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Post by Aftershock on Jan 21, 2017 11:41:14 GMT -5
Awesome! Thank you so much for posting this! I am so glad all of you are okay!!! Weights look good! When you get the time, I would love for you to post the actual menu you are feeding so I can get a better look at it. Set up example: Monday am- pm- Tuesday am- pm- etc... This helps me actually see how much of what is being fed per week so I can help you tweak if it you need to! Haku has been diagnosed as having Insulinoma by a vet then, correct? (I'm playing catch up here, so bear with me please!) I am more than happy to answer your questions about testing his BG at home, but the monitor you get has to be calibrated by your vet before you can use it at home. Haku did not take to raw soupie alone well then, correct? Are you still having to handfeed him?
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 21, 2017 11:53:27 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2017 22:15:03 GMT -5
He came to me from the rescue that got him from with his diagnoses (and with plenty of medication pred pills and liquid, anti nausea meds pills and shot, crash shot, etc.)from the vet that the rescue uses we have not had a trip to the vet for him since I got him (last july) because hes/they is/are good as far as vaccines until this up coming summer. We did however have a trip to the vet for Sen after she was missing for 18+ hours. Hes been great on this dose of medicine, I think, but I am not experienced in insulanoma as this is my first time ever owning ferrets ever. I love control and certainty so that's why I'm interested in getting a home testing system. ill be defrosting meet tomorrow and ill let you know what shes having this week
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 22, 2017 0:19:51 GMT -5
Awesome! would you mind my asking if you renamed them or if they came with their names? (I'm a HUGE studio Ghibli fan❤) it was great that you had Sen checked after she had been missing for so long! Fleas and ear mites are definitely a worry with escapees! Also, ferrets don't need vaccinations every year. Titers (pronounced tyter) can be done instead to test the levels of vaccine that their bodies still carry. This helps to avoid over vaccinating, which can be fatal. to vaccinate or to not vaccinate is a very personal choice. I would also look into breakouts of canine distemper and rabies in your area before making your choice. Example, I choose not to vaccinate for rabies because my ferrets are rarely outdoors and bats are the only main carriers in my area. That is totally fine❤ I am here to help you learn, so if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask! you are awesome! I look forward to seeing Sen's menu!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2017 21:39:31 GMT -5
Yes I did rename them Haku was originally toasterstrudle and Sen was Snickerdoodle. Im a HUGE fan also and spirited away is my very favorite (my 1 ½ year olds favorite is My Meighbor Totoruo). This summer will have been 18 months since there last distemper vaccine that’s the amount of time that I researched to be safe and we chose not to get rabies because they aren’t outside much and the cons just out weight the pros for us. Thank you thankyou thank you for spreading factual information on vaccines as a mother of two young children its quite a big decision in parenting and there’s not always the most factual stuff out there but I am very knowledgeable in vaccines and quite the advocate. Any ways here is her menu for the week. Chicken wings are close to being bad so I’m giving first but normally I would switch it up.
Monday am + pm : chicken wing (1 each meal) Tuesday am + pm: chicken wing Wednesday am: chicken wing Wednesday pm: pork heart Thursday am: chicken wing Tursday pm: pork short ribs Friday am: turkey neck Friday pm: pork heart/kidney and beef liver Saturday am: Pork short ribs Saturday pm:turkey neck Sunday am: Pork short ribs Sunday pm: pork kidney and beef liver
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Post by katt on Jan 23, 2017 11:52:12 GMT -5
Toasterstreudel haha That's a mouthful!
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 23, 2017 12:04:03 GMT -5
I'm sorry, I am laughing so hard at their previous names right now! You are so very welcome! We have actually had a couple of members recently that got vaccinations for their ferrets and had reactions to them (one of them, the vet (not the vet that they normally saw, but still at the same clinic) gave the same vaccine the ferret had a few months ago vs the one the ferret hadn't had and the ferret had a reaction. Once they have a reaction, they should never be vaccinated again because it will only be worse next time around.) I did get my boys Gator and Croc vaccinated for distemper not long after we got them because my husband was driving garbage truck at the time and dumped cans at dog parks every day, and there was an outbreak of CD in my area about 10-20 years ago. So that little bit of protection was something I saw as worth it. My girly Cow has not been vaccinated at all though because my husband is no longer working that job. ^-^ I may still get it for her though, just in case, but I also wanted to wait until she was about a year old. If I remember correctly, it's canine distemper at 6 months, then rabies at one year old. (also, we advocate never vaccinating a sick ferret) Hee hee, I was gonna say, everything is a bit close together. I will ask about her menu again next week! Are the pork short ribs also bone in meals?
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 23, 2017 12:05:44 GMT -5
Also, as I am still a Mentor in Training and this is my first switch with a ferret with Insulinoma (But don't worry, I am still knowledgeable! ) Katt will be tagging along in case we run into any issues! I hope you don't mind!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2017 18:14:33 GMT -5
Her menu will be pretty much exactly the same because that's what I have in my freezer for her does it look okay? I also supplement chicken feet if she's a little runny because shes not crazy about bones I also don't give her muscle meat alone because she's not crazy about getting enough bones. But I don't mind Katt tagging along. I appreciate it!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2017 18:16:03 GMT -5
Yes the pork short ribs have bones
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 24, 2017 15:05:08 GMT -5
My only concern for her menu really is how many bone in meals she has and not spreading the different proteins around, but you did say all of the chicken bunched up is because it's going bad so I'm okay with it for now. You say she doesn't care for bone in meals? Does she leave the bone untouched, or eat some of it?
Okay, now that we have Sen mostly sorted out, let's get some focus on Haku! You are mixing raw and kibble soupy, correct? And he doesn't eat it willingly yet, right? Is the raw-kibble soup being served all day?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2017 16:44:53 GMT -5
She does eat some of the bone. And since the accident with the fire and my 4 year old son birthday this past weekend he's been on kibble but I'm making raw soup today or tomorrow and started back where we left off we he was willingly taking a 25/75 raw/kibble soup
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 24, 2017 17:00:28 GMT -5
If she is eating some of the bone, I would pull it back down to about 9 bone in meals per week then. When I feed turkey necks I actually feed a little less than I normally would so they eat more of the bone vs just stripping it of the meat and ignoring the bone. ^-^ Awesome! Him eating it willingly is a HUGE step! You are doing awesome! Keep it up!!!
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Post by katt on Jan 25, 2017 23:21:12 GMT -5
So your insu baby (sorry, still learning names) is willingly eating the 1/4 kibble, 3/4 raw soup?
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Post by Aftershock on Jan 26, 2017 11:44:02 GMT -5
MINI LESSON TIME!As a new ferrent, you are now on poop duty! (giggle) Our little fuzzies poop can tell us a lot about their specific dietary needs and how they are feeling. On a raw diet, their poop generally varies from protein to protein (this is why we ask what their poop looks like fairly often. ) Occasionally there will be a random, odd poop and nothing to worry about. Introducing new proteins can make for some weird poops too. So, if you ever feel nervous about what is coming out of your ferret ask, are they eating anything new? How many times has this happened? What does it smell like? Back to the poops themselves, I mentioned they can tell about your ferrets individual dietary needs, too much bone in their diet will cause seedy, dry looking poops, and loose ones mean they need more bone. Poops after an organ meal will be loose and dark colored from all that blood rich food, and they can smell a bit. Organs themselves smell a little too (I seriously hate the smell of liver :puke: ) so it makes sense. Here's a poop chart! Because organ meals can make loose poops, we feed a bone in meal after to even everything out, for example, I feed Wednesday am: Heart, and follow up Wednesday pm: duck wing/thigh/neck/spine. This leads to another point I would like to make; the detox phase. Switching a ferret over to a raw diet starts with detoxing for 2-3 weeks (this can last up to 5 as each ferret is different) and during this detox you may notice some pretty different poops with some odd smells. This is just their body pushing out kibble toxins and adjusting to the wider variety and higher nutrients in their current diet. I promise this won't last forever! As you continue to feed raw, the smell will go down, the poops will be smaller, and they won't be as weird looking. This leads to a couple of effects of raw: Higher energy/ energy levels even out Super soft coats! And possibly grape tail! Grape tail (their tails smell like grape Kool-Aid) can happen to raw fed ferrets, and it can take a few weeks to a few months (so don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen right off the bat). It is pretty exciting to smell for the first time! The smell also comes and goes. Their raw food is safe to leave out! Guidelines: Soup: 6-8 hours Grinds: 8-12 hours Chunks: 10-24 hours depending on the size (the bigger the chunks, the longer they last) Bone in meats: 12-24 hours, again depending on the size Whole prey: up to 48 hours Also! I have a quiz for you! Please list three organs aside from liver. Are leaner meats better for your ferret or fattier meats? In an emergency (you run out of bone), what are 2 acceptable bone substitutes and how much should your ferrets get? (be specific) What are some good emergency taurine sources if you run out of heart? Why is cooking meat generally considered inadvisable?
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