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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 9:45:22 GMT -5
Kyle refused the dust, I don't blame him. They didn't eat most of their meat last night, instead I think they just had the kibble . I'll give them some chopped heart in FDR as soon as it thaws. So far they've been having chicken soup, and turkey chunks. I'll give them some chicken chunks tonight and I'll try some pork tomorrow.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2013 21:44:30 GMT -5
Hearts were not a hit today. I chopped one into little pieces and put it in the FDR soup and they just ate around them. I'll keep trying though, I'll put some more in their food tonight. I'll also try some liver as well tomorrow. I've realized it wasn't the meat the were craving, but the FDR. *sigh* I knew it was too good to be true. None of them will take slivers or chunks from me and I had to throw out a bunch that dried up today. I have some chicken wings that I'm going to eat soon so I'll just cut the tips off for the ferrets and give those a try with the FDR. Maybe they'll like the crunch.
I got my salmon oil today and it may have well been acid. Jayden has never been too keen with tone so I wasn't surprised but Charlie ran away on me when I dabbed it on his nose. Johnny did too. I thought Kyle was going to go for it for a second but nope. I'll be tricky with it and mix it with EVOO, or tone, or both. Hopefully they'll learn to like it. It smells fine so it hasn't gone bad. I just have a quartet of junk food enthusiasts.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 31, 2013 0:55:07 GMT -5
Hey- that's okay!!! We can work with that Start now with the FDR reconstituted. Let Me know how they like that.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2013 9:32:24 GMT -5
Oh, I've been reconstituting the FDR all the time, that's all they get They all love it. I don't follow the instructions because if I do, it just makes the pellets soggy. Instead, I blend the FDR up and then add water to make it into a thick soup like consistency. Last night they ate around the heart again lol. I think some were eaten, but I can't be sure. I'm going to try some liver for their lunch today.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2013 21:29:23 GMT -5
They're making this difficult for me again, Sherry! Since they have kibble out at night, that's what they go to if the other food isn't to their liking, i.e. tainted with too much real meat.
What do I do?? How will I get them to switch when they always have their junk food available and know that it will be there come nighttime?? There's no way I'll lock Kyle up at night by himself with kibble. Is this just something that will take longer?? Because all this wasted meat is killing me...
(When I said they all love the reconstituted FDR I wasn't including Kyle. He won't go near it wet or dry).
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Post by Sherry on Aug 2, 2013 8:38:09 GMT -5
Okay. How would Kyle do if you gave him an hour a couple times a day all by himself with his kibble. Because he DOES need access to it still. That way, he would still be getting much needed nutrition and the others won't have access to it. Also it will make sure he's hungry enough when you hand feed him the soup. May as well go straight with whatever you are going to be ultimately feeding, whether that is going to be freeze dried or plain raw. He's not going to handle transition well between things at all, so start him with what he'll wind up getting. This is simply going to come down to you outstubborning him.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2013 9:40:20 GMT -5
I already do that I keep the kibble out in the kitchen on the counter so he has to come out here if he's hungry. Then I try some soup. If/when he totally refuses I'll give him some kibble...sometimes. I try to be pretty irregular with it so he doesn't catch on that he'll always get kibble after he refuses. Which we know is easier said than done. If we're going to be having this much trouble switching foods, will it be worth going to actual raw? Or should I get him to eat the FDR? I could probably get him to switch to soup, but then I'd have to get him to eat organ, and then bone. And then different proteins? Do you really think he'd do that? I know once they switch to meat they'll be more open to try other meats, but that's your average ferret. Kyle is no average ferret.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 3, 2013 13:24:34 GMT -5
It's also just as likely he'll make leaps from one to another once this first stubbornness is past.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2013 16:53:13 GMT -5
Sorry, I've been a little MIA from the internet this week. We're not making much progress. I've wasted a lot of food and frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it. If I at least had my dogs to eat the "garbage" it would be worth it. Having the kibble out all night is just bringing this switch to a halt. Even though they love the FDR more than any treat they've ever had, they won't touch it if it has too much real meat in it and they just go to the kibble. Unless you have a special trick up your sleeve I honestly don't know how this will change.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 7, 2013 16:56:04 GMT -5
Okay. Are you willing to keep a very close eye on Kyle "just in case"? If so, try hand feeding him the puree raw soup. Warm it up, use the FD dust on top, oil, whatever it takes to get him eating it from a spoon. For the others, start giving them grinds.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 7, 2013 16:59:40 GMT -5
Also- I need to know WHAT exactly the others have eaten. Protein, size of chunk, bone in, heart, soup only, etc. How much you can get into Kyle with pushing him, and not giving him kibble? He'll need to be fed at least 3 oz of soup a day, even if that's split up through the day. If you can do that, he'll be safe enough and will move along faster. You can leave some FD in the cage in the dry form for him to nibble on.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2013 17:16:00 GMT -5
Yup, I can watch Kyle. I'm not so worried about him - he's gone the whole night without food and no problems came up. Kyle won't eat the FDR yet he resists it more than with the soup for some reason. So the other boys have been eating the FDR almost exclusively. They won't leave me alone in the morning or at night until I give it to them. I think Charlie is the only one who has been eating meat chunks. I've been putting chicken or turkey slivers and chunks in with their FDR. Some slivers are about the size of my pinky nail, some chunks are about the size of a die. Most are not eaten in the morning and are either dried up on the floor, or left in the bowl. I tried the cut up chicken wing tips and no one touched it. Same with the organs, they won't go near the FDR if I have put heart or liver in there. They've all been stubborn with the soup. I have to scruff them all to get them to even lick it. Kyle is back to his fighting and I can't get him to take licks without help from Travis to scruff him while I get the soup into him. I'm lucky to get even a teaspoon into him.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 7, 2013 17:19:04 GMT -5
What I'm hoping is that by leaving the kibble out he'll be hungry enough to eat better when you feed him. Leave the FD out of the equation for now since they'll also rely on that as well. Start giving them the soup they'll accept with about 1/4 slivers. Hand feed if need be. For Kyle give him the raw puree since he will likely pick that as the lesser of evils. I've also asked the other mentors to step in and look this thread over to see what I've missed!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2013 17:36:01 GMT -5
It's going to be hard with Johnny. He used to have A-1 every night and that was the highlight of his day. He'd be waiting each night at 11:00pm by his bowl to get some. When I couldn't get Wysong anymore he was visibly depressed and gave me the silent treatment for at least a week or two. He's going to be like that again when I take this FD from him . It broke my heart the last time. I only give the FDR reconstituted now by the way. I don't make it into a blended soup either, I follow the directions and it makes soggy pellet chunks. Jayden doesn't even like it dry anymore. I'll start tomorrow morning with the soup, taking away their FDR. They get FDR breakfast and dinner, with soup licks throughout the day. I won't give them their breakfast tomorrow
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Post by Sherry on Aug 7, 2013 22:37:22 GMT -5
I know how much your heart breaks for them, but they really are taking the easy way out. And after all- they CAN have it once or twice a week once they accept their regular meat Try looking at it this way. You are doing this for their benefit, so they don't get as sick as they would have otherwise. Not sure if this will help with your others, but it's a switch thread for the four newer boys. Mainly to give you a bit of a clearer path. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/8342/documenting-switch-new-ferrets
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