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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2014 14:00:19 GMT -5
One th1ng to remember, you should f1nd another flavor or two, 1n the NV rawboost brand. 1f NV changes the1r formula or the product 1s d1scont1nued, you w1ll f1nd that Esk1mo may refuse to eat anyth1ng but h1s regular food.
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Post by raynebc on Jul 31, 2014 14:03:10 GMT -5
Evo is known to cause loose droppings, and supposedly that's because it's so high in protein, but some of the other ingredients may also influence it. It sounds like a pretty decent one to mix in though.
With my first ferret, I tried a couple different litters but she never used the litter box reliably until I got a larger one (big enough for her to walk into completely). That box was a small cat litter box that I had cut to have a short (ie. 1-2" tall) front wall so she could easily get into. Clay dust may still be a matter of concern though.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2014 15:04:20 GMT -5
A ferret breeder just came in actually! She said she uses Wysong epigen 90. I looked it up and I can order through our store for 22$ for a 5lb bag. What are your guys views on that? And yes I'm definitley trying other litters I try to let the dust settle before it goes in his cage I had to get a tall one because he would poop out the sides of the cage from the pan being so small! Also the only laxatives we had with Tomlyln had white petroleum the other ones without it had catnip... I don't think that would be good for him so I bought the one with petroleum. Any ideas on how much to give?
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Post by raynebc on Jul 31, 2014 16:13:29 GMT -5
Wysong changed the formula somewhat recently, and lots of ferrets didn't react well to the change and had long/short term diarrhea. Most people seem to think the major issue was that they replaced the flax seeds with chia seeds (both are used for fatty/amino acids). Wysong eventually added a "digestive support" version of Epigen 90 to their online store, and that version if very similar to the original, and I haven't heard of any continued problems with that version. It's part of the kibble mix I feed my little ones and they're doing pretty well. If your store can special order the digestive version, it may be a good option, but I haven't seen any stores carry it so I have to buy it Wysong's website. Shipping is kinda spendy, so bought two 3lb bags at the same time and it will be enough to last me a while, perhaps until I transition to raw.
If you can avoid using the petroleum laxative except during emergencies, it would be for the best. For cat laxatives, the dosage is probably similar to Ferret lax, which is 1/2 to 1 tsp at a time, two or three times per week. They also want you to dose more frequently the first several days, but it has a lot of sugar. A better compromise would be to use pure petroleum jelly (ie. one of the cheap brands that doesn't add any other ingredients) and mix it with some kind of paste/liquid that the ferret likes to eat as a treat, such as a suitable oil (olive oil, fish oil or Ferretone). For regular hairball prevention, olive oil or raw egg yolk would be more ideal, or you could consider the natural oil-based laxative.
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Post by Heather on Jul 31, 2014 20:51:58 GMT -5
Regular hair mover, during sheds is a raw egg yolk. You can use up to 2 a week. If you've got a blockage you use 1 tsp of vaseline (white type) and 1 tbsp of pumpkin and alternate every hour until you see a pumpkin type stool. Olive oil will do nothing but it is good as an anti-inflammatory and helps prevent ulcers, at least according to theories. Kibble...not my cuppa....you will have to get others to help you with that, I don't even bother to keep up with the stuff ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2014 21:48:00 GMT -5
Sorry I had been off guys I've just been cleaning and moving and a lot of stress! Right now the lil guys doing great honestly he's eating and playing.HE LOVES THE NEW FOOD! I put it in before I went to bed after a long play session and I came out in the morning to find his bowl almost EMPTY and a nice ol poo in the corner of his litter box . I took him to my girlfriends today and he played with the kittens and we talked about getting another ferret for him so that may be happening in the next couple weeks! Would it be ok to house them together? I have a three story cage and like I said in the new apartment it had a huge closet so that'll be his play room all day while I'm gone . Also how would I go about posting pics on here? I wanna show you the little guy! I appreciate all of the help you have given me and I definitley will continue to use this forum! Eskimo thanks you to!!
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Post by raynebc on Aug 1, 2014 23:33:15 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2014 0:23:59 GMT -5
Ok guys... Everything's been going wonderful for the past week and I sorta kinda.... Got another little guy! I was just browsing craiglist (why buy when you can save one or rescue) and I found the sweetist little guy you could ever see (well besides Eskimo of course!) it was about an hour drive and $75 later and I had him and his cage! It's a little small but it'll do because they love eachother already! When I saw him in person he immediately broke my heart now don't get me wrong the people were nice and had good intentions but they were having a baby and the ferret was supposinlgy "dumped on them" by a friend that never came back. The cage looks like it's for a rat (being all wire floor and all WITH NO COVERING! And a little corner box with aspen in it ( real problem for me now I think because I use litter!) oh and I almost forgot........ WALMART yes WALMART food JESUS the fat content on this crap is 15%! He hasn't taken to my food yet although I'm trying to transition slowly he just digs through it... I'm not gonna lie... He's a pretty "hefty" boy they have me a bag of chicken jerky treats "all living things" ( I think a pet smart brand) and he tears those up! My Eskimo is not a fan of anything but ferretvite and his raw bits in his food! . As well as a spray to "help the smell" which I probably won't be using it makes him greasy like. Anyways I think they're both enjoying the company, they were in seperate crates when meeting but when I came back they were asleep nose to nose through the crates! I let them out and they had their little scuffle and now they're awesome! I covered up the wire cage with some felt and some towels and put them in there together while me and my girlfriend went out to of course get them stuff haha. Now I left that cage there and were back at my house now and they're both in Eskimos cage exploring after a long day of play hopefuly he'll get Some rest! Just wanted to know some of your guys thoughts and I should let you know Eskimos doing great! When I move I'm thinking about getting a ferret nation cage or building a C&C cage... Just built a HUGE one for my girlfriends mom for her hedgehogs! What are your views on that? Thanks!
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Post by raynebc on Aug 10, 2014 2:27:50 GMT -5
As far as cages go, having a top is important so they don't climb out. A really soft cloth like felt probably wouldn't last long against a ferret's fists of fury. A C&C cage with a top would probably be fine if the ferret has enough room to move around in, and if there's a way to hang hammocks in it, he'd probably enjoy it.
You're on the right track with transitioning off the Walmart food, he'll just have to get used to it. A better diet will cut down on the smell automatically, and a food with a proper amount of fat and protein will allow him to get his minimum requirements with less kibble and he may lose some weight, and also produce less waste.
Ferretvite's still a rather unhealthy treat for ferrets though, you might have to keep an eye out for other things Eskimo might like. The chicken jerky could be better, I don't know why they'd go with vegetable glycerine instead of animal glycerine, which would be available from the chicken anyways. Bird meat like chicken is popular with some ferrets, if you cook it make sure it's not seasoned or fried, just boiled, baked, etc. (and make sure not to give any cooked bones). Freeze dried meat/organs can be a hit too, my ferrets still don't like too many different treats but they do like freeze dried salmon and chicken liver. Some people even make their own jerky for ferrets by cooking/drying meat.
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Post by unclejoe on Aug 10, 2014 7:32:01 GMT -5
Congrats on the new addition. I just love it when they get along right from the start
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Post by Sherry on Aug 10, 2014 10:22:02 GMT -5
A ferret nation is an amazing cage You will never want another after one of those As for the ferrevite- it is referred to as "sugar in an insulinomic tube" for a reason. Dump it ASAP.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2014 15:36:25 GMT -5
Congratulations on the new addition! The ferret nation cage would be great and the C&C cages are great also because you can build it as large as you want with as many levels as you want.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using proboards
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2014 16:14:47 GMT -5
raynebc I love the "fist of fury." Oh how I know their power.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2014 16:37:45 GMT -5
Congratulations! Eskimo will be much happier with a friend and it sounds like the intro, went super well. What's the little fellow's name? Yes Please, we do want to see pictures. Most of us use a photosharing site like Photobucket. Here is a link to help with posting pictures. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/47/post-pictures-videos?page=1&scrollTo=10If you still need help, don't hesitate to ask.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2014 19:31:37 GMT -5
Well the ferretitvite is just a little incentive when he gets his nails and his ears cleaned I know how fattening it is! Also the little guys name is Gizmo but sometimes I call him chubs! ( he's a big boy !) but so far they're doing great I think these pics should work! Also my book came in so I'm gonna start reading it tonight! This is in his cage he came with Then here's this morning in Eskimos cage while he's yawning! I love him!
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