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Post by Heather on Aug 13, 2014 21:49:29 GMT -5
Hello all. See below for my app. Let me know if you have questions! Thanks! Annette Name: Annette
HF Forum Username: annetteg
1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? This forum (HFF)
2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Frankenprey
3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet? Max, BC, and Miss P are my first ferrets…I knew nothing about them. I had a concern that Max may have swallowed something, so I did a search and read about giving ferrets a laxative, so I gave Max some Laxatone. In the days that followed, Max declined (and I have no idea why). He started sleeping more, eating less, etc. So after more searching I found this forum and the threads on the baby food soupies for sick ferrets. Made a batch and the whole family pitched in to feed Max every couple of hours. He made a turnaround…started eating more on his own, playing etc. , eventually back to normal. However, I noticed that he seemed to have a hard time eating his kibble…like it hurt. He was also thin and scrawny looking when compared to BC. So after more reading on this forum and I am convinced that raw is the way to go.
4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Are you willing to make the commitment? Yes and Yes
5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? How long have you had each ferret for? Three ferrets at the moment: Buttercup (BC) is a female, about a 1 1/2 years old. No known health problems. We have had BC since February 2014. Maximillian (Max) is a male, also about 1 1/2 years old. No known health problems. We have had Max since March 2014. Petunia (Miss P) is a female, about 6 months old. No known health problems. We have had Miss P since June 2014.
6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? Currently feeding a blend of Wellness Core Kitten, Orijen Red, Wysong Epigen 90 Ferret (new formula), and Natures Variety Instinct Rabbit. One Ferretvite treat each in the evening; one Bandit treat each in the morning. Occassional N-bone. Do they already eat some form of soup? Max - yes; BC - yes, but she has lost some momentum since Miss P's arrival; Miss P - only if I scruff her and then only a couple of fingerfuls.
7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? No
8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share? About me? Hmmm let's see....four dogs, three ferrets, two kids, one husband, and a parrot in an orange tree. About the ferrets, more to come.
9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer? Daily
10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible). Hi and welcome to the mentoring program (wave). In a little while your mentor (Sherry), will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun :boing: . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey. ciao   
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2014 19:09:52 GMT -5
I have a mentor...yay!!! In the process of doing dinner and all that...will post more in a bit. A EDIT: Okay, time got away from me and need get to bed. Will post a summary of the current situation tomorrow after work. In the mean time, would it be okay to post my updates as follows (for example):
I was thinking that I could do my updates at work and then simply upload when I get home. Let me know what you think. Thanks! Annette
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Post by Sherry on Aug 15, 2014 9:42:12 GMT -5
You beat me to it And sure- works for me! Here's my intro anyway: Hello there! I'm Sherry, and I'll be your mentor for their switch First, a little about me. I'm 56, and have my own housecleaning business here in Calgary Alberta. I have 4 cats, ranging in age from 11 yrs, to 19(only one would eat raw, unfortunately ). I also have 8 ferrets. Boris and Vincent(rip) came first, two brothers, a sable and albino. Then Sinnead(rip). I got her when she was 4. She passed at almost the age of 8, had adrenal for 3 years, treated with lupron for 2 of those. After that came my first deaf ferret, Lucrezia(adrenal). A marked DEW. Then two foster ferrets, whom we fell in love with and adopted- Zeus(DIP) and Athena(DIP), both two years old at that time. Both were adrenal, and on lupron until they passed from adrenal related lymphomas at the age of 5. After that, a little abused ferret we called Willow. She was the worst fear biter I've had, although now she's become a sweetie. She has also developed insulinoma due to a variety of issues. Then, Emily. 1 month younger than Willow(DIP-pancreatic lymphoma), and those two have bonded strongly. She's the only one Willow wasn't terrified of. Suki is the last one, I swear! She was a little 8 month old darling the pet store was having a hard time selling, so were getting ready to send her back! While transitioning the first four, Boris was my hold out. EVERYTHING I gave him was poison, in his mind . Worst little drama queen I've seen yet . Twisting to get away, gagging, retching- he did all of it! Then one day- he ate it! Every single piece on the plate ! Those four haven't looked back. The next two for transitioning were the fosters. Until we adopted them, I could only supplement with raw. So in order not to cause unnecessary tummy upsets(mixing kibble and raw too closely can cause some problems- more about that later), I'd give them raw one day, and kibble on a different day. So, by the time we adopted, they had no problem with 100% raw diet. With Willow, I brought her home, and she flatly refused to eat the totally ferret kibble, so I went back to the pet store and got her a small bag of the crap they were feeding them there, and brought it home. I tried to give her some, but she just upset the dish. So- I tried her with some chicken breast. She ate it up! Hasn't had kibble since . Emily came to us as a raw fed ferret, so no issues there. Suki was another kibble head, but caging her in the daytime with Miss Emily showed her how to eat raw. And now- we've added Mr. Frodo(DIP-lymphoma), who essentially switched himself second day he was here That's me and mine in a nutshell The reason I started looking a raw feeding was something my vet said to me. I was, at the time, giving them small pieces of fruit for treats. She told me that was VERY bad for them, and in fact, some studies have started to link early feeding of sugars with insulinoma later in life. So- I started thinking. Kibbles are full of carbs. It's all those grains/veg/fruits in them. Those are converted to sugars by the body. To me then, sugar= potential insulinoma. So, I started checking out various diets. I had no idea what an obligate carnivore was at the time. I found out! Not much wonder there was soooo much poop in the box! I may as well have been tossing my money in there. They can't process anything that's not meat based! So I feed meat Their fur is softer, their energy levels are amazing- no mad rushes then crashing. Even my three year old's teeth are amazing. No plaque whatsoever Healing is faster, and if they do get ill, they have more reserves to rely on than when they were just kibble fed! And there is a LOT LESS POOP!!!! Yay! I'm looking forward to helping your little ones get on a much healthier diet, and having fun while we're at it We adopted 4 more from the local rescue just over a year ago, bringing our numbers back up to 9 again 7m old Cody as well as a bonded trio of 2yr old males, Judge(insulinoma), Indie, and Odin(also adrenal). All are also now fully raw fed
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Post by Sherry on Aug 15, 2014 9:46:31 GMT -5
Alright, let's get this going! First I am going to have you ditch the Bandit's and N-bones. The reason is that you are aiming to remove kibble from their diet entirely and those two things are LOADED with carbs. For treats we are going to get them used to oils and slivers of raw meats hand fed. So- have you tried a soup for them yet? If not, here it is: 8oz chicken meat 1-2 chicken hearts 1/2 chicken liver 1/2 tsp powdered eggshell Enough water, or homemade chicken broth(straight chicken, no spices, veg, etc) to make a soupy texture Puree all of the above together, freeze in ice cube trays, baggie cubes after frozen. Let me know what stage you are now at
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2014 22:18:24 GMT -5
Hi Sherry! Here is a little about me. I am 48, married 29 years, 2 kids (daughter is 24 and son is 21). I work at a local utility with an hour commute each way. In addition to the ferts, we have 5 dogs (3 boxers, a boxer mix, and a bulldog) and a Mexican Redheaded Amazon. While I have had pets all my life (cats, dogs, birds, fish, turtles), this is the first time with ferrets...never thought I would see the day, LOL. Here is the scoop for Max, BC, and Miss P I am not able to let them free roam at the moment…not comfortable with the dogs and the kids coming and going all the time. So, during the week they are out in the morning for about 1 hour and in the evening they are out 2 - 3 hours. On the weekends, they are out all day unless we have to run errands. We have a gate up that separates the foyer and our bedroom from the rest of the house. This is where they play when they are out and about. Right now I am feeding four soup flavors: Chicken (16oz) with chicken hearts (2oz), chicken liver (2oz), beef kidney (1oz), and eggshell (1tsp) Beef (16oz) with beef heart (2oz), beef liver (2oz), beef kidney (1oz), and eggshell (1tsp) Pork (16oz) with pork heart (2oz), pork liver (2oz), pork kidney (1oz), pork spleen (1oz), and eggshell (1tsp) Turkey (16oz) with with chicken hearts (2oz), chicken liver (2oz), beef kidney (1oz), and eggshell (1tsp) The soup has been of a thick consistency (kinda like pudding). I have been offering soup in the morning before work at around 7:00 a.m. and in the evening at around 8:00 p.m. (I generally leave the house at 7:30 a.m. and get home at 7:00 p.m.). I have been feeding them outside of the cage and then placing the plate with whatever is leftover in the cage during the day/overnight. Also, I have been trying to offer coconut oil or one raw egg once a week (usually on Sundays). All three LOVE the coconut oil, Max and BC enjoy the egg. Also offered EVOO once and no one seemed that excited about it. MaxMax is the best boy! He loves the soup…he hasn't touched kibble since. While he eats all flavors of the soup, he is most enthusiastic about the chicken. He comes to the plate on his own. He has also gained weight and his coat has improved. I think he is ready for small slivers. I tried a chicken wing twice now…the first time Max crunched on a couple of pieces. BCBC was right alongside Max until Miss P’s arrival AND the introduction of beef, pork, and turkey. I know that she still eats kibble occasionally. For a while there she was coming to the plate on her own but now i usually have to get her started and if it’s beef, pork, or turkey - she usually walks away after a few bites. It seems like she has lost a little bit of weight but that could also be because of the winter/spring difference. Finally, she does not like any “pieces” in her soup and she showed zero interest in the chicken wing. Miss PMiss P is still eating kibble but she has shown some improvement when it comes to soup. Now she doesn't act like I am killing her when i offer it on my finger. And while she isn't very enthusiastic about any of the flavors, a couple of times she has actually come to the plate and licked a few times on her own. No weight loss (in fact I think she has her winter coat on because she is fat and fluffy, LOL). She has also eaten a couple of pieces and the first time I offered chicken wing she actually ate a piece. LilyNew to the business as of August 20th. Previous owner was feeding Walmart ferret food. I offered soup the first couple of days she was here, but since I had to go out of town, no progress was made. She did like coconut oil and raw egg. Okay here are current pictures and weights: Weights are a close approximate. Even tho I use a bowl on the food scale and tempt them with coconut oil (to keep them still), the scale readout (digital) still bounces around. I record the number that it seems to stay on the most/longest. Up until now I have been feeding them from one plate. I am guessing that I need to somehow start feeding them separately so that I can be sure of who is eating what (how much). I also need to start figuring out how to track individual poops AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST - we may get off to a bit of a slow start because I have to be out of town for work, leaving August 25th and returning August 29th. I will be enlisting the help of my family with the ferts while I am gone and I will not have access to the computer. Think that's it for now. Let me know what you think. Thanks! Annette
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Post by Sherry on Aug 16, 2014 23:49:41 GMT -5
Alright! We have some major action happening here I think you can safely remove the kibble from the cage except for a couple times a day for wee miss P. What I'd like you to do for her is start offering by the spoon while on your lap. If you have to finish up finger feeding that is okay. But at least START with the spoon with her. Do not let her run off immediately when she has decided enough. Keep offering to her 2 or 3 times past that point. With the others, either start by mixing a bit of ground meat(any kind) to get them used to texture, or if you prefer(we will be going here anyway) slivering up some meat of what they are eating. No bigger than your pinkie crescent to start. Mix either a tsp ground, or a tsp slivers into their puree. Let me know how they do!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2014 9:25:18 GMT -5
Hi Sherry. Will do on all the above. See below for this week's plan. Thanks very much! Annette Weekly Overview for Week Starting 8/17:
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Post by Deleted on Aug 17, 2014 11:17:16 GMT -5
Quick question: Regarding adding the slivers to the soup...can I use chicken gizzards for the slivers or should the slivers "match" the soup (i.e., be chicken, beef, pork, or turkey)? Annette
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Post by Sherry on Aug 17, 2014 12:44:34 GMT -5
Use whatever you have on hand as long as you know the ferret doesn't have a reaction to that particular protein
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2014 20:48:23 GMT -5
Hi Sherry. See below for Sunday's update.
Let me know if you have questions. Annette
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2014 22:07:26 GMT -5
And Monday's Update Too: Annette
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Post by Sherry on Aug 19, 2014 10:05:06 GMT -5
Sounds like BC and Max are doing well. For them start increasing sliver to soup ratio to about half and half if not there already. If so- up to 3/4. For Miss P I'd like you to try hand feeding her, at night especially. The idea is to fill her up so she starts ignoring the kibble. Otherwise she will at some point just start holding out for it. Once she is consistently eating a couple ounces a day this way the kibble can be removed entirely
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2014 21:26:22 GMT -5
Hi Sherry. Finishing up today's update in a bit. Will post later tonight or tomorrow. Will do on your above instructions. Quick question: Today, a coworker gave me EIGHT bags of Wysong Dream Treats (4 quail and 4 rabbit). She bought them for her dogs but they don't like them. Can I incorporate them into the fert's diet? If yes, how? Thanks! Annette
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2014 22:14:30 GMT -5
Tuesday's Update:
Like I mentioned, tonight was a quiet night. Also need to make smaller slivers. Hope all is well with you! Annette
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2014 21:55:48 GMT -5
Hi Sherry. Okay, I do not have a detailed update for Wednesday. Here's why...meet Lily.
I'll post more over in the other folder. Annette
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