Ferret Fact of the Month!

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****ATTENTION MEMBERS!****
We realize that we get new members daily, and that many of those new members are new to being ferrents, looking for some new tricks, looking for help in general, or just want to share their love for their adorable carpet sharks.
In light of the many new members, we at the Holistic Ferret Forum have decided to put together Ferret Fact Friday for you!
I will be your host in providing these fantastic ferrety facts for you!

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Fact One:

Today's topic is training your ferret not to bite. So often, (and this happened to me, mind you) you decide you want a fuzzy of your own, do a bit of research, and that research tells you to scruff them when they bite you. Then you try it and it does NOTHING, or they bite you more, and harder!

Here's the issue with scruffing a ferret as punishment; first and foremost, ferrets scruff each other for dominance or sexual purposes; and two, if you have to give them medication for any reason, they think they are in trouble.

*FACT* Mother ferrets do not scruff their young as punishment, they scruff to move them. When telling their young 'no' they will rapidly dook, or ignore them.
"Well, how do I get them to stop chomping me then?" First, ask if it is play biting, or fear biting (see the link below to answer this) For play biters, we have two main tools; ignoring them, or the sin bin (the sin bin cannot be the cage they sleep in; a small cat carrier works great!).

The ignore method is simple, they bite you, you stop all play, or leave the room. Ferrets hate to be ignored!
The sin bin is a time out and should never be more than 3 minutes or the lesson is lost.
A side note to this: kits are generally nippy and as they get older they grow out of it. smile emoticon:)
Everyone that comes in contact with the ferrets MUST follow the rules or the training is lost.

NEVER PHYSICALLY PUNISH YOUR FERRET(S). This is not acceptable; it will create a fear biter and you will lose all trust from your ferret.

holisticferretforum.com/care-and-enrichment/common-behavior-problems/ferret-bite-training/

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Fact Two:

Last Friday we covered the two main methods of bite training, but guess what? We have a couple more for you!
So, it's been six months and ignoring and the sin bin have done nothing for you, let's take a look at your other options.

****Remember, this is NOT for fear biters****
1) The Chest (AKA Bite Hold) Correction Hold
2) The No-Bite 'C' Correction Hold

In the picture I have provided, I am showing the Chest hold on my male, Croc. He is the only one out of my three ferrets that responds to this. The key to this hold is -knowing your ferret-, because unlike ignoring or the sin bin, this requires you watching for submission. Submission is different in each ferret. Ferret submission signs can be: yawning, sighing, exposing their chin to you, turning their head away from you, licking their lips, or relaxing. His happens to be relaxing, so even though he yawned, if you look at his back feet, he is not relaxed. Another key here is returning to whatever you were doing before the bite happened. On your phone? Go back to it. Playing with offending ferret? Go back at it. This sends the message that biting does not give them what they want.

The No-Bite 'C' Correction hold has a very specific hold structure, and a very short article, so please come read about it here:

holisticferretforum.com/care-and-enrichment/common-behavior-problems/ferret-bite-training/471-2/

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Fact Three:

This is our last fact on bite training! Today we are covering the topic of fear biters.
Fear biters are nothing like your regular nippy ferrets, they have been conditioned to expect pain.

*You shouldn't punish a fear biter for biting, this only reinforces their fear*

First, you need to observe. Is your ferret hurt? What about stuck? Deaf? They are probably what we call a Fear Reactive biter. This is when the ferret is injured, stuck, or both, and begins to panic, so they rapidly bite you. These bites are hard and deep.

Are they avoiding you? What about confronting you and causing a ton of damage?

This is a Fear Biter, and you have a long road ahead of you. They need the utmost patience, because they would rather cause the pain before they get hurt.

Please, if you have a fear biter, do not hesitate to message us. We are here to help you.

I have a link below to our forum's thread that goes in depth on the steps you can take when dealing with a Fear Biter:

holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/21908/fear-biting

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Fact Four:

Since Halloween/Samhain was just a few days ago, today we are covering treats! We sure do love our fuzzies, and love encouraging good behavior with treats. They are such a useful tool!
***Healthy and Diet appropriate treats we recommend:***
-Salmon oil
-Whole whisked egg (Also amazing for shedding season!)
-FDR (Freeze Dried Raw) bites
-Anything 100% meat
***Unhealthy and inappropriate treats:***
-Peanut Butter
-Coconut Oil (Plant based- not recommended for obligate carnivores)
-N-bones
-Bandits brand treats
-Any Fruits, Veggies, Pastas, etc.
And in the spirit of Halloween/Samhain, I have a few homemade treat ideas for you!
***Dehydrated Treats:***
Preheat oven to 150 degrees, cut meat of choice into pinky nail sized bits(I don't use liver personally because of the risk of too much Vitamin A), put in on an oven try, and pop into the oven for about four hours.

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Fact Five:

Let's get a little serious today and talk about Insulinoma.
Insulinoma in ferrets is caused by a diet high in carbs.
What happens is the digestive system breaks the carbs down into sugar, which are then absorbed into the blood stream. This causes a jump in Blood Glucose (BG). The pancreas then ups the amount of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that tells the cells to absorb sugar for energy or storage.
So now you have a constant cycle of up and down, and because there is too much of a demand for insulin, the cells (Beta cells) in the pancreas produce way too much insulin and begin to multiply faster than usual.
The beta cells become diseased from overworking and create tumors. These tumors are Insulinomas.
What happens now that the ferrets body is making too much insulin? The Blood Glucose level drops, some times dangerously low (I'm talking fatal here).

***This requires vet attention for medication that will help to raise the Blood Glucose levels.
Some ferrets are more genetically inclined to Insulinoma. Feeding kibble will also create these as kibble is full of processed meats and carbs that ferrets cannot digest properly.

That is why so many of us choose to feed our ferrets a raw diet! Our little ones gain the most nutrition from it and it opens the way for their little bodies to create the exact amount of glucose they need (the brain needs glucose to function) without the roller coaster!

holisticferretforum.com/health/insulinoma-2/

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Fact Six:

Guess what today's topic is?! Today is all about Adrenal!
Adrenal Disease is another sadly common illness in ferrets, and I would like to talk about the signs and treatments because of that.
First off, let's talk about some signs of Adrenal:
-Unnatural hair loss/thinning hair (Not all Adrenal ferrets have hair loss)
-Swollen vulva
-Weight loss/loss of muscle mass
-Loss of appetite
-Unexpected, sudden behavioral changes
-Excessive itching/grooming
-GI symptoms (IBD appears out of nowhere/poorly controlled IBD)
-Depression/decrease in activity level
-Irritability
-Aggression/Sexual aggression (example; mounting, latching onto scruff, playing 'hard')
-Enlarged prostate
Not to fear though! This disease has a couple of treatments that can be given by your vet of choice!
1) The Deslorelin or DES implant- This must be replaced every 6-9 months, before breakthrough symptoms show. When breakthrough symptoms show, the disease is progressing.
2) Lupron injections- These are monthly shots.
When Adrenal is left untreated it will accelerate and eventually lead to a ferret's demise.

For more information on what Adrenal Disease is, and how it works, come check out our website: holisticferretforum.com/health/adrenal-disease/

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So, I made an announcement on Facebook not too long ago that I will still be doing facts, but no longer every Friday. I decided I would be a much better host doing facts once a month, on the 15th.
Henceforth, Ferret Fact Friday is now known as Ferret Fact of the Month.
I sure appreciate those who keep up with this and have been supporting me, you all are awesome!

Fact Seven:

Hey there, it's been a while!
This month's fact is going to be about the dangers of an unbalanced raw diet.
We promote and feed raw because we want the best for our floofs, but if not balanced correctly it can cause some major issues.
The set up we have for a raw diet has 14 meals a week, so 2 meals per day, and 7-9 of these are bone in meals. Kits, or baby ferrets, require more calcium in their diet (gotta have a good set up for strong bones!) than that of say, a 5 year old. This is why there isn't a set number, because too much bone can constipate a ferret, and eventually cause a blockage or severe anal prolapse. This is why checking poop is so important, poop changes can tell us a lot about the health of our ferrets!
Let me explain a bone in meal, this is a meal that contains both raw meat and bone. As an example; a chicken wing or chicken back with meat (the whole chicken can be used, as long as it is a combination of bone and meat). Good options of edible bone in meals are quail, rabbit, chicken, duck, goose, turkey, mice, rats, and guinea pigs. The only bones that may not be ate unless smashed are weight bearing bones such as lower neck vertebra and some thigh bones.
Muscle meats (meats without bone in them such as beef (red meat, great for iron), lamb, goat, pork, and heart) are also very important for vital nutrients!
This is where it gets a bit confusing, because I just told you heart is a muscle meat, and many see it as an organ.
Heart does not secrete, so it is counted as a muscle meat, but it is absolutely vital to a ferret as it is high in taurine. A lack of taurine can lead to neurological diseases, eyesight problems and other very serious issues.
Our menu set up has a base of 2 muscle meats, and 1 1/2 meals of heart per week. So even though they are both muscle meats, the heart is counted on its own.
If you check our menu setup, you will notice organs are required. Liver is a staple and counts for at least half of the amount of organs as it is high in vitamin A and iron, but be careful, too much vitamin A can cause a toxicity! The other half of organs should be an organ that secretes, as these generally have important nutrients that liver alone doesn't have.
There are also the options to feed wholeprey or balanced grinds!

So just as a quick review: bone in meals are necessary for strong healthy ferret bones, muscle meats alone cannot be fed. Heart is essential to prevent neurological diseases, blindness, and many other problems. Variety is key! Different protein types have different nutrients and if only one is fed for a prolonged time, can cause deficiencies. This is why there is a minimum of 3 different proteins.

Come take a look at our website, or better yet, check out our forum! We love new members, so don't be scared to stop in and say hello!
holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/raw-diet-the-meat-of-the-site/basic-frankenprey-menu/

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Fact Eight:

I'm a bit late this month due to some major things going on, but I didn't forget you guys!
This month is all about poop. Yes, you heard me, poop. 
A ferret's poop can tell you a lot about their health! As a raw feeder, I see a variety of different poops depending on what I have fed them and it's my job to check often to make sure my ferrets are at their peak health!
Raw boneless meat- soft and smooth consistency with varying colors
Raw meaty bones- visible pieces of bone, well formed
Organ meals- loose and dark (the dark is from the high blood content)

***Common indigestion poops (reactions to mild stress/change, monitor ferret and vet if needed)
Mucousy- bowel upset, usually due to a new food, or a minor life stress
Watery- food being passed to quickly, mild stress or new food. Please keep hydrated!
Seedy- improperly digested fat, new food, generally high in fat
Jelly-like- entirely mucus, monitor closely for dehydration or blockage
Foamy/bubbley- new food or treat, possible bacterial infection, monitor very closely
Green- improper digestion, minor stress/change in diet, monitor closely as ECE is possible (ECE is termed as 'green slime' for a reason)

Other poops that only a vet can diagnose and treat are Parasites, Irritable Bowel Disease/Syndrome, ECE, and Vaccine Reactions. Please check out the poop chart I have linked below for visuals of these different poops!
Please take a look at our poop chart on the forum here: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/2469

Also, take a look at our thread on ECE: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/2978/ece-epizootic-catarrhal-enteritis

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Fact Nine:

Hey there, we have many new members with many questions about raw, so I am reposting this!
This month's fact is going to be about the dangers of an unbalanced raw diet.
We promote and feed raw because we want the best for our floofs, but if not balanced correctly it can cause some major issues.
The set up we have for a raw diet has 14 meals a week, so 2 meals per day, and 7-9 of these are bone in meals. Kits, or baby ferrets, require more calcium in their diet (gotta have a good set up for strong bones!) than that of say, a 5 year old. This is why there isn't a set number, because too much bone can constipate a ferret, and eventually cause a blockage or severe anal prolapse. This is why checking poop is so important, poop changes can tell us a lot about the health of our ferrets!
Let me explain a bone in meal, this is a meal that contains both raw meat and bone. As an example; a chicken wing or chicken back with meat (the whole chicken can be used, as long as it is a combination of bone and meat). Good options of edible bone in meals are quail, rabbit, chicken, duck, goose, turkey, mice, rats, and guinea pigs. The only bones that may not be ate unless smashed are weight bearing bones such as lower neck vertebra and some thigh bones.
Muscle meats (meats without bone in them such as beef (red meat, great for iron), lamb, goat, pork, and heart) are also very important for vital nutrients!
This is where it gets a bit confusing, because I just told you heart is a muscle meat, and many see it as an organ.
Heart does not secrete, so it is counted as a muscle meat, but it is absolutely vital to a ferret as it is high in taurine. A lack of taurine can lead to neurological diseases, eyesight problems and other very serious issues.
Our menu set up has a base of 2 muscle meats, and 1 1/2 meals of heart per week. So even though they are both muscle meats, the heart is counted on its own.
If you check our menu setup, you will notice organs are required. Liver is a staple and counts for at least half of the amount of organs as it is high in vitamin A and iron, but be careful, too much vitamin A can cause a toxicity! The other half of organs should be an organ that secretes, as these generally have important nutrients that liver alone doesn't have.
There are also the options to feed wholeprey or balanced grinds!

So just as a quick review: bone in meals are necessary for strong healthy ferret bones, muscle meats alone cannot be fed. Heart is essential to prevent neurological diseases, blindness, and many other problems. Variety is key! Different protein types have different nutrients and if only one is fed for a prolonged time, can cause deficiencies.  This is why there is a minimum of 3 different proteins.

Come take a look at our website, or better yet, check out our forum! We love new members, so don't be scared to stop in and say hello!
holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/raw-diet-the-meat-of-the-site/basic-frankenprey-menu/

Also, please keep in mind that if you decide to feed partial raw, it must be balanced. This link here will show you how to do that: holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/raw-diet-the-meat-of-the-site/balancing-frankenprey-with-alternative-meals/

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Fact Ten

It's been a long time since I wrote one of these up, and I apologize! My life has finally slowed down enough that I have time for these again : D

Today, I would like to talk about enrichment-

We all know how easily our beloved floofs get bored, and there's always the question of what new, safe things you can get for them!

Here's some ideas-

Old jackets with the strings taken out
Old pants (ferts love pants)
Paper egg cartons (either for hiding treats or cut and stacked on each other for them to slither in)
Fabric 'flip books' with treats hidden in them (squares of fabric folded into a smaller square, then packed into a smaller rectangular box. Hide treats in a few, not all)
Taking them outside, to different places, like a beach!
Let them help 'fold' clean laundry
Hide treats around their play area
A box of fresh grass clippings
Change the texture or smell of old toys!

Check here for more ideas on ferret toys-
holisticferretforum.com/care-and-enrichment/ferret-toys/