|
Post by bitbyter on Apr 12, 2012 18:00:55 GMT -5
This is very interesting!! I just tried it on my girls (although with kibble). They both weren't interested (not hungry) and when I gently scruffed them they ate the pieces I put in front of them. This will be very useful when I attempt my switch to raw / whole prey.
I wonder if it would work on a sick ferret who wasn't eating?
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Apr 12, 2012 19:40:30 GMT -5
Not as a rule I've found. Works better to coax then.
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Apr 12, 2012 19:43:37 GMT -5
Depends how sick....most of the time...no. It's almost like the reflex isn't there but they will gag. I've found that if they're just off, or you're dealing with things like ulcers where they're nauseated but not deathly ill, this might get them to lick some food off a syringe. I find often what happens is they will lick as per the reflex and then gag. A ferret only needs to do that a couple of times and then they will lock their jaws shut and refuse. You've got a battle whichever way you play the game ciao
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy's Boggle on Apr 13, 2012 9:01:26 GMT -5
Tried this with Freddy and Mai last night. It worked great! Freddy lapped up a significant amount without fight. Mai fought it but still lapped up a good bit of the food herself. They maybe switched before we know it.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Apr 13, 2012 9:40:53 GMT -5
That's excellent
|
|
|
Post by Jeremy's Boggle on Apr 13, 2012 10:30:00 GMT -5
No gagging or spitting involved at all.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2012 17:22:15 GMT -5
Woo! Wonderful news
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2012 21:50:48 GMT -5
This is an excellent thread. I had a much different picture in my mind of scruff and stuff. The mama-ferret-pinch looks really effective. I'm going to try it on some new meat soon.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2012 19:14:36 GMT -5
I have to do two people scruff hold when keeping there teeth clean.
|
|
|
Post by sean on Jan 23, 2013 10:55:36 GMT -5
I don't know how well this would perform if it's a meals they think seems really major, but it usually performs for me if it's just something they aren't really sure about, or when they're not sure if it's food.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2013 3:16:07 GMT -5
I tried this and it works to make them chew on the food - I don't scruff my ferrets ever as I have only ever heard of it being used as a form of discipline until now, and I prefer positive reinforcement. Thanks for the tip - great seeing the video!
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Mar 29, 2013 8:57:43 GMT -5
I try to teach scruff= goodies, since they need to be scruffed for a variety of things, including vet visits and meds
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2013 14:50:26 GMT -5
I did a successful scruff and stuff with Bean this morning And that's what he looked like and this was me (dance) Lol did it twice and got him to eat a little bit by himself for a minute. And ya it was more of a pinch him while still touching the floor with all feet for a sec and show him the spoon as my last attempt was more scruffy than stuffy and unsuccessful a few times in this past week.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2013 15:16:03 GMT -5
I did a successful scruff and stuff with Bean this morning [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .gif" src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .gif"] And that's what he looked like and this was me (dance) Lol did it twice and got him to eat a little bit by himself for a minute. And ya it was more of a pinch him while still touching the floor with all feet for a sec and show him the spoon as my last attempt was more scruffy than stuffy and unsuccessful a few times in this past week. Yay! Just now when Deez wook up I did the same with him cause my last soup that I made which would be chicken legs,turkey giblets and hearts, and chicken hearts half cooked very slowly and I used some of the juice from that, along with a bunch of raw hearts and an egg yolk and its eggshell powdered (which I quickly dehydrated while I was preparing it all in the oven on a pan on low about 200c then ground up in the magic bullet to powder) and I put about 10 or so pieces of kibble and ground that all up together. They both wouldn't touch it. Cause everytime I've make a new soup with a new protein they won't touch it. Turkey giblets were new and technically the turkey heart was cause they had only had chicken hearts before. I have no clue if they would taste different but the giblets probably do. And everytime we've managed to convince them it's yummy within a relatively short time. Not with this one cause it had the most raw yet for Bean probably and both of them because of the new protein. But I did it today! Feeling some more encouragement to keep at this, it's going to be worth it!
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Aug 6, 2013 17:40:23 GMT -5
Get them used to a single protein first. Until they are accepting that as food you won't be able to switch it up for them.
|
|