efred
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Post by efred on Mar 17, 2022 20:41:04 GMT -5
So I have two ferrets that are fed raw, I try to balance out meaty bone meat with organs and all that, however ever since I switched my two ferrets their poops have always been different looking. One has had healthier looking Bfs, and has showed no signs of issues. My other ferret, Carrot, has had more loose stools and I recently had to take her to the vet for an enema due to her not being Able to poop, the vet said he found small hard fibers (I think I've seen them too in both my ferrets poop and I think its bones), the vet was old school and not helpful in terms of Carrot being on a raw diet and how to adjust her diet. I have pulled a string from Carrots butt that came from a toy that she chewed a couple months prior to me needing to take her to the vet. So I feel like I need to feed my ferrets differently, and I don't know how to do that. Right now I have been giving Carrot kibble and raw organs and flesh meat, her poops are kinda the same as before, watery and loose, whats new about her poop after the enema is that there can be small thin poops. I took her to the vet last week and earlier today it appeared that she was straining to poop like she did before I had to take her to the vet, after this strain small thin loose poops have come out and I have reason to believe theres some pressure near her anus causing discomfort (like when I tried to wipe her bum). I gave her some coconut oil in hopes to help something slide out but I don't know what to do. Ive been trying to research and figure out what the issue is so I can fix it but I don't really know what the problem is. I don't live in a big ferret community, have only one ferret doctor nearby that thinks Marshall kibbles are equipped to feed my babies, and really need help. Thank you SO much for ANY advice.
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Mar 19, 2022 8:09:43 GMT -5
First of all--what are the all the toys your little one plays with? Here r toys my boy plays with ---really just drags around and stores. Since I feed him mice and hamsters and rats, I think he treats them as rodents. I used to play with him with the mop, but he poohed a mop string once. There r no button eyes on them. The eyes r embroidered or cloth. So please get rid of anything with hard button eyes, anything with styrofoam beads inside, all rubber items and rubber balls. These are big no-nos unfortunately. Ping pong ones are fine. I also had a baby that would chew plastic bags and he would pooh little twists of plastic. Watch out for foam earplugs and all materials such as that. When ours pulled out shoe inserts, I got a garbage pail and put it at front door and put our shoes in it as we came in. Once my man dug in my silk plant, and it was held up by styrofoam and he tore that to shreds. I took him to vet and he had a barium x-ray. I thought that was the end of him. The barium xray pooh comes out white and like caulking. It pushes things out. barium xray pooh
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Mar 19, 2022 8:30:35 GMT -5
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Post by Charlie on Mar 23, 2022 18:56:47 GMT -5
If your ferret is straining to go and still comes out stringy, there could be a partial blockage possibly. There is a blockage protocol that people will use with pumpkin pure and vaseline. I think there is something else with it but I can't remember. If the pumpkin comes out then you know it's passing through.
Every ferret is different. The one with looser stool may need more bone in meals whereas the other one is fine on the ratio you have. The meals with just meat and organs will produce looser stools. The meals with bone in will come out more firm.
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efred
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Post by efred on Mar 30, 2022 13:28:17 GMT -5
Thank you so much for your help. I only saw the replies now.
Their toys are mostly plush toys, which I check for tears are sew up when tears do occur. Carrot likes to chew the corner of a certain bed that has foam in it. Recently after we came back from the vet and I reintroduced carrot back into the cage home with the other ferret, I noticed she started chewing on this cloth hanging in the corner ( to make a hideyhole) its obviously gone from the cage now. I don't know what toys to get them. They have ping pong balls but I don't want any plush cloth toys I think for them.
Carrots poop has been thinner since we returned home from the vet. She's been on a kibble only diet unfortunately, but thats how I've had the most success with her having the healthiest poops. I thought she needed more bone initially, but then as issues have been coming up I was fearful that bones were causing her issues. I am aware that the organs and just muscle meat produce different poops, my boy has always had more normal and consistent poops. ever since I switched them to raw their poops have always been different.
I have pumpkin and coconut oil (which I read you can use like the vaseline), I think I will give this to carrot as recommended to see if something is stuck in her, like I said since we've come home from the vet her poops have been thin, but they have been solid and not watery which I thought was improvement. There was a few times where I thought she was straining to poop again but I also thought I am being a paranoid first time ferret mom.
I have been reading a lot about bone meal or crushed eggs shells and have been thinking about using this for Carrot rather than whole bone. I am just terribly confused and discouraged with raw due to one ferret seeming to unhealthy. She could be just always eating things I can't find, but I regularly check their things and at time I have no idea what she could have eaten.
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efred
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Post by efred on Mar 30, 2022 13:29:58 GMT -5
Carrot, my ferret with the pooping issues, is way more of a chewer than my boy Buehler. I was thinking about getting baby teething toys for them. I have also tried ferret bone stick things that only my dog wants lol.
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efred
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Post by efred on Mar 30, 2022 13:36:26 GMT -5
Also, I try to find a variety of meat types, but I mostly get chicken. Is chicken perhaps too lean for my girl? Perhaps she needs mostly duck for example? The vet mentioned ferrets need a high fat diet, which I previously wasn't too aware of.
Thank you for the links, some I have not read. If you could please clarify what you mean with the alternative meals? Because I thought carrot needs to have more bone in meals (even though Im scared to reintroduce raw to her)
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efred
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Post by efred on Mar 30, 2022 13:46:14 GMT -5
Also, I try to find a variety of meat types, but I mostly get chicken. Is chicken perhaps too lean for my girl? Perhaps she needs mostly duck for example? The vet mentioned ferrets need a high fat diet, which I previously wasn't too aware of. Thank you for the links, some I have not read. If you could please clarify what you mean with the alternative meals? Like hardly give her just muscles meals (even though Im scared to reintroduce raw to her)
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Post by Charlie on Mar 30, 2022 21:55:35 GMT -5
So is Carrot still on a kibble diet and she still has thin poops?
A variety of meats are chicken, turkey necks and backs, beef meat (because they can't eat the bones-too thick), pork (again some bone is too thick to eat), duck, quail, lamb, mice, rabbit, other rodents, and of course your organ meats. Yes, bone meal can help as well as crushed egg shell. Just add a bit at a time and check to make sure it's not too dry as that will be harder to pass too. You do want some fat in there too. You don't want to just give the lean meat and no fat. When weasels are out in the wild they will eat all of the prey and maybe leave the feet. lol The prey they catch isn't super fat but it does still have fat on it's body. Wild prey will be leaner then domestic type prey but there is still fat.
I find that whole mouse gives my ferret the best poops since it has bone, meat and fur so his poops come out as one neat package so to speak. lol
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Post by eclipso on Mar 31, 2022 12:30:49 GMT -5
It sounds like your ferret has a partial blockage. You can feed a few eggs for that and see if something comes out, if it's more urgent use pumpkin or vaseline. Make sure to keep him hydrated. Another laxatives that most people don't talk about it minerals- especially magnesium. That is natural and can help him pass whatever is stuck inside.
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efred
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Posts: 14
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Post by efred on Mar 31, 2022 16:11:26 GMT -5
Yes, carrot is on kibbles and having thin poops. I gave her some pumpkin yesterday and she pooped it out, still thin poops, I didn't notice any bits in. I have read that whole prey meals allow for nicely packaged poops lol, and I think I will try to introduce that to both ferrets. I have to find an appropriate affordable source first.
Thank you for the natural laxative help, I just buy magnesium mineral oil and administer a few teaspoons at a time? I am going to give her an egg right now.
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Post by unclejoe on Mar 31, 2022 21:38:12 GMT -5
MAYBE 1 tsp of mineral oil at a time. I would think that 2 tsp would help pass a whole mouse. 1 tbsp of milk of magnesia does it for most humans Only on a ferret forum would someone ask this: can you post a pic of Carrot's typical, recent poop?
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Post by Corvidophile on Apr 1, 2022 7:26:36 GMT -5
If there is not a partial blockage, thin poops could be caused by inflamed walls of the intestines from a food allergy. You may have to try an elimination diet, giving each item a few days to give inflammation a chance to subside, to see if that improves things. You can also try giving children’s liquid Benadryl at 1mg per pound of ferret, twice daily at 12 hour intervals.
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Post by griffyn on Apr 1, 2022 10:10:09 GMT -5
Both of my ferrets had weird poops for a long time and I thought it was just them getting used to the raw diet. But after a while I decided to eliminate chicken completely to see if that helped. Since then their poops have been great and not so runny and gross. I think they were both allergic to chicken
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efred
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Post by efred on Apr 1, 2022 13:38:13 GMT -5
Ive been meaning to take pictures of her poops, I just threw one away too lol, I will post pics as soon as I can.
Is it magnesium oil or milk of magnesia or either?
I have had the thought that carrot might be sensitive to chicken, when I do reintroduce her to raw, I will not be giving her chicken.
Chicken was the main raw meat I would feed, and my boy has always had healthy poops, while my girl always had loose runny stools.
Would it be wise to reintroduce carrot to raw, just using another protein to first see how her poops are? Before I mess with the fat content and fibers to aid her digestion?
I cannot thank you all enough, this is giving me relief and a direction to move in with my babies.
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