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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2014 16:02:10 GMT -5
I started soup with Pepe yesterday. He was a little hesitant about it, but with a little coaxing and FerretVit he munched on it for a little bit before going back to his nap. He came back a few more times that I witnessed, but by the time I came home from work that day it was 90% gone. I didn't know we should remove the kibble for a few hours before, so he did have access to it but it didn't seemed touched really.
I initially got my soup recipe from another website, so it's a little different. My soup was made from 1 chicken leg (minus the bone of course), 1 chicken heart, maybe a 1/4 - 1/2 cup gizzards, 1 egg (I saved the shell to dry out and add to next batch) and I read that adding a small jar of chicken baby food was ok too for a better consistency, so that was added along with about a cup of water. This made enough for 3 feedings (am and pm), about a 1 1/2 cup each, in which he ate about a cup each time through out the day and night. And like I said he had access to his kibble for the whole day and night. I removed it when I read a forum that mentioned that it was best to not mix the two. This first batch I was not able to puree is as well as I would have liked, so there was a few small 'finger tip' pieces in there. The first feeding that was all that was left, but by the second feeding (I was able to watch him longer) I caught him taking a piece out and munching on it! I think it was a chicken wing piece. So I think he is going to be pretty easy to transition!
I am getting my scale this weekend to be able to weigh everything (including him), so I am not sure if he is eating enough. He is pooping normal-ish, its a little runny, but color is okay. He is drinking normally and enjoying his time out.
Other than revising my recipe, I think we are off to a good start! Any suggestions or comments are welcome.
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Post by Heather on Mar 13, 2014 16:31:29 GMT -5
First....dump the ferretvite as soon as you can. That's insulinoma in a tube. It's a death sentence for a ferret. Ok...soupy...have you found our recipe? The meat from the chicken leg is really good (much more nutritious than the breast meat), chicken heart, the egg...use some liver instead of the gizzards (use the gizzards as treats, they're a pain to try and grind up....they go like little gun pellets when added to a blender or food processor). The egg shell you need to powder, you will need to add 1/2 tsp for 8 oz of food. I think that just about covers the ingredients. If I remember your intro correctly, play a game of tug with the gizzards, your wee boy is just a baby and will probably take to them without issue. As he's so young you may want to see if he will take the chicken leg you cut the meat from and if there is still a fair bit of meat on it see if he will eat it. Give the leg a couple of wacks with a cleaver and smash it up a bit. His stools will be a bit runny on the recipe you're presently feeding because there is no calcium in the mix, bone is your binding ingredient....in the case of the recipe, egg shell. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2014 17:11:40 GMT -5
Commercial foods and treats are so confusing, the FerrerVit was recommended as a daily vitamin supplement. But I will stop it. And soupy, I have found your recipe and plan on searching out the liver this weekend, that was my only missing ingredient. The hearts and gizzards came packaged together and the gizzards were a pain to get in small pieces! I have a collection of egg shells drying out as we speak to add to the next batch I make. And I will try breaking up the chicken bone to add to the mix as well, just need to get that cleaver. Until then though I will try getting him to gnaw on it. The dogs will be jealous, I have been giving it to them, but I will give Pepe a chance with it first. :0) My shopping list is slowly growing lol but most of it are things that will be long tern use. Thanks for the suggestions!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2014 19:30:10 GMT -5
Well we are only a week in and you would never know Pepe didn't eat raw from the beginning! He is eating thumb tip pieces of both beef and chicken and even a little turkey mixed in there. So far poops are looser than I'm used to but looking at the poop chart looks like a mix between the raw meat boneless and with bone. My thought was to cut it all up (kidney, heart, chicken meat with crushed bones, turkey neck, and liver) with the right percentages and mix it up and package it up to feed. I figured this way I can get an idea of how much to feed a day or feeding and he would still be getting all he needed. Also so if I needed to make soup quickly I could just blend the serving. I know you feed one thing a day (ie chicken leg one day then the heart one day or feeding) but is it harmful to feed a mix at once? It was kinda a pain to cut it all up and I can see how just putting a hunk of liver or heart or chicken leg is easier. I have enough food for about 3 weeks that I cut up and bagged. This will give me time to plan and shop and stock up, so I was just wondering what would be easiest and healthiest. Also I know I need 3 different proteins so is doing chicken and turkey fine along with beef? Is it best to have an even amount of each protein? Thanks for the help!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2014 20:12:22 GMT -5
1 week into switch and Pepe is still doing great. I am going to get some Cornish hens later this week and smash them up a bit and try to get him eating bones. So far haven't found anything he doesn't like. His poop looks ok, was a little orange for one poop but didn't see it again. But it is SOOO stinky. I read that is normal, but for how long?? Not long I hope, wow. I was finally able to weigh him and his food to give an idea of how much he is eating and I'll weigh weekly to make sure he's gaining. Although, I can SEE that he's gaining. Pepe's weight: 1 lb 3 oz Eating 3-5 oz two times a day. I have him on beef liver and heart, chicken liver drums wings and thighs and lastly turkey neck. He is still eating several times a day, but I am only putting food out twice a day. He is sleeping normally and very active and playful. I even feel like his coat looks better already! So pleased. Can't wait to get a mentor so I can learn how to add new proteins and get him eating bones. Here is a "before" pic. Although it was taken today, but I was a reference for later to watch for weight loss. :0)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2014 20:26:05 GMT -5
Wow, you and Pepe are doing great. (dance) Does Pepe have grapetail yet? You should see a change in his fur, before too long. I saw a big difference in Wynstan's fur after about six weeks. If you get a chance, pick up a pet scale. It does help to weigh them regularly, and can alert you to any unusual weight changes.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2014 20:45:27 GMT -5
Let's try the pic thing again... His first adventure with soupy First time getting a good chunk chewed on enjoying some soupy with chunks Before pics for reference later
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2014 20:48:28 GMT -5
Is a food scale ok to weigh him with? I think it goes to grams also if I need to. And I haven't noticed a good smell yet. In fact he got him first bath today because he was stinky, I couldn't take it anymore, but I'm interested to smell this grapefruit thing!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2014 21:59:04 GMT -5
Pepe ate about 3-4 oz throughout the day. I was watching him carefully during the afternoon feeding and he is chewing nicely with his back teeth like we wanna see. I even gave him a hunk of gizzard about 1 in x 1 in and he devoured it in a few minutes. He is active and happy and poops appear to be normal. I think this weekend I might try a small chicken wing with the bone crushed up. See if he will eat a bigger chunk like that. All the pieces he is eating right now are about 1 inch by 1 inch hunks so I think he is doing good. Once I get a few weeks into this batch of food I am going to also try and introduce a new protein. Pork maybe. Any advice on the next protein and what animal part? I am feeding beef heart and kidney, turkey neck, and chicken liver and bone in meats with this batch and he is eating everything okay.
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Post by msav on Mar 19, 2014 8:35:16 GMT -5
be careful on the turkey. especially if your buying the turkey necks at the grocery store meat counter. Most turkey is injected with up to 15% sodium. I stopped buying turkey necks from the meat counter for this reason. There are a few brands of turkey that do not inject anything into their turkeys but they are few and far between and you have to buy the whole turkey.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 19, 2014 8:35:49 GMT -5
Excellent! Why not check out our diet archives? The last or second last page of each documented switch gives what menu that person was using at that time. They will give you a good idea about balancing his menu.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2014 22:04:59 GMT -5
Pepe is still doing really well. We are working on that big batch I cut up last week. There's about 5 days left. Less if the cat keeps stealing it! I am going to try and buy some small chicken wings soon and try to get him to eat this a few days a week too. I like the idea of making a weeks worth of meals in separate bags and putting that weeks worth in a Tupperware container to feed throughout the week. That's my plan for this weekend!
On another note I weighed him again today and he is 2 lbs 3 oz (992 grams)! That is a pound in a week! What a ill piggy! Lol so far poops are normal and activity level is great!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2014 19:22:16 GMT -5
I cut a hunk of the pork chops we were having for dinner (before I spiced and cooked of course) and gave Pepe a taste and he was impressed. I think I'll make pork his next protein we add on. So far he's doing on I with chicken, turkey and beef.
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Post by goingpostal on Mar 27, 2014 20:41:49 GMT -5
You don't have to slowly intro meats to ferrets like with dogs. With ferrets it's only necessary if you think there is an allergy or intolerance. Once I get a ferret eating meat chunks they get a new protein pretty much every day, I don't want them fixating on one type of meat and mine eat a huge variety. If he's eating organ meat and bone in like turkey necks he can handle anything you throw at him. Buying a whole chicken or game hen would be better than just wings, any part of them would count as edible bone unless you are feeding breast meat.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2014 21:25:43 GMT -5
Ok well I will go to town the ! Haha I plan on going shopping tomorrow for the next few weeks of food. I'll be sure to get lots of variety. :0)
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