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Post by reannalynn on Jan 28, 2018 22:40:40 GMT -5
I’m attempting to switch my little girl onto raw pretty soon, but i’m terrified hat i’ll mess up portions and end up making her sick. is commercial raw like radcat and primal really that simple? i can get both of those from my local raw food store( i live on a college campus and can’t get food shipped in) and it just seems to be too good to be true!
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Post by LindaM on Jan 28, 2018 23:00:11 GMT -5
You CAN use commercial raw, and some are balanced, but not all are. And they come with their own problems as well, plus they're downright expensive. Now, if you want to use them as a starter to raw, it can work pretty well, or to provide extra variety in your menu that you may not have as much access to. Though, I'm a Utah resident myself and if you live anywhere near Sandy, there's an amazing Asian Store there that carries pretty much all you'd need for a good Frankenprey menu.
Let's talk about why I'm not the biggest fan of commercial raw, even though I do use it in my menu. Biggest reason, you need to brush teeth several times a week to stop the build-up of plaque and tartar, your ferret won't always make this an easy task but it is very needed. Second reason, some ferrets will just naturally overeat on them and get fat. Third, they can cost you quite a chunk of money. Fourth, they really aren't all as good as they seem and you need to be vigorous about research (I call the companies when I am unsure).
Rad Cat isn't properly balanced due to the lack of bones since they use eggshell instead, thus it must be paired along with other balanced bone containing grinds. Primal is kinda crap, at least in my opinion, even the feline versions are what is considered too low, ranging 90-93% meat based, and the canine versions dropping as low as 70%. I use Stella & Chewy's for my commercial raw part, I get it from a wonderful holistic pet supply store also over in Sandy. They're also the cheapest I have found in Utah personally.
You can sign up for a mentor to help you with your switch and menu if you are feeling insecure and worried about it. You can even create an unofficial switching thread and we can simply jump in and help when you feel stuck or need some advice.
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Post by reannalynn on Jan 28, 2018 23:10:10 GMT -5
You CAN use commercial raw, and some are balanced, but not all are. And they come with their own problems as well, plus they're downright expensive. Now, if you want to use them as a starter to raw, it can work pretty well, or to provide extra variety in your menu that you may not have as much access to. Though, I'm a Utah resident myself and if you live anywhere near Sandy, there's an amazing Asian Store there that carries pretty much all you'd need for a good Frankenprey menu. Let's talk about why I'm not the biggest fan of commercial raw, even though I do use it in my menu. Biggest reason, you need to brush teeth several times a week to stop the build-up of plaque and tartar, your ferret won't always make this an easy task but it is very needed. Second reason, some ferrets will just naturally overeat on them and get fat. Third, they can cost you quite a chunk of money. Fourth, they really aren't all as good as they seem and you need to be vigorous about research (I call the companies when I am unsure). Rad Cat isn't properly balanced due to the lack of bones since they use eggshell instead, thus it must be paired along with other balanced bone containing grinds. Primal is kinda crap, at least in my opinion, even the feline versions are what is considered too low, ranging 90-93% meat based, and the canine versions dropping as low as 70%. I use Stella & Chewy's for my commercial raw part, I get it from a wonderful holistic pet supply store also over in Sandy. They're also the cheapest I have found in Utah personally. You can sign up for a mentor to help you with your switch and menu if you are feeling insecure and worried about it. You can even create an unofficial switching thread and we can simply jump in and help when you feel stuck or need some advice. Thank you so much for the quick reply! I'm in St. George, I'm a student at Dixie so my options aren't quite as broad. The store I'm familiar with has Stella and Chewy's as well, so I'll have to look again tomorrow! I'm going to apply for a mentor, just have to get my posts up to 15 so they don't think I'm a flake😉 She's been such a picky eater, I'm worried that she'll be tough to switch. She doesn't even touch salmon oil! |
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Post by LindaM on Jan 28, 2018 23:15:25 GMT -5
Aww, yeah, that's a bit out of range being all the way on the bottom end of Utah. I could help more with places to try if you'd been closer to the SLC areas since I've been all over there in my journeys to find healthy things and food for my furkids. Best suggestion still would be to see if there is ANY Asian market (cheapest) or farmer's markets (can have nice things) nearby you guys for getting raw.
Try this to get her used to the salmon oil.
Grab'n'Dab Method
Grab your ferret and place them in your lap.
Dip your finger in the soup/oil or pick up the piece of meat.
Dab onto your ferrets mouth/nose/gums.
Wait a moment for them to start licking themselves clean.
Release them.
NOTE: This method requires patience and persistence. It may take several tries before they will start willingly licking from your finger/the item. You can practice this method throughout your day or even in smaller sessions of 20-30 minutes, dabbing every 5 minutes.
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Post by reannalynn on Jan 28, 2018 23:23:36 GMT -5
Aww, yeah, that's a bit out of range being all the way on the bottom end of Utah. I could help more with places to try if you'd been closer to the SLC areas since I've been all over there in my journeys to find healthy things and food for my furkids. Best suggestion still would be to see if there is ANY Asian market (cheapest) or farmer's markets (can have nice things) nearby you guys for getting raw. Try this to get her used to the salmon oil. Grab'n'Dab Method
Grab your ferret and place them in your lap.
Dip your finger in the soup/oil or pick up the piece of meat.
Dab onto your ferrets mouth/nose/gums.
Wait a moment for them to start licking themselves clean.
Release them.
NOTE: This method requires patience and persistence. It may take several tries before they will start willingly licking from your finger/the item. You can practice this method throughout your day or even in smaller sessions of 20-30 minutes, dabbing every 5 minutes.I'll definitely try this! Right now she's on antibiotics and I've had to scruff her to get her to take it, so she's learned that laptime= yucky medicine and she hates it now. |
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