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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2014 14:12:01 GMT -5
Oi! Om sorry for being a bad ferret mom and not checking in sooner. Things have been crazy. None the less things are pretty much the same with a few changes. Puddin is still eating well. The amount he eats has dropped off like you said it would. He still eats by far more than the other two, but he isnt gorging himself like before. I LuLu is eating from the dish on her own without prompting still and is doing well. BigBoy will only eat from the dish if my husband is feeding him and he has a finger in the food. He eats really well at that. He still wont go to it on his own though. I also have current weights. I know Biggie has lost a bit, but he is still active and everything is normal. He is also eating better now that we figured out he wants Brian to feed him and not me, lol. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LuLu Starting weight 1 lb 10 3/4 oz. Current weight 1 lb 10 1/4 oz. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Puddin Starting weight 2 lbs 10 oz. Current weight 2 lbs 13 5/8 oz. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BigBoy Starting weight 2 lbs 15 oz. Current weight 2 lbs 9 oz.
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Post by katt on Sept 8, 2014 23:53:46 GMT -5
Hmmm okay I'm a bit concerned about Big's weight loss - that's a fairly significant amount. How is he energy wise? Since he is starting to eat more I won't get too worried just yet, but let's try to put a little back on him this week. Are they still getting kibble in the cage during the day and removed a few hours before soup meals? Could BigBoy's seasons be reversed by chance? For Mr. Big let's work on 1) getting a few ounces back on him and 2) getting him to eat on his own the spoiled turd. As hubby feeds him, have him work on each meal putting his finger in the soup less and less. So maybe he could dip his finger in, and then slowly remove it while BigBoy eats. Or rest it on the edge of the bowl instead of in it. Then he can move to holding BigBoy in his lap with the bowl, then setting the bowl on the floor with Big in his lap. Then set Big on the floor but still sit near him. Etc. Slow but Steady movements away from assisted eating.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2014 12:45:46 GMT -5
We took your advice and made some pretty good progress today! He ate a substantial amount as well. I plan on weighing him every other day until he has gained back his weight. What is a good amount daily to watch for? Also I thought this was progress as well. Two enemies coming together over raw chicken.
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Post by katt on Sept 10, 2014 11:32:48 GMT -5
As long as he is putting weight ON; I'm not totally sure how much per day would be a good goal, but gain is gain. Keep up the weaning him off of daddy's support too, but putting a few ounces back on him is higher priority.
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Post by katt on Sept 13, 2014 4:42:24 GMT -5
Popping in for an update
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Post by katt on Sept 13, 2014 4:42:32 GMT -5
Popping in for an update
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2014 16:46:35 GMT -5
The babies have been doing really good. We are making good progress with Big boy and Im not sure but I think he has gained some weight. I was trying to weigh him this morning and he was being all "crazy dooker" and my scale hit the floor and broke, so Brian is getting another one when he gets out of school tonight and we will do a weigh in with everyone's weights.
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Post by katt on Sept 17, 2014 2:12:10 GMT -5
Oh geez! Rotten boy! SMH lol What is his progress as far as eating on his own vs with a finger in the bowl?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2014 7:40:03 GMT -5
As long as we start out him eating on the finger then slowly slide it out once he is eating he is all good. Thats when he eats the most. However Brian has found sprinkling a little kibble on top of the raw wuill get him to go to the food on his own. I dont think he is eating enough that way though. Im so used to hum being a big ol fattie it just worries me seeing him so much smaller. Oh and we had to order a dang scale off amazon. The store said they didnt know when they would get that one in again. (headwall)
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Post by katt on Sept 18, 2014 3:33:11 GMT -5
Are they still getting kibble on the cage? Until he is eating enough food to keep his weight up they need to still have kibble in the cage. What type of scale are you looking for? I just have a cheap kitchen scale from the grocery store and it works fine. You can find a scale at WalMart, Target, or any other department store in the kitchen section, stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, etc. About how much is BigBoy eating per hand-fed raw meal?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2014 13:27:25 GMT -5
So here is the update. So far Biggie has gained a full oz back! yay! The other two are holding steady. The only way Biggie will eat on his own is if we put a little kibble on top. Once he finishes the kibble he stops though and we have to pull him out and go thru the whole routine of finger feeding then him eating off the plate on his own. I don't understand why its so difficult with him. In the beginning I get it. It was something drastically new and such. But we have been doing this for a while now. Why wont a hungry ferret just eat? Will he actually starve himself to death just because he doesn't like the food? We aren't giving up by any means, its just getting really frustrating.
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Post by katt on Sept 20, 2014 15:55:52 GMT -5
Welcome to the switch! haha It IS frustrating but you jus have to stick through it. Yes, some ferrets WILL starve themselves rather than eat "that icky healthy stuff," but when they finally come around they are often the ones who get the most excited about meal times. What you are experiencing with BigBoy is very, very normal and I promise that he WILL get past it. Ferrets are stubborn, frustrating little creatures. You have to out-stubborn them. Your other two taking to it so quickly is actually more unusual than BigBoy being so stubborn about it. Many ferrets are just little turds. lol Bigs is one.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2014 19:30:04 GMT -5
Im so sorry I havent updated. With packing for the move and everything I have been so busy. I have great news though. BigBoy is eating on his own now. Three days in a row! He is doing great. Im going to do another weigh in sometime this weekend. Also, no kibble in the soup. We have also added less water and its much thicker now. They seem to like it better like that. (giggle)
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Post by katt on Sept 27, 2014 23:06:57 GMT -5
Im so sorry I havent updated. With packing for the move and everything I have been so busy. I have great news though. BigBoy is eating on his own now. Three days in a row! He is doing great. Im going to do another weigh in sometime this weekend. Also, no kibble in the soup. We have also added less water and its much thicker now. They seem to like it better like that. (giggle) (dance) Woot!! YAAAY BigBoy! Not more kibbles - congrats! The first big step is done. Now the goal is to gradually thicken the soup while starting to sneak in teeny slivers of meat. The key is to be sneaky about it lol so start with just a few tiiiiiny bits of meat. If they don't notice, add a few more, and a few more until they just start to notice then stop. You let them get used to that for a few meals, then start again. When they will eat a fair number of slivers, then you start slowly increasing the Size of the slivers each day. etc. So next meal add some teensy slivers and let me know how they do. Feel free to try hand feeding them slivers now and then too! If they ever accept the next stage of food, there's nothing wrong with skippin ahead As Long As they actually EAT that next stage. Hope that makes sense. lol Keep it up! (dance)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2014 12:46:52 GMT -5
Im excited to start this next step! I do have a food related question though. My husband was cooking bacon the other day and Biggie was weaving in and out of his feet so Brian gave him a tiny snippet of cooked Bacon. I think it wasnt Bacon, it was actually crack. Now every time we make bacon he goes nuts. Is it okay to give it to him?
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