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Post by Sherry on Mar 14, 2013 8:53:40 GMT -5
Oh, sorry ;D It's fine Their bodies are still adapting to their diet yet and will be for a while yet. So expect to see things like that as well as bone shards for a bit. As they adapt and their stomach acids become stronger you won't find it as often, unless they've eaten a large chunk of fat at a meal.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2013 11:31:31 GMT -5
Speaking of bone shared, I am going to finalize the feeding den this weekend. I have left it alone to see if they would start ferreting their food to the box on their own, and Mo has been. Sherlock is now doing what Mo used to do and tucks it in to their blanket in the corners on the bottom level of the cage.
You had mentioned earlier how to section up a wing for the feeding den, but I really didn't understand the instructions, and how to skewer the bone, after having pulled the wing apart at the joints. Would you mind clarifying? I haven't found any videos on this portion of it, though I did watch the vid you posted on disassembling a whole chicken, which was helpful.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 14, 2013 16:05:25 GMT -5
With skewering it's generally done with either a whole wing, the drumette would have the hook shoved through the meaty end, or the middle section left intact. When I was hooking the meat, I used the tip of a knife to poke a hole in the cartiledge and force the hook through.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2013 9:06:14 GMT -5
OK. Will work on set up this weekend, and post pics if i can to see if it looks right. Took them to the vet for 6 mo. wellness checkup yesterday. Everything looks good. Heart, lungs, weight all doing well with no evidence of issues with spleen, bladder or stomach He was a little surprised by our choice on raw diet, but didn't speak against it, just repeated several times about the importance of sanitation and cleaning up our work area so we don't get sick. We then followed up with a trip to PetCo to take a look at their kits and make a decsion on whether or not to bring another one in to the family. We liked a little boy ferret they had, so we let him meet our two and they got along well. He wanted to play, but ours were a bit more interested in trying to figure out where they were, but there was no aggression shown by anyone, and Mo even licked the new kit for a bit on the shoulders. We wanted to bring him home, but made the decision to wait until the kits were about 3 years old to try a new introduction in to the family for another kit. I don't really like thinking about it, but I would like to have a younger kit in the family by a few years, so that when Mo or Sherlock pass away they have another ferret they are hopefully well bonded with to help with the grieving process. We really wanted to bring him home with us, but from where we are sitting right now, it was what we thought would be the responsible decision.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 15, 2013 9:46:31 GMT -5
And, as horrible as it may sound- you don't want all your ferrets in the same age group simply because of costs. As they age more problems are likely to crop up(adrenal, etc). For me, lupron is $50 a month per ferret, at least until we can get the des in. If you were to combine that by even 3, that's getting up there in price.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2013 12:53:47 GMT -5
Vet did ask about their shot records. Thought they had distemper and rabies before they were sent to the store, but apparently it was only distemper. Our vet recommended their booster now that they are 6mo old. I'm still iffy on it though because of the problems I have heard of them having. I've looked through a lot of posts on it, and it seems pretty evenly split on who really encourages the boosters before 1yo and who don't. They also have to get their rabies shots. Not looking forward to taking them for shots. I still don't like them as an adult, I don't like the idea of having it done to the kits. Even if it is to help protect them.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 15, 2013 18:15:59 GMT -5
I don't have shots done until 5-6 months for the simple reason that maternal antibodies are still active for quite a while. That way I can be sure of them being protected, as the series works by the first two completely destroyin the antibodies, and the third fir protection. I have one of each done at 5-6 months and that's it. Whichever method you choose, make certain the two shots are done a minimum if two weeks apart. Done together the odds of a reaction are much higher. Also, stick around the vet's office for 30- 45 minutes, just in case.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2013 19:28:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice on getting the shots separately. We do not want to risk a problem!
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Post by Sherry on Mar 15, 2013 22:18:59 GMT -5
I have no idea why some vets push this idea. But it can cause a lot of problems.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2013 21:07:07 GMT -5
We got the shots set up a few weeks apart, with distemper booster happening next Monday afternoon. Hopefully everything goes well.
Food wise, they are doing pretty well. The feeding dens are in place on both levels of the cage now, and they have claimed their own, though Sherlock has used his for sleeping already before he started taking food in to it.
They have had a good mix of gizzard, liver, heart, kidney, heart today, even though they don't normally like liver. They ate a whole bowl of it, and only stashed a little of it in their dens. Will check weight this evening when they wake up for their final play time tonight.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2013 22:21:07 GMT -5
Weights for this evening
Mo -.84kg Sherlock - 1.27kg
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Post by Sherry on Mar 19, 2013 9:11:51 GMT -5
Sounds like they are doing well Time to start adding in new proteins as well as pushing on the bone!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2013 9:14:23 GMT -5
Rabbit isn't an option here that I have found, though I could go on another scavenger hunt I suppose. They are getting beef, chicken and pork so far. Something else we should be adding as well?
Have to work on the bones tonight. They will pick the wings clean over time, but aren't interested in trying to eat the bone yet.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 19, 2013 9:18:29 GMT -5
Oh, sorry! I've got 6 of you I'm helping switch and sometimes the details get mixed up a bit- especially when I'm still on my first cup of coffee Okay, to get the bone going. For now, let's focus on wings. Segment, cut the middle two, smash the drumette really well with a cleaver or heavy knife. They get that for the next 3-4 meals in a row. If they know they can hold out until the next meal for something easier to eat, they will. Ferrets are very lazy eaters and if they can get away with not having to work at bones they won't touch them I had to feed 3 days straight like this with some to get them chowing down
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Post by Sherry on Mar 19, 2013 9:19:31 GMT -5
Oh, and other proteins you can look for are cornish hen, turkey, lamb, goat. If you can find an ethnic market odds of finding a variety of different ones are much better.
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