in winter mode ( that's what is making him eat more and sleep more too ) try and keep his lighting to normal daylight hours ( light inside when light outside and dark inside when dark outside ) simply throw a cover over his cage when it starts coming in dark I know its no fun for you because it deprives you of play time but it will regulate his body clock and teach it hey its spring not winter time for shedding and extra hours of play do the same in winter and his body clock will tune into winter shut down hope this helps take care bye for now
Bev
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