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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2014 10:20:18 GMT -5
Hearts are used mostly as a taurine source dark meat does have taurine also but not enough for long term you can purchase hearts online if you can't source locally or you can use a taurine supplement
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2014 10:23:20 GMT -5
Also quick question im still feeding 8oz a day but they are not eating as much and im throwing alot out (at least a few oz a meal) they are maintaining their weight can I reduce the amount of food per meal or should I try to get them to eat more and if so how
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 9, 2014 9:47:16 GMT -5
Nope, reduce what you are giving them and correct on the taurine supplement answer. It doesn't go bad so it's not a bad idea to have some in the cupboard. Also, tongue and fish are high in taurine.
Next Question: One of your ferrets seems to be having loose dark (almost black) tar stools and you haven't fed any organs since early in the week. What could this possibly indicate and what steps would you take to determine what ferret it is and if it is anything to worry about?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2014 12:22:37 GMT -5
Dark stools can also indicate bloody meat such as beef loose stools can cause some concern for dehydration so make sure they are definitely drinking and s light scruff can normally indicate that if the skin doesn't snap back quickly isolate each ferret until they poop so you know which it is if they havent eaten anything bloody or are dehydrated I would take to the vet if they had eaten body meat and are not dehydrated I would watch for a day with a different protein to see of stools go back to normal they might have a sensitivity to the protein I had given if that is not the case definitely a vet visit is in order
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 9, 2014 15:16:31 GMT -5
close...dark, loose tarry stools can indicate an ulcer. Watch the ferrets stools over the next few days to see if it continues and watch for other signs of nausea (pawing at the mouth, retching, vomiting, unwillingness to eat). If the stools continue or you see signs of nausea then a vet visit is in order.
Next Question: One of your ferrets is panicking and pawing at their mouth. You manage to scruff him / her and get a look inside their mouth. They have a small piece of bone caught in one of their back teeth. How do you get it out?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2014 15:25:35 GMT -5
Wow ulcer thing is frightening I didn't know that at all out of curiosity what would cause one of them to get an ulcer and how do I prevent it
as far as the bone from what I've read and all seeing most people say that they are normally able to dislodge the bones themselves bit if.they can't you can run your finger up near the gum line to help dislodge it i've seena few saying they have used tweezers but correct me if i'm wrong that seems as though it may cause a bigger issue if the tweezers slip :/ I also saw a post that someone used hemostats to help hold the ferrets moth open but personally id be afraid to do that incase I caused more harm (this person had veterinary experience)
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 13, 2014 16:04:24 GMT -5
Ulcers can be caused by medications, stress, or just bacterial infection (immune system usually compromised by something else first though). Dark tarry stool are always something to watch out for if they haven't had organs / hearts recently.
Hemostats are good to have on hand in an emergency situation if a vets office isn't open. I'd only advise using tweezers if you have someone else to hold the ferret (a burrito wrap could help as well). Usually they can get it loose themselves but they tend to really panic and they can scratch themselves up pawing at their mouth.
Next Question: You find what looks like white liquidy poop outside of their normal litter spaces? What could be causing it?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2014 10:37:52 GMT -5
From what I've read it could be vomit... my ferrets all tend to go in the same couple of spots so the fact that it would be somewhere esle and that its white and liquid (instead of brownish or yellow)... Also I had read that it could be a blockage or a hair stuck on the throat so isolate the ferret find out exactly what it is and push pumpkin/ Vaseline and if it continues off to the vet
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 14, 2014 15:22:13 GMT -5
:thumbsup: Got it in 1. Good job! Nothing coming to me at the moment so check back later for another question.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2014 9:59:11 GMT -5
Ok sounds good
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 17, 2014 15:35:08 GMT -5
Ok, you've answered all the questions I can think of presently so now it is my turn. Is there anything YOU want to ask or still feel unsure about before I submit this thread to Sherry / Heather for a graduation request? Don't be shy.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2014 1:45:26 GMT -5
um.. the only thing i can think of is how much are they supposed to weigh the boys are now over 3 lbs even though they aren't eating as much is that normal?
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 19, 2014 21:40:00 GMT -5
Weights are pretty much unique to each ferret but that is not an unusual weight for male ferrets. Remember it is winter so they will probably slim down in the summer. Some ferrets change weight drastically during the seasons (my Socks for example), while others don't change as much.
If you could post your current weekly menu I'll get one of the senior Admin's to look it over and we'll see if you are ready to graduate. If they do graduate you, do not hesitate to contact me in the future if you have questions (here or on FB).
List the amount, meat type (animal) and meat form (boneless, organ, heart, bone in) by day when you post your weekly menu.
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Post by bitbyter on Jan 26, 2014 21:29:16 GMT -5
Hello? Still waiting on your menu. That's all you need to do in order to graduate...
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