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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2015 11:49:48 GMT -5
Sorry for the gap between this response. Last sunday my 'land lord' went crazy and threatened to have me deported and more, even going so far as to tell my husband that I was a worthless human being and how he should divorce me. I ended up taking my ferret and moving in with my laws, I'm back for the day to start packing some stuff, do laundry and grab a few more things, but yeah until we get settled into a new place my responses may be erratic.
Sev weighs about 2 lbs and 7 oz right now, but he's also been eating more. I cut stuff to 1 inch in length and a third of an inch in width. And while he's still not eating as much as he used too, he's eating food from every meal, usually the whole bowl before I can exchange it for fresh meat (since I now give him 12 hours to finish a meal.)
He's been getting pork, beef (his new favorite... which is weird since he always hated beef before and would only eat it if it was pureed, but who am I to judge the little bugger.), and chicken. (Lamb to come soon since it's on sale) Tonight I'm giving him thicker cuts since I want him to really work that jaw and get used to chewing his food.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 1, 2015 3:23:28 GMT -5
It has been over a year since your switch started. We REALLY need to get them to move along as their diet right now isn't complete enough. Meaning we either need to really push the bone in, or you need to get them on a balanced mince with raw ground bone. What are your options with this? If you push him to full on bone in we will be pushing him to his limits and beyond, but I NEED you posting in almost daily. If you choose grinds, I need to know if you will be making your own, or buying commercial grinds, freeze dried raw, etc.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2015 19:54:48 GMT -5
I'm sorry. I didn't have access to my computer or my laptop cord so I've been sort of stuck, and I'm not going to risk going back home when my roommate landlord is freaking threatening me. My husband found my cord though so I now have a computer again and can update you regularly. I've been pushing him to accept bone-in, or if I don't have bone-in, large chunks of meat. He's been getting better at eating, but he's still not putting back on the lost weight, and only eats when he absolutely has to. I feel like I'm starving him and it makes me feel really terrible, but I've been trying to stick with it. I think if I can't get him to bone-in by the end of the month I might just switch to grinds. I would have to go with premade stuff at first until I could buy a grinder (I already found one, I just can't afford $100 purchase right now). Anyway, I'll check back tomorrow to see what you have to say.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 9, 2015 0:52:01 GMT -5
For some reason my bookmarks aren't working! Okay. Keep pushing him with chunks about 1" long at least, preferably a bit larger. When it comes to bones smash them up well and just keep offering. How much exactly is he eating right now, as in weight? Weigh his food before feeding, and then weigh the leftover food when the next meal is ready to go in.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2015 0:30:57 GMT -5
He usually gets 2 -3 oz of meat per meal. If he finishes it up then I just put down more. But since I'm not a 100% sure on the weight (and have the potential to be super totally wrong) I will start weighing it starting with his next meal. But I got some news for you that you will be happy to read! He ate the last two wings (meals), almost the entire things! There was just a bit of bones, the bigger pieces, some gristle, and sinew, etc. I was so happy. I wanted to squeal in triumph when I could hear him crunching on the meat and bones!!!!!
I was wondering if maybe he was struggling with bone in because he might have a problem with his jaw muscles. I notice he seems to be like... set it. It's hard to describe, but I notice it as something I do (my tmj muscles are super borked and sometimes I have to open and close my mouth several times to get everything to feel aligned again.) and I was wondering if ferrets can suffer from something similar. But we're making progress so that's a good thing!
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Post by Sherry on Aug 12, 2015 10:16:01 GMT -5
Oh that IS wonderful news!!!!!!!!! With transitioning ferrets to raw, they do need to learn HOW to eat something, along with simply accepting it as food. As in exactly how the meat or bone needs to be positioned in order to crunch it. As he is now actually eating bones, let's keep him on with this Here are some suggestions for comsumable bone meals- take a look and see what ones you can get: chicken necks/wings/spines, turkey wing tips/ribs/necks, duck wing tips/ribs/necks, pork rib ends/riblets, some will eat pork neck, ox tail, most adult whole prey(rabbit/mice/rats/quail/gerbil/hamster/guinea pig). Read more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/146/meat-bone-organ-weekly-menu#ixzz3ic8beyC9
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 16:09:12 GMT -5
He's still very picky about eating it, but he's getting there. Here's what I have been able to find, so far, as bone in meats. Chicken necks (VERY RARE!), turkey necks (rare, but not too hard to get a hold of), chicken wings, turkey wings, split chicken breasts, duck wings (SUPER DUPER RARE), and what ever those super duper tiny chickens are called.
And yeah his meals range from 2-3 ozs on average, though when give a blended meal like hearts he'll devour twice that. And he usually leaves half of his larger meat cut meals untouched. (I wrote done starting weights and end weights for several meals, but I can't find the paper anywhere! URGH!)
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Post by Sherry on Aug 13, 2015 17:42:53 GMT -5
He is making some fantastic progress Time to start balancing his diet on whole meats(as compared to giving bone meal powder). So- given what you can access, please write a temporary menu using 8-9 bone in meals, 1.5 heart meals, 1.5 liver/other organ(for the times you can GET other organs), and the rest muscle meats. I know you don't have much storage space. Any chance on a small apt style freezer? You can often get them cheap or even free on craig's list.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2015 14:38:58 GMT -5
Sorry, been very busy. Come to the house (about an 45 minute walk) pack and clean, walk back to inlaws, put on tv show, pass out. Plus work on top of it. I will try to post the menu tonight or tomorrow. I have it written down in my notebook. Sorry.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 19, 2015 10:54:30 GMT -5
Perfect How is he doing on bone still?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2015 15:34:35 GMT -5
Iffy. I think he's burnt on all that chicken. He eats them sometimes, and then not at all others. :/ He's still about 3 through 4 oz under (2 lb 10 oz seems to be his ideal), but no matter what I offer (unless it's an organ/heart meal) he's only mildly into it. Also, is it normal for a ferret to favor only one side of their mouth when eating? Sev mainly chews his food on the left side of his mouth when eating and I was wondering if that's normal. Anyway, I might be going to this asian supermarket in the next month or two, and I'm planning on snagging some duck then, he really loved the duck tongues I got him there last time.
Anyway the weekly plan would look like this: Day: Morning meal/midday snack/evening meal Sunday: Bone-in chicken/pork/bone-in chicken Monday: Turkey/bone-in chicken/turkey Tuesday: Heart meal/pork/beef Wednesday: Bone-in chicken/egg mixed with pureed duck tongue/bone-in chicken Thursday: Beef/pork/Liver+Kidney meal Friday: Bone-in chicken/pork/bone-in chicken Saturday: Beef/bone-in chicken/organ+heart meal
For the time being that sort of what his schedule looks like.
I'm still not 100% sold on this, but I'm just waiting and hoping to see if he gets better with the meat chunks and bone-in meat. If, by the time we move (oct 1st at the latest), he still isn't really eating all that well then I'm going to switch to grinds.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 20, 2015 18:16:52 GMT -5
Actually what I had to do with one of mine was give 7 meals as a whole grind, 2 meals wings/necks, and the rest as liver, heart, etc. Little beggar started eating around her bones :pullhair: For a bone in meal for one ferret odds are he is only going to eat 1-2 oz at a sitting. I just leave it in for the entire day and they chow down as they please. Might be an idea to pull the snack meal so he can do that.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2015 18:32:39 GMT -5
Yeah, so I checked his teeth today and his left side looks gorgeous very very minimal plaque, then his right side is very very plaque-y with what looks like gingivitis on his gum line on the back tooth on top. I can take pictures to show you, actually. I'll do it tonight when I have someone who can take the picture while I move his little lips out of the way. And that sounds like what I might have to do with him. He tends to eat around most bone pieces unless they are about as tiny as my pinky nail (half a cm in width and a cm in length.), anything bigger gets left behind in the bowl. And as much as I'm mashing these dang wings... well they don't look like they were ever a wing at all. They look like a ball of mush. And is there anyway I can encourage him to eat on the right side of his mouth? I try to brush his teeth with gauze and bone powder mixed with a little oil, but he gets all bitey. :/ I mean I don't blame him, but his teeth won't get better if he doesn't use them and get rid of the gingivitis.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 22, 2015 23:58:31 GMT -5
He may actually need a cleaning to get it to a point where it doesn't hurt. Only other thing you can do is find something tough that he enjoys chewing(like gizzard) and literally hold him, and hold the meat for him to chew on that side.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2015 16:19:00 GMT -5
He doesn't enjoy chewing anything. He's gotten a plethora of chews, stuffies, and sooooo much more. I think his old house discourage that sort of stuff. I know that he was kept in a ridiculously small cage with only a hammock and litter box in it. He had exactly one toy, and only got an hour and a half out time. It took him a while to get used to the concept of play when I got him. But I am going to start holding him so he has to eat meat on that side. Because the other side of his mouth looked just as bad and after eating meat and bone-in on that side for like the last month? Month and a half? His teeth, on that side, look soooooooooo much better. The bad side. Also blurry CAUSE HE'S A BUTTHOLE! The good.
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