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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2015 8:40:19 GMT -5
Ok this is my first post here so please know I am horrible at posting on forums and answering, but I need some help for Mijo! I got Mijo and his brother Rascal(renamed Od as I already have a dog named Rascal) this past weekend. Od is very healthy and 1 year old. Mijo is not so healthy and is 5 years old. He is very active and has normal poops. Problem is he is SUPER SKINNY! I mean skin and bones! I feel like when I hold him I will break him in two he's so skinny! His hair is also really thin and I have noticed when I pet him it falls out a lot more easily than my 2 girls (Freyja and Snowball) or Od. I have a vet appointment on Friday at 3:30. I would've gotten him in sooner but my normal vet has no openings until next week and I have been calling place after place for an earlier appointment. Is there anything I can do in the meantime to help this??? He eats normally. The previous owner said he has always been like this and that he used to be on a raw diet but stopped liking anything other than Wal-Mart ferret kibble. If I need better pictures I will try to take them.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2015 8:40:56 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2015 8:57:20 GMT -5
Thank you for bringing both Od and Mijo home.
Mijo does look thin to me. At a healthy weight, you should be able to feel his ribs but not see them. He should not have a waistline but be straight up and down. A kibble fed ferret is more pear shaped but Mijo certainly is not.
That Walmart kibble is as bad as they come. That can play a huge part in why his fur is so coarse. It is not likely the reason his fur is thinning and falling out.
I suspect the vet will find Adrenal. He is of the age, that this would not be uncommon.
If he is eating and he is pooping, then he should be fine until Friday. Is this vet an exotic vet? Does he normally see ferrets in his practice?
Something that can help with weight gain is Carnivore Care and it is available through the Vet's office.
The little guy looks like he needs some loving attention and I'm so glad he has found you.
:wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2015 9:03:52 GMT -5
Yes. I made sure they normally do ferrets. It's not my normal vet, but my normal vet didn't have an appointment until next week. I have been calling places for the last 3 days trying to find someone. I am trying to get him to eat some of the raw food that my girls eat. Od took to it quickly, but Mijo will only eat the Wal-Mart food. I even got him some better ferret food from Petco as well as tried Orijen cat food. It's only been since Saturday since I've had him, but I'm already very attached and even crying as I think about this. I will run to my vet later today and see if he has Carnivore Care. The vet on Friday is an hour away, so I won't be able to go to them until the appointment.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2015 9:11:58 GMT -5
Mijo likes the Walmart food because it's full of sweet stuff. Just like us, it's much more fun to eat junk food. The problem is that all that stuff in the Walmart food will spike his Blood Glucose levels. I would call the vet and ask if they plan to do some bloodwork. If they do, then ask about fasting bloodwork. Your vet may want him to have fasted for two hours or so before any proper blood work levels can reveal anything like Insulinoma. I'm not trying to alarm you, just help you be better prepared for his visit. Give both Od and Mijo a big hug and tell them that their Mommy will take good care of them now.  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2015 9:18:27 GMT -5
Ok I will call and ask that right now. I have never really dealt with kibble ferrets, my two girls took to raw right away, so will he eat if I just stop even offering the Wal-Mart kibble? I probably need to go to the diet section for that kind of advice though.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2015 9:29:13 GMT -5
Ok I will call and ask that right now. I have never really dealt with kibble ferrets, my two girls took to raw right away, so will he eat if I just stop even offering the Wal-Mart kibble? I probably need to go to the diet section for that kind of advice though. At his age, most ferrets have imprinted on their kibble. He likely will not recognize another food as food. That doesn't mean he won't eat it though. It is certainly worth a try. I would follow our soupie recipe and work on that. Mijo just might be hungry enough that he happily eats and eats well. Their little bodies can sense the need for real nutrients. Here is a link to the soupie recipe, in case you don't have it. If you need any tips on feeding it or if you need any help navigating the forum, just ask. One way to get someone's attention is to either use the quote button and they get notified or you can tag someone. Hover your cursor over a user name and see how it is spelled. Sherry for example comes up as admin. Then put the @ sign in front of their name with no space. I'll tag you just to show you. If it comes up in bold once you post, you have done it correctly. @sariahast docs.google.com/document/d/1aRms_O0F38lNSQktABNYDqievQ9GZSR4rRR6fcAcPHA/edit?pli=1Once you make the soupie, post and we'll be happy to help you with any tips to help Mijo eat his soupie. |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2015 9:33:40 GMT -5
@poncesmom
Ok thank you very much! I hope I can get him over this. The previous owner swears that he used to be raw fed, hopefully it won't take much more than getting meds/implant if necessary and starting the raw diet completely from scratch to get him looking and feeling better.
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Post by raynebc on Oct 7, 2015 11:48:42 GMT -5
Going from raw to grocery store brand kibble is such a 180 I have to question whether the previous owner really ever fed a raw diet. A ferret wouldn't come to only eat kibble unless it was being fed kibble all along. Get a syringe and squirt a little soup into the side of Mijo's mouth while scruffing if you have to.
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Post by Corvidophile on Oct 14, 2015 8:00:15 GMT -5
@raynbec I agree with this instance but disagree with the general statement, there are plenty of reasons a raw owner would switch to kibble- (assumed) lower cost, easier availability and storage, less time consuming or (assumed) gross to handle, objection from cohabitants... The mystery tire-screecher is why anyone would move from a raw diet to such a LOW quality kibble, because it takes someone who has a strong interest in better nutrition to do raw! So this situation is really weird and questionable. I hope you can bring him back to health, but no doubt you can increase his outlook on life!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2015 19:24:34 GMT -5
CorvidophileI agree that it was very weird. I know now that the previous owner either didn't know how to properly care for a ferret, or just really didn't care. @poncesmom I have been waiting to give an update on Mijo, because my heart is still breaking. The vet took blood on Friday and told us we would get the results this week just to confirm the visual, and also said that from everything else Mijo did have adrenal. On Sunday, Mijo crossed the rainbow bridge while my husband and I were out.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2015 20:45:08 GMT -5
CorvidophileI agree that it was very weird. I know now that the previous owner either didn't know how to properly care for a ferret, or just really didn't care. @poncesmom I have been waiting to give an update on Mijo, because my heart is still breaking. The vet took blood on Friday and told us we would get the results this week just to confirm the visual, and also said that from everything else Mijo did have adrenal. On Sunday, Mijo crossed the rainbow bridge while my husband and I were out. I am so so sorry. Little Od will grieve for his brother. He will need extra special love and attention. DIP little Mijo. You were loved and will always be in your family's heart. |
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