Starting feeding commercially prepared raw

[Kristina]


I just need a little advice! 
I have 3 Ferrets and one has always had poop issues. I have taken her to the vet and there is nothing ever wrong with her. She will eat kibble (mix of natures variety instinct limited ingredient rabbit and turkey along with blue buffalo duck cat food) for a couple months and the every 4 months or so just stop eating. I have thought it was IBD or chicken allergies so I switched around foods. This phase would occur for about a week to two weeks and during this time I would hand feed her moistened kibbles with turkey baby food and duk soup. She would eventually start eating kibbles again on her own. Her poops have always been not normal more of a runny kibble fed poop. So recently I decided to start switching her over to raw to see if that helps. I haven't started my other two because the kibbles seem to be fine (or as fine as kibble can be) and I wanted to trial the picky eater before switching them all (which I plan to do). Since my picky eater (Eleanor) loves to be hand fed the commercially raw switch wasn't hard. I started her on Natures Variety Instinct Raw bites (which I guess is the same as the medallions but just different form, not the raw boost kibbles its still frozen raw food). She loves it and eats it now from the bowl alone with no coaxing. I have began with feeding her about a quarter of a cup of the bite size pieces and then just adding a bit of water and mashing them up (duck and lamb varieties). The poops have become normal ferret shapes (sorry for the description but more log shape then runny) and they look like the mashed up form when they come out. The issue I have now is that, 1) am I feeding her enough? 2) sometimes she doesn't eat it all but should I just leave the bowl in the cage while I go to work? Will the food spoil in the cage that long (8 hrs )? It seems like her poop is all normal until the very last poop before the next feeding. It turns back to the runny kibble looking poop but with much less kibble, like she maybe gets hungry and eats the other kibble again? Is that normal? I have been feeding her twice daily with the quarter cup each time. Hope I put all the info in there, sorry so long!!

[Sherry]

Okay, I'm trying to understand which one she has. Is it the frozen raw variety she's on? If so then her stools are normal as she is finally getting enough hydration. And yes it can be left easily for 6-8 hours with no issue at all. Half of the time when I feed commercial raw I just add a bit more water and mix it up again several hours in and they finish it.
And it does sound like she has a chicken sensitivity. With IBD the stools would vary a lot, from normal to greenish to yellowish to watery to seedy, etc.

[Kristina]

www.instinctpetfood.com/product/instinct-grain-free-raw-frozen-duck-diet-bites


This is the food I have her on, in the duck and lamb so far but planning on adding more.

In regards to her poops, right before I feed her again, they are slimier and much more yellow and sometimes seedy. Is that because I should be leaving out the food and she gets hungry in between?

Thank you for your help!!

[Sherry]

Okay thanks (You do realize you could likely save a good deal if cash by switching her to the one ounce medallions?)
As far as the food goes you should leave enough in to last until next meal time. The ideal would be for her to still have one or two small bits which you would then remove. Grinds are good for 6-8 hrs at least.