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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2014 19:54:59 GMT -5
Awesome Yeah it is adorable how they wash their face & hands. I don't know signs of allergies...we were wondering about my 'Bear' maybe having an allergy too. Someone on here I bet knows though. Take care - Jodi
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2014 23:44:30 GMT -5
I made 5 batches of soup with just one being half pork half chicken. I read someone say that too much pork wasn't good for ferrets? I wasn't sure and figured I'd like to try it (pork) again in more of a chunk form than soup. Last night I saw Elvyra chewing on some pork slivers! Today, Zekrom, Zoey, Pepper, & Elvyra chewed Cgh pieces! I read need to put up a menu and see what you all think - I think we're ready Seems like Reshiram is still not up to speed with everyone but maybe because I cave and offer him soup. He will chew....I don't remember seeing him chew any bones yet though. I sliced up some gizzards-I'll put those in their soup tonight. Tomorrow is weigh in- everyone is looking full and fluffy so I can wait to see the numbers!!!!!!!!!
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Post by gfountain on Nov 30, 2014 10:27:53 GMT -5
I've read too about not giving too much pork, but I'm not sure where that came from. Why WOULDN'T it be good for them? No one has ever given a good reason that I'm aware of. Mine eat pork a few times a week, and their organs are mostly pork now that a friend of a friend sent me 80 pounds of pork innards. Reshiram just has you wrapped around his little paw, lol. They're smart little things and will hold out for what they want if they know mama's going to cave. Don't you just love 'full and fluffy'?!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2014 13:07:06 GMT -5
I either need to bring my notebook with me so I remember everyone's weights, or post on here right when I weigh them. I *think* everyone gained an ounce (yay!) except Zekrom - he was 2lb 8oz again so I think that's his usual weight AND the vet just called me; his lupron shot is in! He has been great! Urinating without issue and poops seem good too! They are formed and diferent shades of brown (that off white/cream color he had a few times during and after his prolapse had me worrying). Pepper did lose weight though- 2 ounces- she was 2lbs even yesterday. I was surprised! I have watched her eat and she looks and feels the same. I had her on my lap this morning for her breakfast soup. She started chewing the plastic bowl and plate today? I'm going to keep my eye on her. Her tooth grinding has stopped (or she does it when I'm not around) and her poops are like everyone elses'-formed and brown. Hmm, between her and Zekrom, I'll have to start dying my hair to cover all the gray! (giggle) My husband and I stayed in all day yesterday, so the babies were out all night(saturday) and day! They slept most of the day, but came to us when they wanted to play or eat Oh my gosh, Elvyra- ha! She got up on the coffee table where my husband had a drink (whiskey and pepsi) and she just sniffed the glass. Then I thought she would sniff the liquid but nope! She dunked her head right in there and we pulled her out before the liquid got to her eyes! Ha, I was worried the alcohol (thankfully there was less than a shot of whiskey in there) would absorb through her skin and she would get drunk or something, but she did not act any different. It has been a while since she (Elvyra) has done something naughty-She used to make it her mission to flip the plates the soup was on.....ugh, I'm thankful those days are over! Elvrya AND Zekrom enjoyed some chicken wing (Smashed with hammer and cut into inch pieces) yesterday! Zoey had a piece or two, but was more interested in the jerkified meat Reshiram saves for her! (He will take a chunk(s) and put them in a box or the mini tent we won for them) I *think* he saves them for her because 1. She is the only one who goes in there and 2. He does not go back for them (Reshie really is *his own kind* so maybe he just forgets he puts them there) Pepper, Reshiram, and of course baby Zoey all chewed the chunks in the soup! I'm not sure how I can get Reshie and Pepper to just go for the chunks without soup-Maybe I should just give chunks for a couple feedings and then they will be hungry enough to eat them? They are all so different from one another and just so wonderful! I hope this lupron shot helps little Zekrom-thankfully his prolapse has NOT returned and I am just so glad he can urinate on his own!!!!!!!! I wonder why Pork should not be a 'daily' thing? I wonder if it's too high in fat? I'll be curious if we find out an answer Oh, gfountain, Reshiram is hilarious and soooooo has me wrapped around his little paw (well, his huge paw-We call him a little polar bear with red eyes!) He follows us around like a dog and stays under our feet! It was aggravating at first but now we're used to it I'm glad he gained weight again- 3lbs 4 oz!
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Post by gfountain on Dec 1, 2014 13:52:23 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with feeding pork daily if you want to. Trichinosis used to be a concern, but as long as the pork is FDA approved, that shouldn't be an issue. My 'Darks' (my first 2 fuzzies) used to go on poultry boycotts about once a month; they ate A LOT of pork during those times. Then suddenly they would decide they wanted chicken again and we'd go back to our regular menu.. no rhyme or reason to it, just random times of refusing to eat any poultry.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2014 15:48:28 GMT -5
I've bought all the meat from the grocery store so I sure hope it's FDA approved Hehe! I made a bunch of soup and a few containers of "chunks"-mostly chicken thigh and some pork. I still have a few boneless pork ribs in the freezer, so maybe I'll try just straight pork when more food needs made. It seems like, price/volume, pork is less expensive than chicken so that would be great if I can feed that regularly. (I guess I'll have to make sure the babies approve too!)I think 1 rib was close to 6oz and there were 8-10 ribs in the pack (so if I did pork only, I could get a lot of meals out of the value pack!) Since Zekrom is having his lupron shot tonight, I probably shouldn't give something 'new' incase he gets funky poops or acts weird. ('new' as in straight/only pork meat). I've noticed, when I have a lot on my mind and it's the middle of the afternoon, I really ramble- Thank you to everyone who reads this thread and can somewhat comprehend what I'm saying
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Post by gfountain on Dec 1, 2014 16:16:42 GMT -5
Just make sure they get enough bone-in meals in addition to the pork. Pig bones are too big for them to eat.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2014 14:50:33 GMT -5
I'm not sure if I'm *imprinted* with the whole kibble poop thing or if these poops could be concerning. Elvyra and Reshiram both had dark loose poop (sorry for being gross, but it looked like sticky, melted, dark chocolate). Zoey and Pepper, at least last night, had 'normal' poop (maybe a half inch to an inch long and formed-could be compared to a small kibble poop) and Zekrom had almost diarrhea (more watery than a loose poop but not completely liquid) and was that off-white/cream color. He had a couple "normal"(Zoey and Pepper looking) poops.....actually has not had this light color poop since early last week. They all have been eating soupies (from the intro to raw recipe)-oh, they did have primal soup (the chicken freeze dried raw-I crushed the bars into powder and added warm water with a drizzle of salmon oil).....Oh, so maybe that's what happened? I like how I just typed all that out and THEN the light bulb goes off :pullhair:
The past 4 days, Pepper and Reshiram won't eat (or I cave too fast) unless it's thin soup. But then I see them chewing the pieces after they lapped up all the liquid...does anyone know why they are doing that now? My Zoey, I forgot to pull a CGH from the freezer before I left for work...She searches for 'jerkified' meat and I have to almost 'force' her to eat soup (I think now that she knows she can chew, she prefers chewing over licking!) Zekrom and Elvyra enjoyed the chicken wing over the weekend so I hope they go for the CGH too!
I wonder where I can get chicken necks? (I got one once-out of a chicken fryer) Since I'll be out of hearts by saturday, I'll be shopping for the kids this weekend. For their proteins, I was thinking Chicken, Pork, CGH (and I'm going to try to get quail this weekend) and I will try beef at some point also (They had just beef soup a long time ago-I think I had to mix egg and salmon oil to get them to eat it....and I think they were still on kibble during the day) So their bone-In will be from chicken, cgh, and quail-is that okay?
Also, what organs would you recommend? In the way of liver, and heart for that matter, has been only chicken. They have not tried any others yet.
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Post by gfountain on Dec 3, 2014 15:06:59 GMT -5
Poop is going to change from day to day and even hour to hour, depending on what they ate last. The only one of those described that sounds concerning is Zekrom's, the off-white almost diarrhea one. Just keep an eye on him and see if he does that again. It could just be a 'one-off' or it could indicate some tummy trouble.
Pepper and Reshiram.. they've been eating the chunks, right? That means they're just being normal lazy ferrets, waiting for Mom to give in & give them something easy to eat, lol.
I'm not sure where to get chicken necks. I only get them if I buy a whole chicken. Turkey necks I can find packaged separately though. What about frog legs? Can you find those priced reasonably? My 4 absolutely LOVE them.
Organs, besides liver, are difficult to find. Mine eat beef, pork, chicken, and turkey livers; also beef kidney and pork lung. Unless you have a good Asian market near you, or can find a local butcher, your best bet might be to order organs online. @poncesmom finds pork brains in the freezer section of a grocery store, but I don't know what store.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2014 15:46:45 GMT -5
Oh no gfountain, I was worried that was not normal. He has been having those discolored poops off and on. It happened prior to the pork intro and before the prolapse incident. Could that be a sign of IBD? I'm not sure what is causing it though-he could eat the say thing 10 times, and 3 times he will have this weird poop. He is the only one whose poop is not 'consistant' / randomly funky. Pepper and Reshiram-yes, they have no probably chewing chunks in the soup. I'm sure they know if they give me boo boo eyes, I will do whatever their little hearts desire! I'll check the oriental market for frogs legs. I think they had chicken feet that looked more like duck feet to me (They looked webbed) (thanks to @poncesmom-should found this market for me!) Thanks for mentioning pork brains-I saw them in the freezer section at the oriental market when I got the 5+pounds of chicken hearts. I will probably have to order, but maybe this oriental market can get some weird stuff
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2014 16:04:58 GMT -5
Mine love pork brains. Naturally though, my local Grocer stopped carrying them as soon as I posted that I found them there. I can find them in the Asian Market in Nashville.
Do Zekrom's poops have a smell to them? He has had several different proteins, do you suspect that one particular protein is causing the poops? He seems to have them with everything, right? IBD/ an allergy or an intolerance could cause this, we would need to do an elimination diet to figure that out. What about his medication for the prolapse, did that start it or was it already soft and diarrhea like?
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Post by gfountain on Dec 3, 2014 16:37:51 GMT -5
I think I would wait before doing an elimination diet and see if it straightens out on its own. Slinkee had those soft whitish poops during his switch, but it cleared up once his system got used to the new food, and one of the new guys did one recently, but I'm pretty sure that was because of a new protein.
Stef, what store did you find the brains at?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 11:29:30 GMT -5
Mine love pork brains. Naturally though, my local Grocer stopped carrying them as soon as I posted that I found them there. I can find them in the Asian Market in Nashville. Do Zekrom's poops have a smell to them? He has had several different proteins, do you suspect that one particular protein is causing the poops? He seems to have them with everything, right? IBD/ an allergy or an intolerance could cause this, we would need to do an elimination diet to figure that out. What about his medication for the prolapse, did that start it or was it already soft and diarrhea like? Between me smelling their food, themselves, AND their poop-it's a good thing we live on the top floor of our apartment because I could only imagine what authorities would be called in if someone could see me! HAHA! But, Zekrom's poop-it doesn't have a sour/strong/funky smell...just smells like poop? I cannot pinpoint what exactly is causing it and of course, when I got home from work I watched him poop-formed brown 'normal' poop! (headwall) So I think maybe it's just a random weird poop and nothing to be concerned about? But I am concerned because I have not seen the others do it....until yesterday-Pepper had 2 light colored poops. They were loose, but not liquid. Had a stronger poop smell, but I didn't think it was sour. I had everyone out for about 2 hours before I fed them (I wanted them to be hungry) and little Pepper had a great night! I have not seen her play, and dook so loud, like that in a long time Everyone actually had a really good night! They mainly wanted to play with eachother but that's okay because I enjoyed just watching them Zekrom's prolapse-he did not get any medication for it. When I took him to the vet, she just touched and kind of tucked it back in. It has not come back since (yay!) but she mentioned to put vaseline on it if it did come back out. Let's see, I pulled their kibble October 24th....he had loose poop and diarrhea here and there (grr, I wish I would have made a poop log-ha, that sounds funny but I think you know what I mean) so the more I read of IBD and diarrhea, that made me think that's what caused the prolapse instead of his prostate being the issue (especially since he has not had a problem urinating). It seems like once I think I have the answer, a thousand more questions come to mind...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 11:42:41 GMT -5
A Poop Journal is a good idea. Actually, a Journal in general is a good idea. I have one and I keep their weights and anything else unusual in it. Then it can go to the Vet's with me and I can log what he says. bitbyter has a little girl who has problems with chicken. He posted this, it's useful info. Take a moment and read it: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/15618/ferret-swollen-paws-itchy-prolapseI did a little research and found that straining to poop causes the prolapse (which I'm sure that you know). What makes them strain is the problem. One reason could be not enough water, which causes constipation. A bacterial infection or viral infection may cause it. The loose stools exacerbate the rectum. Bacterial Diseases Helicobacter mustelae is found in the stomach and in the small intestines of most, if not all, ferrets after weaning. It can cause chronic, persistent inflammation of the stomach (common in ferrets over 4 years of age) and cause ulcers similar to those found in humans. Gastric lymphoma, a stomach cancer, may occur in chronic cases. Signs include lack of appetite, vomiting, teeth clenching or grinding, diarrhea, stools stained black by blood, increased salivation, and abdominal pain. Lethargy, weight loss, and dehydration can also occur. An accurate diagnosis requires a biopsy and tests on the tissue collected, but often a suspected diagnosis can be made based on the history and the signs of the ferret. Treatment is with multiple antibiotics and usually lasts for 21 days. Lawsonia intracellularis can cause a bowel disease characterized by excessive growth of intestinal tissue, especially in younger ferrets. Acute cases are often associated with stress. Signs include diarrhea, weight loss, and rectal prolapse, in which the rectum protrudes out of the anus and can be damaged or prevent defecation. Treatment is with antibiotics for 14 to 21 days. Your vet might need to try a course of antibiotics.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 11:44:52 GMT -5
I think I would wait before doing an elimination diet and see if it straightens out on its own. Slinkee had those soft whitish poops during his switch, but it cleared up once his system got used to the new food, and one of the new guys did one recently, but I'm pretty sure that was because of a new protein. Stef, what store did you find the brains at? Lafayette Hometown Foods. It's not a Chain Store. They recently stopped carrying them. I guess there aren't enough ferrets in Lafayette. The manager pointed out the canned brains, but they are full of other ingredients including cornstarch. Now, I buy them at the K&S Asian Market in Nashville.
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