|
Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2014 21:09:36 GMT -5
I just have been giving him what walmart had labeled as chicken wings I don't think it is technically the whole wing. Im defrosting more right now Ill take a picture of one before and after he eats it to show you how much he is leaving behind and what I am giving him. His poops are definitely a lot firmer.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 13:06:44 GMT -5
I give him one of these per a bone meal This is around what he is leaving behind sometimes it a little more or less
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2014 22:19:58 GMT -5
I just thought if I were to start feeding beef/calf liver instead of chicken liver would that count as another protien?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2014 14:51:33 GMT -5
Sorry I didn't get the chance to post. I've been house sitting the past few days and didn't have a computer with me.
For the wings, I'd suggest at least chopping them in half, especially for the drumette ones, that should help him eat more of them.
Beef does count as another protein source, and I do think using beef liver would be a better alternative to chicken seeing as the majority of his meals will be poultry for the bones, but feeding beef only in the form of liver isn't enough to count as a 3rd protein. I would add at least a meal or two of beef chunks (as muscle meat) to complete the protein, or find beef heart (I can find it easier than chicken hearts usually, especially at walmart).
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2014 16:33:22 GMT -5
My weekly update is going to be late this week either tomorrow night or Monday I am working a ton this weekend and we are watching my little sister. He really seems to like the chicken wings now he is just having a little trouble chewing them but he has been eating more of the bone now. I've looked my walmart doesn't have heart at all that is where I get the rest of his stuff they do have beef liver though. I might switch to that after I use all the chicken liver I have.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2014 11:10:17 GMT -5
Alright no problem As for the wings, it is normal for them to not be able to eat all of the bones right away as they need to develop adequate jaw strength before they can crush the thicker bits on their own. Switching to beef liver would be good. Also consider getting a package of beef stew chunks (just beef that's already been cut into chunks), that way you can split the muscle meat meals into two proteins so you can have a balanced 3 protein menu.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2014 18:10:16 GMT -5
Mister 2lbs 7oz He has been eating about one chicken wing a meal His poop is more solid now that he has been eating bone His has been a little less active but I think that is partly from the heat
Monday Morning Chicken chunks Monday night Whole chicken wing
Tuesday morning whole chicken wing Tuesday night whole chicken wing
Wednesday morning small chunks of chicken and pork mixed together Wednesday night whole chicken wing
Thursday morning whole chicken wing Thursday night whole chicken wing
Friday morning whole chicken wing Friday night whole chicken wing
Saturday morning whole chicken wing Saturday night whole chicken wing
Sunday night pork and chicken chunks
Monday morning Pork chunks Monday night whole chicken wing
Tuesday morning liver and chicken soup mix
3 taurine capsules
Should I be worried that he seems to be losing weight?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 11:51:46 GMT -5
It looks like you have too much bone meals now. Aim for 7-9, you fed 11 meals this week. Try replacing 2-3 of them with beef or pork chunks.
At the moment his weight loss looks to be about what we expect from a ferret going into the summer season. As long as he doesn't start losing it in mass amounts and looks healthy, then he should be fine. He'll likely continue to lose a few more ounces over the next month before evening out for the summer, and then he'll gain them back once winter rolls around.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 13:15:27 GMT -5
It was technically more then a week though because I didn't have time to do it over the weekend it was monday morning to the tuesday morning. I am getting the beef chunks tonight so I will start feeding him that tomorrow. I am going to have to start giving him less of the liver chicken mix next week since the last two feedings I have been struggling to get him to eat 1 oz of each. I am hoping he will eat half an oz of each without me having to fight with him to eat more.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2014 15:15:14 GMT -5
If you need to, you can split his liver serving between two days if he isn't eating it all.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2014 22:54:40 GMT -5
He took the beef amazingly well all I had to do was give him some chunks and he ate them by himself I didn't even have to put some in his mouth.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2014 8:54:24 GMT -5
Good! I knew he wouldn't mind it If you ever find a meat at the grocery store that's for a good price, you might as well buy it and try it out for him. It seems like he's pretty open to most new things (aside from eggs and oil apparently haha)
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2014 12:53:11 GMT -5
I am having a big problem with him he is pretty much refusing to eat his liver soup . He takes a few bites and then refuses to eat the rest unless I force him to. He hasn't had a full liver meal in a few weeks. I just tried to only give him half last night and it seems like he only took a few bites. I am at a loss and am not sure what to do except add more chicken into the soup.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2014 18:07:54 GMT -5
When we find a ferret falling back in progress, it's completely normal and fine to go back a step until they're comfortable moving forward again. In this case, I would recommend doing just that. Go back to increasing chicken and decreasing liver and feeding it twice a week. For example, make a soup with 1/4-1/3 liver and 3/4-2/3 chicken, feed it wednesday and friday (just an example, feed it whenever you want). If that's still a problem, then go back another step and a tiny bit of soup each day mixed with his meat so he has no choice but to eat it while he's eating his chunks. To do this, just portion out a week's worth of soup and take a little bit of it to eat meal. Let me know which one you choose and keep me updated on the progress. Has anything else in his switch changed? Any more weight loss or additional back tracking with progress? Has his chunk sizes increased or decreased? What did you end up doing to make it easier for him to eat the wings?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2014 18:54:54 GMT -5
I was just about to do my weekly update
Mister 2lb 7oz One chicken wing or 5-6 chunks of either pork or beef solid poop most of the time Active and happy
Wednesday morning chicken wing wednesday night pork chunks
thursday morning beef chunks thursday night chicken wing
friday morning chicken wing friday night beef chunks
Saturday morning chicken wing saturday night chicken wing
sunday morning beef chunks sunday night tried to feed him .5lb liver .5chicken soup but he didnt eat much
Monday night chicken wing
Tuesday morning chicken wing tuesday night .5lb liver .5chicken soup mixed with a couple pork and beef chunks made into a soup/paste(we will see if he eats it)
3 taurine capsules
He eats the chunks of beef and pork fine I just give him the size they come from the store as. I never ended up doing anything to his wings he has been consistently eating almost all of the bone since then.
|
|