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Post by Heather on Apr 20, 2011 23:11:13 GMT -5
Name: Jessica HF Forum Username: Fearless
1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? Someone mentioned it on the Ferret.com Forum.
2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. I am interested in switching to raw and eventually working up to whole prey, not sure on frozen or freshly killed, I suppose it's what is available to be shipped as I live in BFE.
3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet? I want Jude to be on a more natural diet that his ancestors have ate for years and years. I hate all the stuff that is in kibble and hate the great debate of which kibble is better.
4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It can be a commitment of several weeks or even months. Your HF Mentor will be more then happy to assist you in switchng your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as commited. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, or if you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc) then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing to make the commitment? Yes. I am a stay at home mom, my daughter is my priority, Jude comes in a close second.
5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? Jude, 11 weeks, no health issues.
6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc) He currently is on Marshalls kibble and 8 in 1 Ultimate Crunchy. I am weaning him off the Marshalls as I don't like it.
7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened? No, I haven't... YET!
8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share? That he's a new boy, and I'm an old ferret owner, but much has changed during the years that I didn't own ferrets.
9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer? Everyday, all day.
10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible).
Hi and welcome to the mentoring program. In a little while your mentor (Jackie) 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 . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2011 4:22:28 GMT -5
Hello! Here's a little about me. My name is Jackie, I'm 18 years old (soon to be 19). I'm a pre-med student majoring in chemistry/biology. I'm about to finish up my third year, and will then start writing my thesis all next year! I work in a chemistry lab, and that takes up most of my free time. I spend the rest of my time with my bf of 6 years or playing with my three fur-girls. My ferrets: Pixie- She is my soul ferret. I got her when she was 8 weeks old. She was my first and only ferret for a long time (about a year). We have a very special bond. She is the sweetest ferret ever and I love her with all my heart. She is now almost 2 and a half years old. Trixie - She is my nutty one. A bit slow at time, but adorable and very sweet. She's about a year and a half old. Her and Pixie are very good buddies. Dixie - My newest addition! She's about 4 months old and is the funniest, fiestiest little ferret ever! She's a bit nippy, but she's improving every day. Holistic feeding experience: I started feeding raw with freeze dried foods from Stella & Chewys. It was a very easy transition and the transformation was so dramatic I never looked back My girls (Pixie and Trixie at the time) were so much healthier I couldn't deny how good raw was for them Freeze dried is VERY expensive, so I eventually transitioned to raw meats from my grocery store. Pixie was the hardest to switch, but she is finally eat raw meaty bones and chunks like a champ! Dixie has eaten raw from the moment I got her home
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2011 4:29:53 GMT -5
So I want to get a sense of where you want to start. Jude is very young, and would probably take to whole meats/chunks pretty easily. So we can start at whole meats and see how he does, and then if that doesn't work, fall back on soups. Here is Heather's soup recipe: A couple must haves for you that you can pick up at the store: Canned pumpkin (PLAIN pumpkin, not pie filling) Chicken with bone in (chicken wings work well, but I usually just buy whole chickens and portion it out into freezer baggies) Freezer Ziplocks to organize all your meats Chicken with bone out (breast, thigh, etc) Eggs (for the eggshell) Some olive oil or fish oil (mine love oil, its a good healthy treat) Vinegar (for cleaning surfaces and disinfecting stuff) I'd also consider your feeding set up. Will you be feeding in cage only? Ferrets are notorious for stashing meats and letting them go bad. A feeding den can also help curb the stashing. You should expect some funky stools for a bit while he transitions. That is normal and perfectly fine. Soon, he will be pooping less and smelling so much better You will need to feed at least 3 proteins, so while we work on chicken (usually the easiest and cheapest) think about other proteins that are available in your area that are in your budget, etc. Small birds like chicken work well, and other meats like pork, beef, lamb, etc are great for boneless days That's all for now. I'm excited to help get adorable little Jude on a better diet! If you have any questions, let me know
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Post by fearless on Apr 21, 2011 9:35:42 GMT -5
Alright I'll try and get to the store tomorrow... on me right now we have gizzards (I picked this up when I read about needing organs) and hearts, beef and pork, and ground beef, I could easily save one serving for him as we're a small family of three and those packages come with like seven in them (always an odd number!) I live in a small town so shopping is limited to when my husband has the day off, or when I get around to the smaller not so nice store here in town. I will have to pick up some pumpkin and chicken meat.
I have apple cider vinegar is this ok or do I need the plain white distilled vinegar?
I can invest in a feeding den, what will I need to make one? For now we can just feed in the cage as he has one sole hammock and he doesn't seem to have any interest in it. Soon Virginia will be making me a bedding set, then I'll have to worry about stashing and getting it in his bedding.
Should the thigh meat be boneless for the soup recipe? Should I try feeding him chunks at room tempt or warmed? What does the pumpkin do? I don't own any ferret lax or vitamins, will I need to invest in those? He didn't come with any and right now I'm not sure if I'm wanting to feed him those things till I have time to research the ingredients and decide if it is something I want him to eat.
Thanks so much Jackie, for being my mentor, I'm so excited to get him on a healthier diet!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2011 10:08:04 GMT -5
on me right now we have gizzards (I picked this up when I read about needing organs) Gizzards count as a boneless meat. They are actually not an organ (I always thought they were). Nevertheless, I'd chop some up into smaller bit and see how he takes to them. It might help to take away his food bowl for a while (couple hours since he's a baby, maybe about 4 hours) and then offer him the food. Let his tummy do the talking hearts, beef and pork, and ground beef Those are all great! You will need 1 entire heart meal a week (so if you're feeding 2 meals a day, 1 meal is all heart). This is for a compounds called taurine, which is very concentrated in the heart. It is very essential to heart heath in the ferret. An exact amount isn't known, so feeding at least 1 heart meal a week guanentees that he gets as much as he needs. Unneeded taurine doesn't build up in the body to become toxic; instead it is excreted out. So don't worry about overdoing it. Heart typically causes dark stools, so don't freak out when they are kinda black He will also need 1 organ meal a week. Ideally, that would be 5% liver and 5% other organ (kidney, spleen, testicle, etc). If all you can find is liver, just feed 10% liver until you can get some other organs. could easily save one serving for him as we're a small family of three and those packages come with like seven in them That is exactly what I do! Ground beef is another good boneless meat that you could try offering to him (even today!). Beef is a strong flavor, so he might not take to it as easily, but since he is young, he might dive in. I will have to pick up some pumpkin and chicken meat. Great - the pumpkin I usually find in my baking isle. You can also use squash baby food instead of pumpkin if you can't find it. have apple cider vinegar is this ok or do I need the plain white distilled vinegar? I think plain white distilled vinegar is the best one to use. I'm not sure is apple cider can't be used, though. I can invest in a feeding den, what will I need to make one? So typically, a feeding den is a rubbermaid container (some with a lid, some without) that has a cutout for the ferret to go in and out easily. Some also use empty cardboard boxes and just through them out every couple days as they get icky. You can also use metal shower hooks to hook into meat and prevent it from being dragged all over the cage For now we can just feed in the cage as he has one sole hammock and he doesn't seem to have any interest in it. Sounds like a plan Should the thigh meat be boneless for the soup recipe? I believe it should be boneless, because the goal would be to throw it in your blender. The bones would kill the poor thing (been there, done that ) Should I try feeding him chunks at room tempt or warmed? I feed the meat cold usually (helps it spoil later), but either is fine. Room temp would probably be less of a shock. If he doesn't like the meat at room temp, you could warm it slightly (mine love warm soup ) What does the pumpkin do? The pumpkin acts as fiber, and scrubs the GI tract and grabs anything that may be in it. It replaces the fur and indigestables that a ferret would eat on a whole prey diet like fur. I feed about 1/2 a tsp a day per ferret. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I give a good dose of pumpkin every couple days during shedding season because the pumpkin grabs the fur in their tummies and prevents hairballs. I don't own any ferret lax or vitamins, will I need to invest in those? I would invest in an all natural cat lax, something without sugar and minimal flavoring. I'd also pick up some pure petroleum jelly for emergencies. Thanks so much Jackie, for being my mentor, I'm so excited to get him on a healthier diet! Thanks for being my mentee! This is going to be fun (and a bit frustrating at times! ) but Jude should be an easy switch (knock on wood!)
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Post by fearless on Apr 21, 2011 10:28:55 GMT -5
I'd chop some up into smaller bit and see how he takes to them. It might help to take away his food bowl for a while (couple hours since he's a baby, maybe about 4 hours) and then offer him the food. Let his tummy do the talking Good idea, I chopped them up finely in the food processor, he didn't seem to take to them last night when I put some water on a plate with his kibble, I'd take the kibble first too! He did sniff the plate and I put a bit of water on his nose that had been sitting with the gizzard pieces, he licked it off and went hopping around happily. So he didn't reject it. I'm going to try taking away his food bowl for about four hours after the landlord comes and puts in our towel racks. That is exactly what I do! Ground beef is another good boneless meat that you could try offering to him (even today!). Beef is a strong flavor, so he might not take to it as easily, but since he is young, he might dive in. I'll start thawing it now! I'll try room tempt, if he rejects, I'll try warming it a bit. Great - the pumpkin I usually find in my baking isle. You can also use squash baby food instead of pumpkin if you can't find it. I'll look for the pumpkin, if not I can do squash, my daughter loves it! She doesn't eat baby food anymore, but I know they have it. I forgot to mention I picked up some turkey baby food... just in case we needed it. I think plain white distilled vinegar is the best one to use. I'm not sure is apple cider can't be used, though. That's alright I can get white vinegar, I just wasn't sure if one or the other was preferred. So typically, a feeding den is a rubbermaid container (some with a lid, some without) that has a cutout for the ferret to go in and out easily. Some also use empty cardboard boxes and just through them out every couple days as they get icky. You can also use metal shower hooks to hook into meat and prevent it from being dragged all over the cage I can do the rubbermaid bins, I have tons of those from moving. I have the rounded metal shower hooks sitting in the closet not being used.. I could easily try those and put them to work. I feed the meat cold usually (helps it spoil later), but either is fine. Room temp would probably be less of a shock. If he doesn't like the meat at room temp, you could warm it slightly (mine love warm soup ) I'll try cold, room, then warmed if he still refuses. The pumpkin acts as fiber, and scrubs the GI tract and grabs anything that may be in it. It replaces the fur and indigestables that a ferret would eat on a whole prey diet like fur. I feed about 1/2 a tsp a day per ferret. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I give a good dose of pumpkin every couple days during shedding season because the pumpkin grabs the fur in their tummies and prevents hairballs. So it acts as a ferret lax? I have petroleum jelly on hand for my daughter. Is it also used as a lax? Thanks for being my mentee! This is going to be fun (and a bit frustrating at times! ) but Jude should be an easy switch (knock on wood!) I hope so! I'm excited to get him eating better, I don't mind a little frustration here and there and some bumps, I'm just glad someone is here to help me along the way.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2011 10:33:21 GMT -5
So it acts as a ferret lax? I have petroleum jelly on hand for my daughter. Is it also used as a lax? I guess it acts like lax in a way. In emergencies (like blockages) pumpkin is one of the first things to start feeding lots of. It also helps to really firm stools up. On boneless days, stools are basically just mushy water. The pumpkin gives them form and prevents a prolapse and diarrhea. Petroleum jelly should only be used during emergencies, because it coats the stomach and prevents absorption of nutrients. It also wipes the gut clean of intestinal flora. So emergency lax. But always good to have on hand.
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Post by fearless on Apr 21, 2011 16:53:57 GMT -5
I took the kibble out, he's nibbling the ground beef! I came out of the bathroom and he woke up and had his nose in the plate =] I'm still waiting to see him actually eat it, but it does look like some of it is gone.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2011 17:00:56 GMT -5
That is AWESOME! If he is attempting to eat the ground, keep the kibble out. There is a good chance he'll actually eat it once he gets hungry enough. You can also add a little bit of water to the ground and make it more mushy. Hopefully he takes to it like a duck to water
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Post by fearless on Apr 21, 2011 17:08:21 GMT -5
Ohh I'll try the water, that sounds like something he might like. I didn't add anything to it, it's just straight ground beef.
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Post by fearless on Apr 21, 2011 18:21:57 GMT -5
He did it, he did it! I took some kibble and ground it in the food processor, then added water, I let it sit for about ten minutes then I added it to the meat and mushed it really well and guess what?!? He's eating it!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2011 18:33:42 GMT -5
Oh yay!!!! That is great! What a smart little guy! Just a warning, he will be eating TONS of food. Probably between 2-6 oz a meal. It will slow down after the raw gets into his system. Okay, so keep feeding the ground beef until you're out. Slowly add less and less of the kibble mush. I'd also try any other meats you have ready to feed. you can add the gizzards, etc. If necessary, add the kibble mush to encourage him. I think you'll be graduated in no time
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Post by fearless on Apr 21, 2011 18:51:46 GMT -5
Yeah I tried just water, no take. So I did the kibble mush, woke him up and stuck his nose in it. He went back to sleep but got up shortly after and ate it. It's funny cause I took maybe 10 pieces of kibble to add to it... not even a handful.
I'm ready for the big eating to start =] I have family coming over for Easter, they will be spending the night here, I will probs have to move Jude into my bedroom till they leave since Hubby's mom is so anti-anything-but-dog type. But I plan on sticking with the meat diet.
How long is it safe for me to leave the meat in his cage for?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2011 18:55:55 GMT -5
Typically raw soup is good for about 4-8 hours, ground meat 8-12 hours, whole meat is good for about 12-24 hours, prey for about 48h. These are estimates of course. I find that the colder the food starts, the longer it lasts.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2011 18:57:58 GMT -5
I forgot to mention this earlier. No meats that are altered in any way. Smoked, salted, injected, seasoned. So normal bacon is a no no (though pork side, which is unaltered bacon is okay). Watch the poultry because they sneak lots of the sodium solutions in the small print.
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