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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2016 23:43:49 GMT -5
Hey! Just checking in to see how Mei is going~~
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Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2016 23:44:07 GMT -5
The current schedule for the soup is breakfast around 9am and dinner around 6-7pm depending on when we get home. Max hasn't has any kibble since the day he started eating the soup and Mei wasn't SUPPOSED to have any kibble but I missed her stash in the living room and she kept finding pieces we missed. Non of them eat kibble for meals anymore, though, they are 100% on the soup. That's part of the reason why I've been fretting over Mei eating enough (especially now since she dropped a lot of weight due to the blockage stuff).
Max has been doing good on the chicken. He's been having seedy poo recently after the stress with Mei but previously he'd been doing extremely well! He loves the wings, he just has a hard time chewing on them sine he can't really figure out to tear the skin off or get through the thicker part of the bone. He loves the thin tips, though. I'm considering going and getting a whole chicken/duck and breaking it down for him since the big wing bones seem too thick for him right now. I also saw a video of someone making some ferret safe meat hooks so they can get some leverage on their meal. I feel like that would help Max a lot since he needs the meat to have some resistance so he can tear it.
I'm not sure if Max is shedding. He's been itchy, though, so possibly. I really thought the grape tail thing wasn't real until I picked Mei up and ended up really confused. I'm so excited for my parents to smell them over the holidays lol, they wouldn't believe me when I told them over the phone. I'm going to make them a little Thanksgiving dinner so I'm currently looking for ideas that are ok for them to eat. So far I have raw turkey minced with scrambles egg stuffing.
Silly Yuuki playing in the litter box. I hate when Mei does it, she always aggravates her nose.
Mei is feeling better but there have been some problems. For starters, she gets scared when I try to feed her now and starts shaking and fighting. If she settles down long enough to realize it's food she stops but I feel bad essentially holding her in place while she panics trying to get her to smell the plate. She's really bony now and I'm trying to find a protein she will more readily eat (like the pork you suggested or the minced chicken, they get minced chicken tomorrow!) so she puts back on the weight she lost. I think she's been shaking so much partly out of panic I'm going to force her to eat something again and partly because it's been cold and they couldn't have any blankets. Seriously, November has been t-shirt weather all the way up to last night when a cold front finally blew in. Terrible timing.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2016 0:43:34 GMT -5
Wow I think we replied at the same time hahaha!
The progress so far is actually very very very good. They basically off the kibble (if we.... forget the stashed lot.) Any lost weight will eventually come back in a few weeks. During my journey with Haru and Yuuki to start out with, Haru had weight issues mainly due to muscle loss-- but It wasn't really due to diet, within the past few months, she's gained muscle back from the raw diet so in a sense, it has helped her incredibly.
WOOOO !!!! I love that Max is okay with Chicken! I wonder if it was the kibble that caused him some issues. I personally don't trust kibble, there are so many ingredients and questionable ingredients at that--- plus we have no control over the ingredients, this can cause a lot of issues especially if a ferret happens to be allergic or sensitive to something in particular. In these cases kibble users have to resort to switching or changing types or brands, but still who knows what actually goes into the stuff. I use whole carcasses too! I literally bought a whole duck (fit for human consumption) for my guys. It was on special for $15, so why not. Carcasses however, the ones you buy for dogs, are basically leftovers so not much meat is left on after they strip it all for humans. This doesn't mean you can't get and use them, I do it, many do it. It's just about balancing things out with the overall diet. (Don't fret about that yet, You'll get an understanding as you go on what you can do to balance things out.) On the carcasses, my guys enjoy the sternum/breastbone from a chicken carcass.
Using hooks is also a good idea for ferrets who may run and stash meat. It forces them to eat where they are to some degree (until they eat enough that it rips off.) A little scrambled egg should be fine since it is a once off treat just remember to scramble it without adding anything. You could also do it raw. I love to play make my ferrets dinner all fancy, sometimes I roll raw mince into a ball, and place it in the center of a bowl that has whisked raw egg. You could also potentially create a well in the center of some raw mince and put an egg yolk in it (unless you want to whisk the entire egg.) One of the best parts about raw feeding is that you can really get creative with how you present it. (Not that ferrets care, but it's fun for us and is appealing to look at.)
Find some fattier cuts of meat if you like. Too much excess fat is not ideal, but ferrets do get their energy from natural Fats, so getting fattier cuts is a good idea (It's mainly feeding excess fat such as rendered fats or lard.) Example of fattier cuts is things such as chicken thighs.
If you could, would you be able to post some dangling photos of Mei and Max? (Like the ones at the start of the switch.)
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2016 2:46:35 GMT -5
Yes sorry I keep meaning to take pictures then I get distracted and forget >_<
I think Max's illness was from the kibble, honestly. He miraculously recovered a couple days after his switch without the antibiotics so it must have been something in the kibble messing with his intestines. He doesn't have bowel trouble like he used anymore either. He used to semi-frequently do the I gotta go dance but not go for three or four tries. Now he has no trouble going and he doesn't get poo stuck to him like he used to. Little man used to have thick poo that stuck to absolutely everything. I thought he had IBS for a while.
We started harness training with Max since Mei doesn't have a harness small enough and he acts like it's the end of the world. I have a video of him laying on the ground looking so pitiful and I felt bad that I couldn't stop laughing. Poor guy.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2016 2:57:36 GMT -5
It really wouldn't suprise me if it was the kibble causing problems. Issues caused due to diet is very common in kibble fed animals. Whether it be poor coat, or something else. It's really great when you can see all these improvements even in such a short time too.
I guess harness training takes time. My boys hate it-- Yuuki behaves like a bucking horse and would go around rolling and attempting to wriggle out. Don't they look all handsome in their harnesses though!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 1:40:16 GMT -5
Here are their newer pics. They've been on raw since Nov 4. Apparently Mei wanted to wink at you (I looked at her eye after and she was ok, Idk why she looked like that lol)
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2016 1:56:21 GMT -5
Oh my gosh. Max is a chunky monkey! What a handsome fella! His coat looks really clean, soft and nice. I think i see what you meant by underarm baldness.
Mei looks like a Slinky. Very cute and i can see changes in her coat as well. It's fantastic.
Both Max and Mei appear to have a wonderful weight.
This is how you can see if a ferret is under or over weight. A healthy ferret should aeem straight like a tube when they dangle. You should also be able to just feel the ribs, but not see them visibly.
They look great!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2016 0:26:11 GMT -5
Checking in~ How is everyone doing with the raw? Any progress with the bone in meats?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2016 21:31:38 GMT -5
Sorry I forgot to post, the last couple of days have been hectic. My parents came into town, I fell and badly injured my knee, and Mei ate some cloth AGAIN during a severe oversight of mine but she's fine now.
I bought two Cornish game hens yesterday to break down for Max and Mei to try but I didn't have time today to cut them up. I'll save them for dinner tomorrow. They rejected the chicken slivers I tried to give them. I guess they didn't like the consistency so I'll do in-soup slivers next time.
It's good to know Mei isn't malnourished after everything that happened. Also, I noticed Max is super itchy lately (probably why he went bald there, he bites there a lot) so I was considering doing something to help him feel better. I read oatmeal is good? Just oatmeal in water? Like make a paste and rub it on him then rinse it off? I feel bad he's so itchy, I don't think I got all the laundry detergent out of our clothes this time around (I have sensitive skin and I've been fairly itchy as well so it must be something with the clothing).
I discovered Mei won't bother her hammock so she's got that and a wooden box to sleep in. Max likes to use her as a cushion. I figured she also wouldn't bother the sleeping bag since it was made out of the same material. So my parents get here and Max is on his best behavior, cuddling and schmoozing like crazy. Then I can't find Mei. I finally see a lump in the bag, but she isn't in it or under it. No, she'd chewed her way between the layers of cloth and was sleeping in the pocket she made. I about had a fit and my parents had no idea what the problem was (they don't understand cloth=blockage=death). So that was totally my fault. She passed it just fine after two rounds of blockage protocol. I'm not sure how they're going to have enough play time with my knee screwed up...I think if I take them into the bedroom and keep them just in there they'll be able to run freely without me having to worry too much but they won't have very much room to play. Poor kids, this was really bad timing.
I'll post the weekly stuff as soon as I get Lance to do the weights!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2016 2:22:43 GMT -5
No problem. I hope your parents are enjoying Max and Mei. I also hope that your knee feels better soon! Oh Mei! This child sure likes to get herself into mischief. I'm glad to hear that she's alright despite another blockage hazard and it totally was not your fault. It was an accident. I'm sure you're teaching your parents about the dangers and risks now~~~ You guys are so good with the Blockage Protocols now. Be a good girl Mei! (Hopeing she grows out of this Pica like behaviour. Silly girly.) Still going super with the transition from what I hear~! I brouht up the bald spot and a mentor mentioned it could be "chub flub" something along those lines, I forget now, but basically from the baby fat rubbing up against itself plus the possible add on from shedding. It should grow back. I do hear that oatmeal is a good option for itchy coats. I heard one method where you can put some in a tea towel, tie it up and put it in the bath until it makes an oatmeal bath, then let him soak in it (if he's not big enough yet to let himself out lol!) You could also try a paste, just make sure he doesn't try having some for a snack (hehe) I'll ask the other mentors and see if there is anything else that may help with itchy skin. I do know that sometimes Itchy skin could be due to what it's being washed in. Some ferrets are sensitive to detergents and such. I used just vinegar most of the time. Sometimes a fragrance free laundry powder. Good work~~!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2016 21:17:03 GMT -5
1. Ferret's name: Mei 2. Ferret's weight: 1Ib 6.2oz 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal: Around 2-3 teaspoons 4. Stools on various proteins: Seedy, small, brown 5. Activity levels: Higher than normal (Becoming the new normal) 6. Weekly menu: Beef soup or chicken soup most days and an attempt at Cornish game hen 1. Ferret's name: Max 2. Ferret's weight: 2Ib 15oz 3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal: 4oz 4. Stools on various proteins: Orange/brown diarrhea the last few days 5. Activity levels: Higher than normal 6. Weekly menu: Beef soup (deafault), chicken soup (2-3x a week), Cornish game hen (2-3x this week), going to try a whole chicken heart Max has been having some diarrhea the last few days and he stopped using the litter box. I looked him over and he doesn't look like he's sick again from what I can see but he's having some kind of tummy trouble. I'm going to give him a little more eggshell in his soup and see if eating the bone in meat I got him (the Cornish hens are much smaller and I figured he'd have an easier time with that one) kind of regulates him a little bit. If those don't help I'll start giving him some pumpkin but I'm kind of hoping it's just from having too much muscle meat. Almost forgot! Mei is eating her food on her own now without any oil finally! For a while we couldn't get her to eat it without it and she wouldn't eat without being hand fed, but she just kinda stopped wanting the oil and now she's eating more as well. She also started stashing meat in their little house which I find both cute and disgusting
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2016 21:17:42 GMT -5
I need to get my replies back on schedule
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 0:51:38 GMT -5
You must be quite happy that Mei is finally getting into the new diet! Fantastic!!! I noticed for Max that you mention his stools are an orange brown. Have you been feeding any eggs? Eggs are well known for creating loose stools. Is Max still going to the toilet? Or do you mean that he’s going but is he not using his litter box when he needs to go? Either way, ferrets aren’t 100% with being spot on litter trained. When they gotta go, they gotta go and kits especially may have times where they play up with going in the litter tray. (I had to do litter boot camp multiple times for my stinkers.) For the diarrhea, you can try more egg shell, ideally it would be a good option to begin weaning him off the soup and onto muscle meats and bone in meats. If you are able to source some organs, specifically Liver and one other organ, then you could try those as well. (Liver and the second organ are best blended in a soup form.) More info: holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/raw-diet-the-meat-of-the-site/basic-frankenprey-menu/Since Mei and Max are now completely on raw~~~~ For the next few weeks, let’s focus more on getting into the swing of following a menu set up. Write up a menu in your spare time with what you’re currently feeding and when it’s fed using the template in the below example. You can try and stick to the menu you write up as well, and we’ll begin to balance it out as you go and as you begin to try and add in more protein types. Example: Monday AM: Beef Mince. PM: Chicken Necks. Tuesday AM: Pork Slivers. PM: Duck Wings. etc….
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 1:13:45 GMT -5
No I've actually never fed Max an egg, though I probably should have during shedding season. He's still going he's just missing his mark by a level or two each time haha.
As for a menu I'll sit down and make one sometime tomorrow. At the moment I have ground beef, chicken thighs, whole Cornish game hen, chicken wings, chicken hearts, chicken and beef liver, beef tongue, and whatever we pick up at the store tomorrow. I'm hoping Mei will be interested in the hen since it's small enough for her to tackle and we'll break it down some. I know my store sells um...pancreas? Whatever sweetbreads are. They may have something else as well I'll have to check when we go. I want to get them started on pork as well since beef and chicken both seem to be going over well and they need to get some variety. We'll throw something together and post it once we have everything!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2016 1:37:37 GMT -5
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