Should I wait to switch to raw?

[Deleted]

I have wanted to put my younger ferret Layla on an at least partial franken diet since I got her, but access to enough types of meat product has been difficult. Now I'm quite sure I could handle it, but I have an older ferret now (Marty, at least 7 years) and he isn't the healthiest he could be. I'm concerned that switching him to a new diet might make him turn away from food, and I don't think he could handle losing weight despite his jiggly belly. I understand that with a successful switch, he will be healthier and live longer, but I have high anxiety about his health. 

If I were to switch Layla, I would also try to switch my cat (Miracle) even though she has to be half-starved to touch wet cat food (she's a priss). So there is a lot that makes me want to switch, I understand the benefits and the whys, I'm just terrified that I could make Marty sick. 

I would add a picture of him 'cause he's super cute right now, but he's using my phone as a pillow.

[FireAngel]

The short answer is no! The slightly longer answer is no even getting them to eat any part of their diet raw is better then none at all. The ethics of stressing Marty with the change can be assessed as the switch is occurring. There is a lot of people here that will help you and guide you no matter what you decide. I hope to see an unofficial switching thread from you soon and I hope you apply for a mentor also. What kind of health problems does Marty have?

[Deleted]

He has very short but sharp hind claws, and he never stops scratching, so he often has wounds. Not really a digestive health issue, but it adds to stress. He has bad teeth from years of them not being cleaned, and brushing his teeth hasn't been much of a help. He sleeps constantly, only becoming alert for a few minutes at a time, which I've been advised by a vet is due to being deaf, blind, and old (which I think isn't accurate, but I've never been around a deaf/blind ferret before). He also has continence issues, he'll get up in a hurry to get to the litter box (a few inches away) and not make it in time. He seems to refuse to groom himself, and he hides away when Layla tries (He only lets her touch his ears sometimes). Otherwise his fur is soft and fluffy, his ears are clean, and his poop only smells for a few minutes (it was much worse when I first got him).

[FireAngel]

A www, we'll all you can do is try! If it is too hard on him then you can reevaluate how to go forward but you will not have to do it alone.

[Deleted]

I'll see about getting some chicken quarters and try hand feeding some bits, see how they respond to it as a treat. My only previous experiments have resulted in Layla throwing up about a bit of raw beef steak. Layla loves egg yolk, Marty ignores it.

[FireAngel]

With older ferrets it's usually easier to start with a soup and then go from there. Having them used to soup is also good for when they are sick and need to be syringe fed.

Here's a shopping list to help you get started,
a scale to not only weigh him but to weigh the food. I have 2 different ones for this but you can use one if you are comfortable with that..
Chicken thighs or breasts, thighs are fattier and a good choice but breast is alright. Chicken hearts and chicken livers and either human grade bonemeal or crushed/ground eggshells.
Here is the recipe for the soup,
8oz chicken
1oz chicken heart
1oz chicken liver
1/2-3/4 tsp of eggshell powder or bonemeal
Chop everything up and put it in a blender add enough water to make it smooth but no thinner then a thick cream consistency.
Here Are a couple of links to help you learn everything to get you started, Journey to raw and Intro to raw

[Deleted]

I hope my mom has a blender I can borrow. I've gotten them to take soup from a syringe, I have yet to get them to eat it from a bowl though.

[FireAngel]

Try putting it on a baby spoon and spoon feeding them the soup. Once they do that then you can slowly lower the spoon to the bowl until they are eating out of the bowl. I have a magic bullet, it's great for the Soupie.

[Deleted]

I'll do that! Thanks for the tips, I'll make a new thread for the transition whenever I can get my hands on the stuff needed.

[Desiree]

Just want to share my story. I was able to successfully switch over my 7 year old girl who has insulinoma and adrenal. She is soooo much healthier now than she was before the switch. Her energy has gone up, her weight is stable and no more drops in blood sugar. It's possible and will do wonders for those old ones.

[Deleted]

Just for preparation, how much of one recipe of soup will each ferret eat in a day? I found some dried raw hearts on Amazon (I can't find any at the store) and I'd like to know what to prepare for.

[Deleted]

Another question: Wild barn mice, can I live catch them, kill them, and then feed them to the fuzzies every so often? What about Toxoplasmosis?

[FireAngel]

How much a ferret eats varies. It the average is 1-3 oz for an adult female and 2-5 for an a cult male. Kits eat way more. It's trail and error at first. If you have the time to be there all day and watch their bowl I suggest 2oz at a time and just keep refilling the bowl as it empties until you get a good handle on how much they are actually eating in a day. Of course I don't want you to wake up every two hours or whatever to check their bowl so seeing what they eat during your waking hours and then putting that much out at night is what I would recommend.
You can catch and feed wild prey but you have to make sure to freeze it for at least 3 weeks to kill any parasites or bacteria it may be carrying. I'm a bit overboard and if this ever happened with me. I would honestly probably freeze for a couple of months.

[Deleted]

Alright! Thank you. I was expecting to freeze any I catch for a while.