|
Post by Sherry on Jun 13, 2011 1:12:37 GMT -5
I cut some of the meat away, then just use the back of a large chef's knife, or the back of my cleaver to smash it Actually- it's not that messy! ;D I make more mess cleavering turkey necks at 7 am ;D
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2011 21:22:42 GMT -5
can I use a taurine supplement until I can get a reliable source of hearts? I am having trouble finding hearts of any kind, and i only have four days worth left. I could use the supplement as a back up perhaps?
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 14, 2011 9:10:04 GMT -5
Most definitely! It's also been mentioned previously(mustelidmusk's holistic vet), that it's a good idea to give a supplement if you can't feed heart twice a week, anyway. Some just simply can't find heart meat, so in that case, give a 500 mg capsule sprinkled on their meat daily.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 11:47:50 GMT -5
I was looking around the forum and found a link for a multi vitamin www.entirelypets.com/ecsiznucbyve.htmlfor cats, in the post it said 1 tablet in am and 1 in pm, this seems better than ferretvite (I only use for nail trim day now-too sweet) It says 200mg per 4 tablets though, so I would probably have to still add some taurine. Do you think a multi is ok too? I don't want to overdo it either!
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 14, 2011 15:08:47 GMT -5
To be honest, if they get a balanced diet, they don't need a supplement. Just checked that one out. I don't see anything toxic in there, but not sure what the dosage would be for ferrets.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 18:51:15 GMT -5
link to thread where I read it holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=health&action=display&thread=484Oh the dosage on reply #4 1 cap per ferret I found it to be interesting, and helpful if I have trouble finding hearts (last pkg only had three in it!) or perdue livers ( the livers I had I threw away and my regular store has no perdue, looking around this week) Right now the menu is Sun: Chicken wings and bone in parts, bit of grind with heart Mon:Pork chunks with ground pork/liver Tues:CGH bone in, (whole quartered) and heart Wed: Chicken thigh chunks with grind (bone and marrow in the grind) and liver Thurs: Turkey chunks, and wing tips with ground turkey meat/ heart Fri: Ground gizzard and gizzard slices with liver Sat:CGH bone in, (whole quartered hen) and heart Hunter has been on and off with bone in meats, I smear ground meat on the pieces to get his appetite going. His appetite dropped since off the meds and he got a bit lazy with the chewing foods. Maisey is crazy about the CGH bone and all, I have to isolate her to eat turkey or chicken bone meats, I am thinking a feeding den? She eats better alone for some reason.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 14, 2011 20:14:07 GMT -5
A feeding den certainly won't hurt! Some really do prefer it. With Hunter, can you start him over again? Slowly thickening the soupies til it's ground consistency, then adding slivers, and working up the size over time? Ok, if I'm reading your menu correctly, they are only eating 4 meals a week of bone? Chicken wings and bone in parts CGH bone in, Chicken thigh chunks with grind (bone and marrow in the grind) CGH bone in, Are they eating the turkey wing tips entirely? Any way you could give JUST the wing tips, and cut out the chunks? That would make 5 bone in meals. That way, all you have to do is put in another 3 bone in meals for the week. You've got 4 proteins, so that's good. I see one full heart meal. How much heart is in other two mixed with the grind? For the liver, would it equal about 2 oz per ferret per week? And any particular reason for grinding the gizzards? A lot of questions, I know ;D But it's the only way to get the menu to be balanced
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2011 22:03:31 GMT -5
Hunter will eat chunks and thick soupies, and once I get him licking the thick soup off the bone in meat he will crunch on the ends and actually eat the bone knuckle and marrow. If I just put a chicken wing in there he sniffs and walks away! LOL Maybe a feeding den for him will help him focus LOL! I feed twice a day so the days with bone are counted as two meals. The hearts are fed with other meat, I spread it out throught the week (when I have hearts, which has been a problem getting them) there would be four hearts served per ferret per week, but I think I am going with the supplements like we discussed earlier. The only ferret that will touch a whole gizzard is Boo, the rest I am still trying to get them to eat pieces. The liver is divided up so we end up with 2 oz per week for each ferret (good thingI took notes!) I think they will eat the turkey wing tips I can take out the chunks for that day, also plan to do the chicken and turkey necks so those will be in there somewhere on the bone in days.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 14, 2011 23:42:07 GMT -5
Alright! That sounds much better You've actually got a pretty solid menu plan there then! Are the others eating other chunks of meat, and just not touching gizzards yet, or are they that way with all the chunked meats? Besides Hunter, I mean. For him, one way to wean him from having "gravy" with his meat is simply to water his soup down a wee bit every couple of days, and add a bit less of it at the same time.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 14, 2011 23:43:10 GMT -5
Oh- and how are the others doing with bone in meats?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2011 1:21:56 GMT -5
Over all they all go crazy over CGH, like fighting over it!-chicken wings they do well with, turkey wings are the least favorite but all have ate them. Maisey does best eating alone. The chunks are well received by all. Just the gizzard now, Ollie and Boo like them best, Maisey eats around the bitty slivers. Sebastian is loving it one day and sometimes won't touch it. Hunter was no problem until he stopped taking the steroid for his spine injury. Now his appetite has slowed.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 15, 2011 9:29:10 GMT -5
That's not too uncommon. His normal appetite should kick in pretty quickly, and it's also summer, so decreased appetites there as well. How comfortable are you with substituting various meats, organs, etc. that you may find on sale?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2011 10:41:42 GMT -5
I think I am very comfortable substituting organs or meats on sale. I have an extra freezer in the basement for stockpiling. The menu is definitely flexable in that I can change it around but keep the concept of varied protein sources, number of bone in meals and heart and organ intake.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 15, 2011 16:58:34 GMT -5
In that case, can you post a more formal menu, for Heather to take a look at Sort of Monday am: this Monday pm: that? Same for the rest of the week? You really seem to have a good grasp of what you are feeding now.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2011 22:32:43 GMT -5
Here's the plan Weekly Menu per ferret: SUNDAY: A.M. Chicken wings and bone in parts, bit of grind with 1 heart P.M. Crushed chicken thigh bone in meat with 1/2 oz liver MONDAY: A.M. Pork chunks, (1/8 tsp ground eggshell per oz) with a bit ground pork 1/2 oz liver P.M. Pork chunks with 1/8 ground eggshell per oz TUESDAY: A.M. CGH parts bone in, and 1 heart P.M. CGH parts bone in meal WEDNESDAY: A.M. Chicken thigh chunks with ground chicken (bone and marrow in the grind) and 1/2 oz liver P.M. Chicken thigh chunks with 1/8 tsp eggshell per oz THURSDAY: A.M.Turkey wings with 1 heart P.M. Turkey necks FRIDAY: A.M.Ground gizzard and gizzard slices, with 1/8 tsp eggshell per oz and with 1/2 oz liver P.M. Ground gizzard and gizzard slices, with 1/8 tsp eggshell per oz SATURDAY: A.M. CGH bone in meal and 1 heart P.M. CGH bone in meal Due to the undependable supply of hearts in my area and current problem with arsenic in some of the livers, I have planned to use supplements as needed Vetri-science Nu-Cat: ferret dosing = 1 capsule per ferret daily holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=health&action=display&thread=484
|
|