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Post by mjbez on Aug 25, 2014 22:20:31 GMT -5
When you feed them in the morning and then come home and all the food is gone I want you to feed a little more. Having a few uneaten bites is good. Since Annie is being a little piggy we don't want Sophie to ever be without food if Annie digs in. With Annie start pushing a few more pieces that are the biggest size you have seen her eat. (1/3 inch square or so). With Sophie keep an eye on her weight and food intake. I would not suggest allowing any kibble, even as a treat, as this could push her to hunger strike for more.
In terms of Sophie eating about 3/4 of an oz per meal that isn't so bad. They will slow down on eating once they have been on raw for a little while. That, and ferrets will eat more than 2 meals a day. So she might eat 1/2 or 3/4 of an oz in a sitting but she would likely go back for more food before her next feeding time. So just make sure there is enough being left behind during the day/ overnight. That way she can go have some more when she wants to.
Continue adding the little bit of turkey/ lamb to her duck. I would like it very very slowly increased until she starts accepting it. Try increasing one of them at a time. So if you think she will accept one more readily, try a slow increase over the next couple weeks with that one. You can add a little baby food to help entice her when you do this.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2014 6:25:44 GMT -5
Sophie is eating a little better recently, I still hold her to get her to finish up, but I'm adding 1/3-1/2 baby food to the duck. I just posted a question on the enrichment page about Annie sleeping in a dryer tube a lot. Last nite she did not eat much of her food, but I saw a piece of turkey in Sophie's bowl, but it doesn't look like she ate any of what I had given Sophie.(Sophie had eaten an ounce of food, then I gave her a little more in case she wanted it. That's what was left in the bowl where the turkey piece was. I weighed Annie today and she has lost weight- is down to 1 lb 15 oz., even tho she has been eating everything I've given her except for last nite.
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Post by mjbez on Aug 28, 2014 19:34:43 GMT -5
So far Annie has lost 3oz. Is that right? I remember you asking if they can get to heavy. . Do you think she is looking good? She may just be slimming down. She has been eating well. Keep it monitored. If she loses again I'll ask for advice from the senior mentors. My thought is she is slimming down.
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Post by mjbez on Aug 28, 2014 19:36:30 GMT -5
I looked back at June. Annie is the same weight she was then. So she just had been fluctuating a bit.
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Post by mjbez on Aug 28, 2014 19:38:19 GMT -5
I'm glad Sophie has been eating better. Keep up with the baby food but let's slowly cut back on it so that she can just be on raw. Take it slower with her so she continues to eat. When you add turkey or lamb do use the baby food to help her adjust. She obviously likes her baby food
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Post by mjbez on Aug 31, 2014 15:49:31 GMT -5
Hows it going?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2014 18:27:45 GMT -5
Am really discouraged. Sophie is now down to 1 lb 12 oz. Had to be out early today so just put their food in the cage on different levels. Came back to find most of Annie's still in the dish but Sophie's was gone. Took them out for a little exercise(=run up the stairs to the bedroom and go to sleep in a drawer)and forgot I had fed one cat on the floor this morning(kibble) and turned around to see Sophie chowing down on it. Yesterday I bought another packet of Carnivore Care to supplement Sophie's food and increase the calories so I gave her just some of that to hold her over to tonite when I can feed them again since I don't know how much kibble she really ate. I don't think she ate much,but I don't know how much is too much. Annie has days when she will eat well, all the meat and whatever meat pieces I give her(either soupie or NV)then some days like yesterday and today when she eats very little. I also worry that since Sophie is basically just eating duck that that's not much of a varied diet. I don't know what to do at this point, feel like I am flunking raw transitioning 101
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Post by mjbez on Aug 31, 2014 20:33:17 GMT -5
How much is Sophie eating? I'm going to suggest watching/even holding her 2x a day and weighing the amount of food she is eating at that time. Since the girls are together Annie is likely eating Sophie's food. How are Sophie's poops looking? Can you post another pic of her? Are the girls by any chance going into summer mode? Are they shedding off their winter coats? (Sophie and/or Annie, they can be on different "schedules") The reason I ask is during that summer (sometimes other seasons) shed they can lose a decent amount of weight, eat less, shed more etc. Just popped in my head to why she could be consistently losing a little weight. Sophie eating just duck right now (with a little turkey/ lamb at some meals) is not going to harm her short term. We do want her eating more variety. Hence suggesting choosing one (ex: turkey) and adding it daily in small amounts, working your way up. Try adding only a tsp, add the baby food if that is helping her eat. Don't be afraid to even spoil her a little and have her close to you to eat. Eventually up the amount of new protein. Only by a small amount. Some ferrets are pickier than others and don't like change. That is pretty normal. But to be successful you need to commit to adding that little bit of new to the old. She will get used to the taste and realize it isn't so bad. But if it is only being added once in a while she won't get used to it, and may just hold off on eating until it is back to what she wants. Make sense? As for Annie, what she is doing is normal. They will vary how much they eat, and sometimes even seem to regress. But it does even out. Again, be really persistent Keep adding her pieces. Watch that she isn't eating Sophie's duck. She probably would like to since duck is yummy and easy to eat without pieces! Can you give me a one week run down of the foods they have been getting (Mainly for Annie, as I know Sophie is primarily duck) By the way, you are NOT flunking raw transitioning 101. You have two ferrets who are not babies, which inevitably means they will be resistant to change. But realize, right now you have 2 RAW FED ferrets! And even without chunks, or all proteins involved they will still be healthier this way than if they were fed some crap kibble.
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Post by Sherry on Sept 1, 2014 9:17:21 GMT -5
Mellazarus- what you are doing with your little IBD girl is just fine My Boris was uncontrollable IBD(no meds worked) and he was on lamb. He could tolerate up to a third goat or venison slowly added in and just as slowly rotated out, one week for each. He did well on that for a year before he passed.
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Post by mjbez on Sept 1, 2014 10:17:55 GMT -5
Also, have you been using the probiotics, reishi and slippery elm you ordered? I forgot about you ordering. I remembered you not being able to find any balkan style yogurt so you ordered instead.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2014 12:52:56 GMT -5
Thank you for your words of encouragement, they helped a lot. Also thanks to Sherry. I'm at work and can't write a lot at the moment but did want to say thank you. Sophie has been eating better if I hold her, she will finish the entire thing. I am adding the probiotics daily to both ferrets' food as sometimes Annie's looks sketchy, with some mucous-y stuff in it. Does ANYONE get their ferrets to eat the reishi? She will not touch food with it in there. But so far so good without it. When I get home tonite I will give you the eating report
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2014 22:04:24 GMT -5
Wow, I didn't realize it has been so long since I ran down their eating. Last update was 8/23. I'll start with 8/24-Sun. Yeah, Sophie is pretty much boring so I'll skip her. Except to say we are up to almost 1/2 by weight turkey and duck with about 1/10 oz of either baby food or Carnivore Care. Still hand feeding her tho.
Sun-AM 1 0z NV rabbit, 10 pieces of turkey PM 1 oz turkey soupie, 10 pieces of turkey (most of the time she leaves about 5 pieces of meat)
MON 8/25 AM 1 0z turkey soupie, none of the meat pieces PM Chicken soupie, 15 pieces of veal
TUES 8/26 AM Chicken soupie (1 oz) 15 veal pieces. PM Veal soupie, 15 pieces of veal
WED 8/27 AM ~ 2/3 oz turkey soupie, ~ 8 pieces of pork PM 1/2 oz turkey soupie, I didn't add any meat pieces that nite
THURS 8/28 AM 1 oz NV rabbit,20 pieces of pork PM 1.2 oz turkey soupie, 20 pieces of pork
FRI 8/29 AM 1 oz turkey soupie, 5 pieces of pork PM 1 0z Rad Cat chicken, a few pieces of turkey SAT 8/30 AM 1 oz turkey soupie, 5 pieces of veal PM 1 oz turkey soupie,15 larger pieces of veal
SUN 8/31 AM 3/4 oz turkey soupie, 10 pieces veal PM 3/4 oz NV duck, 8 pieces of turkey
MON 9/1 I missed writing down what I fed her in the morning and even tho it was only yesterday, I can't remember. DUHHHH PM was a mix of Rad Cat lamb and chicken, she maybe ate 1/10 of it. I don't think she likes the lamb. I tried it before with the same results.
TUES 9/2 *Sophie weighs 1 lb 12.7 oz, so she's gained a little weight. Annie is 1 lb 14.5 oz** AM So I gave her more- Rad Cat lamb/chicken with the same results. I put 1/2 oz NV chicken in for her later before I left for work,but she didn't eat more than 1/4 oz of that. PM Veal soupie, chicken pieces. She ate about 1/3, then left to go upstairs. I will get her in a few minutes and see if I can get her to finish it.
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Post by mjbez on Sept 2, 2014 23:49:51 GMT -5
In terms of reshi it may be easier to use just when needed or to try mixing a small small amount with a treat. I'm impressed that Annie really is eating well. And it looks like she might be ready for a little boost up again with pieces. God job on varying them with different proteins. That will be a big advantage since she is getting use to multiple textures. Try making her food about 1/4 pieces. Still keep them smaller. About pinky Nail size or less (think about the pieces she eats the most frequently and consistently in size, shoot for that) For the lamb, try mixing about a quarter lamb in with something she does life. It can help her get used to the taste/texture. Just life your are doing with Sophie Good job with getting sophie used to the turkey. Keep hand feeding her but slyly start that transition of not holding-just touching-just being beside you-being kinda close etc. Just so she doesn't depend on being held. But to get her eating well its OK. That transition cam take some time. Ps. I'm so glad that the encouragement made u feel better. You are doing very well.
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Post by mjbez on Sept 7, 2014 11:00:54 GMT -5
Any updates? Just a reminder - during the soupie stage updates should be every 2 (3max) days.
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Post by mjbez on Sept 9, 2014 19:06:08 GMT -5
Mel you still wanting to do the switch?
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