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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2013 19:39:23 GMT -5
Ok haven't fed them any yet so ill get rid of it and make some more tomorrow. I have to take out more meat to thaw overnight. Good thing I made a small batch they literally just woke up and I was about to try them with it. Lol. Wonder if my dogs could eat it? I hate wasting stuff if I can avoid it. I feed the dogs raw beef bones as treats but I know chickens a different story. I know raw feeders for dogs give them poultry though...hmmm?? Anyway do you know if its ok to freeze, thaw, and then refreeze meat once? I just went to take out some liver and its all stuck together and frozen solid. I just froze it today after I used what I needed for the soup. Shoulda thought about portioning it up before I put it in the freezer bag. Will have to remember to do it next time. Good thing it's cheap if I can't refreeze it lol. Thanks again for your help!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2013 19:46:10 GMT -5
I have given the dogs raw hearts and liver as treats as well when I'm making my soup in the past, with no ill effects. I'm considering half switching them to raw as well. Just my one dog is super sensitive. With the bones if he eats too much marrow he gets the runs so I have to limit his intake over a few days. Other dog is fine with anything pretty much. Funny how they're so different, them and the ferrets. All animals really, humans included my concern is the digestive system of the dogs is more like ours and takes a lot longer, and with raw chicken meat maybe they could get salmonella if they aren't used to it? Also I was wondering about still giving the ferrets kibble during this switch? Will it slow down digestion and possibly allow salmonella to make them sick if they eat the raw soup and kibble close together??
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2013 19:20:18 GMT -5
Hey, you could give the chicken broth soup to your dog without problem. They aren't affected by sugar the way cats and ferrets are. Garlic is toxic to them as well but the small amounts in the broth would be fine just this once, as they actually add garlic to a lot of dog treats, it's silly really.
You can definitely switch dogs to raw. They are a lot different than ferrets and I don't have any experience with it personally but there are a lot of dog raw feeding forums out there. Their digestive systems are slower but they can still eat it safely. As for the sensitive tummy dog, you might want to consider novel proteins like lamb, duck, or venison. It's possible he has a protein sensitivity to chicken and beef.
For the ferrets, definitely keep them on the kibble until they are eating the soup consistently. To avoid tummy upsets with the raw and kibble, simply space out feeding them the raw and kibble by 30 minutes to an hour.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2013 19:22:06 GMT -5
However, Bernie MUST be given access to the kibble right after the raw is taken away. Since he is insulinomic and not overly stable with his BG levels. And no they won't get salmonella from eating both kibble and raw, no worries there. Let me know how the new soup batch goes over with the ferrets once you try it
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2013 21:18:46 GMT -5
Ok so I think I got it this time just whipped up the new batch. If they woke up in the near future that would be great wish me luck. Ill let ya know how it goes. Do I need to record the results each time in the same format as I read on the one thread I think I recall sherry recommended for me to check it out while I was waiting to get my mentor? Or can I just let ya know how it goes? With keeping that info in mind? Also I've noticed they are both shedding these past few weeks. Picked up deez the other day and had a bunch if his down fur (the light white fluffy coat underneath his longer darker course ones is what I call down fur have no clue really if that a real term atm lol) left behind on my shirt which only happens twice a year but I wasn't sure if it was early? Then yesterday I thought when I looked at Bean that his fur on the back of his neck looked a little thin, but thought also his head was a little wet maybe I was seeing his pink skin (which is silly really cause I've seen him with a wet head just about everyday he likes the tubs water spout. he's so cute.....) and it never looks like that. I took that pic for you two days ago it is fine. Anyway Devon said out loud earlier today what I had thought, Bernie's fur looks thinner on his neck like just recently. So I'm inclined to think they are both shedding, but nevertheless, and I do this everytime they shed, I get concerned when fur gets thin looking or comes out. Even though I KNOW they shed!! Deez's coat has changed quite a bit everytime I love it! But still I'm paranoid until it stops and looks great again. Im of course much more worried about Bernie than Deez. Vet soon, like two weeks, I'm making an appointment Monday I think for the week after. (twitch) lol
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2013 21:52:18 GMT -5
Alright, so they're up for their night romp....atm they are really going at it lol. So cute when they run around and play with each other. Got them to try a taste of it before they hit the kibble. They still haven't went for kibble at this point yet actually. Anyway, Diezel right away licked it off the spoon when I offered it to him the first time. But after eating about a quarter of a teaspoon he looked disgusted with it and didn't want anymore. Bernie smelled it when I offered it to him but refused to taste it after he decided on the first smell he didn't want it, he didn't change his mind on it. So I tried holding him up in my arms as I've done that with all my other new soups I've offered him in the past, and usually it worked, but those were lightly cooked....anyway wasn't having it in my arms so I dipped his mouth in it a little and he licked his lips and acted like he was coughing a little. Lol. He gets a little stressed at this point trying to get down, he wants down all the time as it is a lot of the time, so now he's getting more frantic about it. So I put him down. Followed him to the kitchen got down on the floor and tried to scruff and stuff, like I did before as well to get him to taste and he's eaten after that before as well, but he acted like I was poisoning him and I could tell his stress was going up a little, cause he really hated the taste of that one lol. Aw bean, and this is where we've been stuck with trying to switch him. He hates the raw taste!!! So try again tomorrow in the morning i don't wanna stress him out, he's a turd. He'd never bite us, ever, he just gets super upset you can see it in his eyes. Lol little boogers are boogeying around all happy now though.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2013 21:55:07 GMT -5
I'd say they both seem a little itchier these past few days too. Shedding sign also you think?? Diezel ate a little raw yolk yesterday, Bean hasn't tried that yet either, try him in the a.m.......
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2013 7:48:17 GMT -5
Same result with bean yesterday a.m, and same with deez. He's always kinda been a snacker though, eats a little then goes plays. Bean acted like he's gonna die if he eats it lol. I worked late last night and came home and they were sleepin and then I fell asleep myself so I haven't seen them yet....and now I'm getting ready and heading to work in a minute after this, so ill have to try when I get home this evening again. They sleep in my dresser, which they've officially taken over a long time ago. I gave up and put all my clothes I like to wear in my wardrobe closet and other closet. How silly is that? It's so cute to open a drawer and see them all cuddled in there together though....lol. I took out the two bottom drawers and put their litter box there and they sleep in any of the top four. They love it. So I've learned to love it. For 4 years I've been trying to reclaim my dresser from ferrets with little success. Finally I said I give up you can have it and bought a wardrobe closet lol.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2013 17:04:22 GMT -5
Hey, thanks for all the great updates 1) if you could keep track of the amount of raw soup they eat each day, that would perfect, as I will ask you to post a weekly feeding schedule at the end of each week (Sunday or Monday). If you prefer to post how much they ate each day when you reply that is fine too. 2) it sounds like they are shedding to me. The raw egg helps lots with hairballs, just don't give them too too much of it. We usually say one full raw egg per ferret per week. You can also give them some extra virgin olive oil or salmon oil to help with the itchiness. Only 1/4 tsp per ferret per day though, and you probably want to change that to 1/2 tsp per ferret per day once they are done shedding. Let me know which oil you pick up. 3) those reactions to trying raw soup are 100% normal. The key is to just keep trying until they accept it as food. So everyday, as many times a day as you can, offer them the raw soup on a spoon or on your finger. Rub it inside their lips, dab it on their nose, or gently scruff and stuff. 4) you are right about not wanting to stress them out too much. If they start to really resist, take a break and try again later. I will post some helpful links on how to scruff and stuff ferrets. 5) definitely leave the kibble down, as they are just in the "tasting" phase of the raw soup right now. Once we have them eating tablespoonfuls at a time, we can start to wean back on the kibble. 6) oil is also a great way to get them to try the raw soup, so try find an oil they really like. Salmon oil usually goes over well, but so does extra virgin olive oil. Ferretone isn't very good for them but if all else fails, use a few drops of it to get them to try the soup. In the mean time just keep trying!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2013 17:05:47 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2013 19:06:10 GMT -5
Awesome thanks for the info!! I'm on holidays now for a week and will be home for the next two days so that will give me more opportunities to offer it to them more often. I have salmon oil that I picked up a few weeks ago. Deez loves it bean of course hates it lol. I have ferretone too though and I'm trying to wean him off that as we have to use it to give him his meds to cover up the taste and have him take it willingly. He gets about 1ml of that a day I know it's bad now but it's worse if he doesn't take his meds so slowly I've been mixing in the salmon oil in its place but if I put too much at this point he won't take it at all. He's so picky!!! The salmon oil I use is called grizzly salmon oil for cats and dogs. Only ingredient in it is salmon oil so I think it should be ok. The Dogs love it! lol Also just so you know I will be away Wednesday through Saturday this week, so I'm goin to get my boyfriend Devon to take over on here for me. Ill familiarize him with what's going on here before I leave and have him post his progress for the week or daily whichever he prefers, ill let you know which. I was just wondering though - once they are full raw, if you have to go away and have someone watch your ferrets, how easy is it to prepare food for them to give them, but even more importantly, make sure they eat it and it don't go bad if that person only is here for an hour or so once a day?? Not that we go away much really, but a few people in my family are terminally ill right now and we might have to go away for a few days if they do pass thanks again ttyl
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2013 19:50:39 GMT -5
No problem That salmon oil is perfect, it's the brand I use as well. Don't worry using ferretone for meds is understandable. Even if you aren't ever able to completely cut the ferretone out of the mix, at least you are mixing it with the salmon oil and thus using less. You should try the extra Virgin olive out, some ferrets prefer that to salmon oil so who knows maybe it will be a hit. If you could still get him to check in once every 2 days, even if he does post what they have been eating at the end of the week, that would be great. Raw isn't too bad for going away actually. You just pre-Baggie it for the sitter and have them pop in once a day and change out the old stuff for new stuff. Raw is really honestly okay for 24 hours in the cage once they are eating bone and bigger pieces of meat. You can also get them used to freeze dried raw, which is available at pet stores. Sometimes sitter prefer to feed this cause it is less messy and it doesn't go bad in the cage. Here are some examples: Wysong archetypal 1 Stella and Chewy's Feline Naturals There's a bunch more too I can't think of right now. The first one is a ferret food, the rest are cat foods but are fine for ferrets.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2013 21:51:45 GMT -5
Hey so deez was just up for his nights mischief, and I was in the bathroom with him. He was in the tub cause he likes to go in there, and my big doggy came in to see me and looked in the tub at deez. This is out of the norm really cause that dog hates the bathtub lol so deez looked at him funny and then I could smell that he had poofed (he has his anal sacs still). I thought it was kinda weird that he had done it cause the dogs and ferrets are around each other all the time, theyre not scared of each other, if anything the dogs are unsure more of the ferrets than the ferrets of the dogs. Anyway after this he went to the litter and peed and I dunno if it was a poop or something from his anal gland but it was just a small blob of clear liquid on the what would normally be poop end of his bathroom deed. Freaked me out! I'm worried about a blockage, but then not 20 min after that he went to the bathroom again, but thus time it was poop colored, but still small and liquidy. He hasn't ate yet till after that though so I don't think he had much to poop out, and he hasn't eaten raw since this morning. I'm going to keep an eye on him tonight and tomorrow for more normal poops, and I know I can expect different poops to come out through this change, but still I'm going to give him a good dose of salmon oil to clean him out just in case. Cause he is shedding more lately too ...... still I'm a little worried at this point....
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2013 21:56:55 GMT -5
Oh and the second colored poop was pretty stinky as far as what they usually smell like.....anyway just gave him a teaspoon of salmon oil. He loves that stuff tomorrow I will give him a little egg yolk maybe as well and some more oil tomorrow night. Have to remember to keep that up during the shedding time. And I'll keep a close eye on his poops. Never seen one like that before! I'm really hoping they can empty mucus from their anal sacs if that makes any sense at all I dunno...can't find any info about it online so far....
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2013 22:00:26 GMT -5
I checked the poop chart and that clear stuff didn't look like any of them! It was so small! If he doesn't go back to normal by tomorrow then we will be off to the vet fingers crossed it does. I might not be able to go on my trip if not
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