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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2015 23:27:50 GMT -5
So far he seems to enjoy the beef.
I need to find something to use as treats, he's not fussed on the dehydrated stuff that I've tried so far as treats. Prior to switching him raw I had some liquidy type stuff in a little squeeze thing that he enjoyed, I forgot what it was. I want to try some training stuff but without treats it's tough.
He's out right now and he's being a little terror. I haven't had a chance to bring him out for a good play in a couple of days, he's making me pay for it.
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Post by kraesmom on Jul 14, 2015 12:50:13 GMT -5
Ferretvite or Ferretone is probably the liquidy stuff and really isn't good for them. You can get some salmon or krill oil and put it in a little bottle. You can let him lick a few drops as a reward. I buy Grizzly brand salmon oil from Amazon. And yes...they do get cabin fever. If you can play with a toy tied to a stick, maybe you can wear him out. Glad he's enjoying the beef! If you can post an updated menu, I'll submit it for approval and we'll see about getting you (and Fez) graduated!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 15:05:38 GMT -5
It wasn't the ferretvite or ferretone, I never tried them. I think it was some kong cat paste stuff, still not good for him though haha. I'll have to try some salmon oil, that could work. He liked licking the paste stuff as a reward, he only got one small lick at a time. He doesn't care much for toys on a stick, he does briefly but he just wants to grab it and run off to chew on it somewhere hidden. Okay here's the current menu. Stuff on the side is my list of things to remember to look out for on sales at the store.
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Post by kraesmom on Jul 20, 2015 8:39:25 GMT -5
So...you are nearing graduation and you've been putting this into practice for a while now...I would suggest that you go back and re-read the raw feeding docs. Many of the things that seemed cryptic when you were first attempting to switch will make sense now with your expanded knowledge base. Make note of anything that doesn't make sense to you and we will go over it together. Ready? You've got this!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2015 16:48:02 GMT -5
So Fez just used his litter box in the living room, (yay, he's getting so good at it). Anyways, I saw him, got excited, then noticed as he got out of the litter box he was almost butt-scooting. So I picked him up and checked his butt, I THINK it looked a little red. ALMOST similar to prolapsed butt-s we'd get in Petco with the baby ferrets. His poo was black tarry looking - his meal this morning was actually the beef meat from yesterday, and it was quite bloody meat I think. Could it just be from that? He's totally fine now, no butt scooting. But I'll keep an eye on him.
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Post by kraesmom on Jul 24, 2015 10:29:10 GMT -5
Mine *always* but scoot after pooping. Like my carpet is their personal toilet paper. Keep an eye on the surrounding area and make sure the uh...protrusion...retracts back in. If not, you may have to use a bit of Sugar or Preparation H to help him out. You apply a dab of it to the area and then hold him for 10 minutes or so to let the medication "soak in". As for the dark, tarry poop: yes, bloody meats do tend to make for dark, sticky poops. Organ meals should look like that too.
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Post by kraesmom on Jul 24, 2015 10:50:26 GMT -5
Pop quiz...it's "open book" (you are allowed to search for any answers you don't know)
1. Your ferret has some really soft/loose stools...how do you fix it? 2. How do you know if your ferret is getting enough to eat? 3. Are leaner meats better for your ferret or fattier meats? Why? 4. What is a healthy diet item that can be used for hairballs, and his often should you give it? 5. What are two sources of taurine? Does it degrade when frozen? 6. Are cooked bones ok for ferrets?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2015 14:22:23 GMT -5
His butt didn't seem to stick out much, just kind of after that moment then was gone again. He's been fine today, haven't noticed anymore butt scooting, but he's been in his cage.
Alright, quiz..
1. Feed bone-in meals, rather than meaty meals? 2. Generally he'll not rush to eat his food, or stash some for snacking on later 3. Fattier meats better cause that's where they get their energy. 4. Eggs?? 5. Heart? Liver? 6. I assume cooked is not okay, like with dogs.
Do you have the links to all the feeding docs? Can't seem to find them myself right now
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Post by kraesmom on Jul 25, 2015 12:06:47 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2015 23:42:13 GMT -5
Had to buy some more chicken wings today... Gosh the price jumped up quite a bit since our last wings shop! That was frustrating.
So, my mum gave me an old food scale of hers. When we moved I had to get rid of the huge, HUGE old store scales I had been using. They were digital which was nice, but mum gave me a little non-digital scale. I realized today that I had my conversions wrong, so I was probably portioning things less than 1oz, when they should have been about 2oz. So that's a bit frustrating for all the liver, kidney & heart stuff in the freezer right now. Whoops.
I go through so many sandwich bags, and it makes me feel very wasteful.. any suggestions on them? Or other little ways to portion all the meats?
Also I haven't bought any salmon oil yet to try, someone suggested trying canned tuna, like the liquid from that. He wouldn't take it, wanted nothing to do with the tuna at all. So I'm a little worried he won't even take the salmon oil if I go buy that..
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Post by kraesmom on Aug 4, 2015 11:07:06 GMT -5
Okay...baggies. Personally, I use snack size, rather than sandwich. I get more of them in the box for the price and they hold up to 5-6 oz. I usually portion into 4 oz. meals for my three boys. I've gotten so that I can grab a handful of meat and am usually within +- .3 oz just based on what it *feels* like. Has Fez been getting enough food at each meal? Is he eating all of it and looking at you like "where's the rest mom?" As for tuna and salmon oil...Tuna "juice" is cooked. Not much nutrition there and I wouldn't use it. As for any fish oils, they are just like anything else...they have to learn that those things are edible. You got off easy in the beginning because Fez was a tiny little beggar and ate whatever you gave him. Now he's a big, grown up ferret and has imprinted on the foods he's had since he was little. You, as momma ferret, have to teach him that salmon oil is good for him to eat. You'll have to try over and over until he stops making faces and looking at you like he's gonna diiiieeeeeeee. He might even gag and wretch. :puke: They are little drama queens. Just keep trying. I find that all of my boys trust me, so if I offer them a bite of something or something to lick while I am holding them, they are more likely to try new things. As for your quiz: you got everything right except for #4 and #3 needs some more information. Taurine is an amino acid necessary for heart, brain, and eye health. Taurine is found in muscles that are used A LOT. This is why heart is a required part of the diet. The heart is constantly working, therefore it is very high in taurine. Heart can be ordered online if you cannot find a local supplier. Other good sources of taurine if you cannot find heart are brain and beef tongue. Brain is VERY difficult for some of us to find, but cow tongue can sometimes be found in grocery stores in locations with a large Asian or Hispanic population. It is important to know that for a tongue to be a good source of taurine, it should be from a ruminant animal (one that chews cud). If for some reason, you absolutely cannot get any of these sources of taurine, you can use a taurine supplement (500 mg per ferret per day). The NOW brand is a good one to use because it has no fillers in it. You can get taurine in capsule form, which you can break open and empty onto a meal, or pure powder form. (500mg of taurine is equivalent to ⅛ teaspoon.) Eggs are a very healthy addition to a ferret’s diet and help in the prevention of hairballs. Generally speaking, a ferret can have the equivalent of one chicken egg per week. (I say the equivalent of a chicken egg because quail eggs, for example, are very small and it takes 4 or 5 of them to equal one chicken egg.) A whole egg is basically a completely balanced meal, designed to provide complete nutrition and waste removal for a baby bird. Therefore, ferrets can be fed the entire egg, shell and all. Whether you want to serve the egg all at once or spread it out (a little bit several times a week) is up to you. Some ferrents choose to only serve part of the egg. In this case, it MUST be the yolk - do not feed egg whites without the yolk. During shedding season, eggs can be fed 2-3 times per week to help prevent hairballs from forming. One thing to be aware of when feeding eggs is that they can create slimy, stinky poops. Read more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/search/results?captcha_id=captcha_search&what_all=sources+taurine&who_only_made_by=0&display_as=0&search=Search#ixzz3hrWzKMJ5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2015 12:07:58 GMT -5
I use snack sized bags too, but with only one ferret, it's one bag per meal. He is eating it all, but I do think he might be much hungrier again than he was in the spring. Do I increase his portion sizes? Or offer an extra meal a day? I'm not quite sure what to do. I don't want him to get too fat again like he was over winter, but right now he does look really small, could probably use some weight. If I offer him a third meal, what should I give? Or just if it's like gizzard day, give 2 portions of gizzards?? The chicken wings/turkey necks seem to be the only meal that lasts him a long time, of course.
Well I was eating a boiled egg the other night and he seemed curious, so I tried to offer him some, wouldn't take it. So I scruffed and stuffed, and this... "You'll have to try over and over until he stops making faces and looking at you like he's gonna diiiieeeeeeee. He might even gag and wretch. :puke: They are little drama queens. Just keep trying."
He gave me that look, and the shake, and the "oh my god what have you done to me!"
So if I'm to try raw egg, what's the best way to offer that if it's not all in one go? Like is it best to just break an egg in a bowl and give the whole thing to him? Or mix it like you would for scrambled eggs? Cause what if he only chooses the whites not the yolk? I still need to get some salmon oil to try. Hopefully today or tomorrow. I've noticed he's learning a lot of little behaviors when I do certain things. Like if I put my arm down near him flat palm he jumps on and gets his arms in a position for me to lift him up. He knows if I'm near the fridge or bathroom door, I wait for him to jump on it before I open. When he gets lost in my closet I do a "Ahem" cough and he knows he's gotta come out, lots of little things like this. I love having more space for him now. I mean we're in a smaller place, just a little studio apartment, but that means he has access to everywhere, unlike before I only had him with access to just the living room in our old place.
We might be moving into a travel trailer though. I still want him to be able to roam it but it's going to be some very serious ferret-proofing in that to make sure absolutely no access to any escape holes :S :S :S
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Post by kraesmom on Aug 30, 2015 14:56:22 GMT -5
If he is still hungry, yes..give more.. Just try to keep it balanced percentage wise for the week
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Post by kraesmom on Sept 8, 2015 12:59:24 GMT -5
Are you still here?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2015 18:18:32 GMT -5
Yep, I'm still here!
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