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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 10:10:18 GMT -5
All ferrets flat ferret sometimes. Does Flexie do it more often than the others? When she stares in the air, does it seem that she's 'spacey' or just concentrating or listening? Have you ever checked her BG? The flat ferreting and staring can be the ONLY signs of insu that you will see before a crash. I would feel better about working with her on switching if you could check her BG. The girls both do it, but the young boys don't do it at all. Flexie seems to do it more often than Leela does. They look bored and waiting for something exciting to happen. I thought of getting Flexie's BG checked out too. That would not be a bad idea before switching diet. Is that something I can do at home, or have the vet draw blood and send it off to the lab? I have two vets, one country vet in town, and one exotic vet 2.5 hours away. Can my local vet do this? (He always says he can, but I'm never quite sure if he is actually proficient with ferrets. I use him for vaccines and other little things only.)
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Post by gfountain on Mar 29, 2015 10:20:00 GMT -5
Any vet can do a BG test. You could do it at home if you had a meter. It's a simple matter of getting a drop of blood onto a test strip... well, as simple as anything else involving ferrets, lol. Sometimes vets will do just a BG test without having to pay for a full appointment. If I were you, I'd call and see about having it done.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 20:29:47 GMT -5
OK. I will see if my local vet can do it. Is a BG meter something that I can buy at a human store? I always wondered that when people talked about testing BG at home.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2015 20:56:00 GMT -5
Weekly weigh-in! Leela- 1 lb. 13 oz. (down an ounce since last week) Flexie- 1 lb. 15 oz. (same) Mitch- 3 lbs. 15 oz. (down an ounce since last week) Mango- 3 lbs. 7 oz. (down 3 oz. since last week)
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Post by gfountain on Mar 30, 2015 8:37:44 GMT -5
The fuzzies look good! I always like to see the faces they make when you hold them up like that, lol. Yes, you can buy meters at human stores. I know Walgreens has one that is about $10. If you get one, you'll need to calibrate it with the vet's meter. Sometimes they can be several points off.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2015 22:05:28 GMT -5
Walgreens... ok. I'll go check. Do they need to see a prescription? They would probably laugh if I say it's for my carnivore pets. They might ask what kind of diabetic animal I own... I wonder if they would let me use my insurance. lol Anyway, I have not posted updates lately, so here it is. Leela--- has been taking a few steps back. I have made a new batch of chicken thigh chunks bigger than the last batch, so maybe she doesn't like that? Or the fact that I'm using very little soup. She eats about 0.5 oz and she would walk away. She will not eat her left overs. She normally eats about 1.1-1.2 oz a meal, so there must be something she doesn't like about it. I think I'll cut them smaller and see how she does. Flexie continues to do well. She is eating 1 tsp of kibble powder and 5 tsp of raw soup per meal. I left dry kibble out all day today, but she only ate 0.2 oz. She does not make a disgusted face when she eats her soup. She's doing great! Mitch and Mango are doing ok, but they are still learning. They don't like the hooks so much... They want to take their food to where they feel more comfortable. They did not touch the whole middle bones, so I cut them in half. They (especially Mitch) seem to like that better. They were a little bit better about eating the full length bones tonight. They were not eating very much at all, and the thought of them starving was literally keeping me up at night. But seeing them eat tonight (not all of them, but some) made me feel better. They DO eat if they are hungry enough. They have food and water provided at all times, and they will not starve themselves. These stinking teenage boys are just making mama's life so difficult!
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Post by gfountain on Mar 31, 2015 9:58:47 GMT -5
Walgreens... ok. I'll go check. Do they need to see a prescription? They would probably laugh if I say it's for my carnivore pets. They might ask what kind of diabetic animal I own... I wonder if they would let me use my insurance. lol
No prescription necessary.
Leela--- has been taking a few steps back. I have made a new batch of chicken thigh chunks bigger than the last batch, so maybe she doesn't like that? Or the fact that I'm using very little soup. She eats about 0.5 oz and she would walk away. She will not eat her left overs. She normally eats about 1.1-1.2 oz a meal, so there must be something she doesn't like about it. I think I'll cut them smaller and see how she does.
You've just stopped adding the soup, so that is enough of a change at one time. Cut her pieces a little smaller for her. Also remember, the soup had a lot of water in it. The amount of meat she was eating in the soup could be considerably less than 1.2 oz. Just keep an eye on weight, activity, and output. If all that is OK, then don't worry about her decreased appetite. Change of seasons will cause a decrease also.
Flexie continues to do well. She is eating 1 tsp of kibble powder and 5 tsp of raw soup per meal. I left dry kibble out all day today, but she only ate 0.2 oz. She does not make a disgusted face when she eats her soup. She's doing great!
It's just about time to lose the kibble! How many oz of the soup is she eating per day now?
Mitch and Mango are doing ok, but they are still learning. They don't like the hooks so much... They want to take their food to where they feel more comfortable. They did not touch the whole middle bones, so I cut them in half. They (especially Mitch) seem to like that better. They were a little bit better about eating the full length bones tonight.
There is a learning curve with the hooks. Just keep using them and they'll get the hang of it.
They were not eating very much at all, and the thought of them starving was literally keeping me up at night. But seeing them eat tonight (not all of them, but some) made me feel better. They DO eat if they are hungry enough. They have food and water provided at all times, and they will not starve themselves. These stinking teenage boys are just making mama's life so difficult!
They won't starve to death. They just want to make you worry so you'll give them what they want. They're young and healthy. Skipping meals isn't going to hurt them at all. Stick with it! You're all doing great!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2015 10:08:21 GMT -5
Hi gfountain! Sorry I have not posted here all week. I have decided to postpone the "whole bone training" for now. The boys don't eat much when I give them whole of half middle bones. The first thing they do when they come out of their cage is to run to the kitchen and see if there's any food left that Leela didn't eat. They would nibble on the tip of the bone for a while, but they give up. I really don't mind cutting the bone in 3 or 4 pieces, and to me it's just not worth seeing them be hungry. They were doing fine on their Frankenprey diet, so I'd rather continue with it and try introducing a new protein instead. I will try to increase the size of their food gradually. Leela has exciting news this morning. She ate chicken thighs without soup! Well, she still had "tea" on the side, but she ate 0.7 oz. thighs in one setting. I thawed the meat in warm water, and tried to give it to her in its own chicken broth, but she didn't go for it. So I added some tea, and she liked it! Way to go, Leela! Now, if I can get her off the tea, that would be super duper. Flexie is doing well also. I tried plain soup first, and of course, she refused. Then I added half the kibble power than I normally use, and she still didn't like it. So, her kibble to raw ratio is still 1:5. She's been eating this twice a day for almost a week now. I'm thinking of leaving this mixture for her during the day instead of dry kibble. is it safe to do? I know kibble paste can go rancid pretty quickly... Should I wait to do this until she is eating completely raw soup?
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Post by gfountain on Apr 5, 2015 17:07:28 GMT -5
I have decided to postpone the "whole bone training" for now. The boys don't eat much when I give them whole of half middle bones...This is why I really need you to post more often. I wanted you to TRY the whole bones for a few meals just to see if they were ready for that jump. Since I didn't hear from you, I assumed they must be getting better with them. Had I known that they were still struggling, I would not have had you keep pushing them this long. It never hurts to try skipping steps, but I don't want them to go hungry! Since they're not wanting to eat whole bones yet, continue cutting them as you said, but keep increasing the size little by little. What proteins are they eating now? Leela has exciting news this morning. She ate chicken thighs without soup! Well, she still had "tea" on the side, but she ate 0.7 oz. thighs in one setting. I thawed the meat in warm water, and tried to give it to her in its own chicken broth, but she didn't go for it. So I added some tea, and she liked it! Way to go, Leela! Now, if I can get her off the tea, that would be super duper.It is so crazy that she still needs that tea... Silly girl! But no soup - good job! So to wean her off the tea, just start making it weaker each meal. Let's also start adding in a little bit of another protein. What do you want to start next? The different flavor might help with the tea 'addiction' too, lol. Flexie is doing well also. I tried plain soup first, and of course, she refused. Then I added half the kibble power than I normally use, and she still didn't like it. So, her kibble to raw ratio is still 1:5. She's been eating this twice a day for almost a week now. I'm thinking of leaving this mixture for her during the day instead of dry kibble. is it safe to do? I know kibble paste can go rancid pretty quickly... Should I wait to do this until she is eating completely raw soup?How many ounces of soup is she eating per day? And how much dry? I'm hesitant to leave the mixed soup out during the day because I'm just not sure how quickly the kibble sours. She didn't like the kibble crumbled on top of the raw soup, did she? How about making her some kibble tea similar to Leela's? Let some kibble soak for a little while then use just the flavored water to mix with the raw. I feel like that would be safer to leave with her than soup with the actual kibble in it. What is the consistency of her soup now? (Creamy soup, yogurt, thick paste, or whatever) Try tossing in a couple of teeny tiny slivers and see what she does with them. Use that new potato peeler and shave some very thin slivers, then cut them in half (or more) lengthwise so they're very tiny. Have you been able to check Flexie's BG yet? Everyone's poops and activity level still OK? I saw your Easter pictures on FB. They are beautiful. Little Flexie posed perfectly for hers.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2015 20:17:46 GMT -5
This is why I really need you to post more often. I wanted you to TRY the whole bones for a few meals just to see if they were ready for that jump. Since I didn't hear from you, I assumed they must be getting better with them. Had I known that they were still struggling, I would not have had you keep pushing them this long. It never hurts to try skipping steps, but I don't want them to go hungry! I'm sorry, I really should have kept up with it. I knew the boys were not eating much, but I had them on whole middle bones for over a week. I thought they would eat if they were hungry enough, but even when they were hungry, they didn't eat much at all. Now that we are back on the regular menu, they are eating more. Last night between the two of them they ate nearly 6.0 oz. of steak, this morning close to 4.0 oz. of quail, and for dinner tonight 2.5 oz. of organ soup (chicken liver + pork kidney puree) and 2.0 oz chicken hearts. I will probably thaw a little more hearts and leave some for them to snack on at night. They both lost some weight, but Mitch lost 5 oz. in a week. That's not good. I will post more often, so you know what we are up to. The boys eat chicken, CGH, quail, pork, and beef routinely. I give them turkey wings once in a while instead of chicken, and they seem to like it too. It is so crazy that she still needs that tea... Silly girl! But no soup - good job! So to wean her off the tea, just start making it weaker each meal. Let's also start adding in a little bit of another protein. What do you want to start next? The different flavor might help with the tea 'addiction' too, lol.She has not had soup for almost a week now. I think she's ready to move on. When you say new protein, you mean muscle meat, right? She has had quail muscle meat, but she picked out bone-in and did not eat it. How about pork loin? I know beef can be a strong flavor for them. I think it might be a good place to start. Hopefully with a little bit of change, she will take on meat without her tea. How many ounces of soup is she eating per day? And how much dry?0.4-0.5 oz. per meal, twice a day. Plus she usually eats less than 1.0 oz. of dry kibble. I'm hesitant to leave the mixed soup out during the day because I'm just not sure how quickly the kibble sours. She didn't like the kibble crumbled on top of the raw soup, did she? No, she didn't. I don't want to force her, but maybe I can try scruff and stuff once again? I tried this method when she only ate dry kibble. She already had her of 1:5 kibble-raw soup tonight, but I can try again in a few hours, before I go to bed. How about making her some kibble tea similar to Leela's? Let some kibble soak for a little while then use just the flavored water to mix with the raw. I feel like that would be safer to leave with her than soup with the actual kibble in it. That is a good idea. It worked for Leela, so why not for Flexie too, right? What is the consistency of her soup now? (Creamy soup, yogurt, thick paste, or whatever) Try tossing in a couple of teeny tiny slivers and see what she does with them. Use that new potato peeler and shave some very thin slivers, then cut them in half (or more) lengthwise so they're very tiny.Your examples made me laugh... (giggle) It's about yogurt consistency. She eats the slimy chicken meat that didn't get completely smooth in the blender, so I hope she won't mind the slivers. I suspect that she likes the aroma of warm kibble, but just like Leela, she doesn't mind the taste of raw soup, once she starts eating. It's been a long time since I made slivers with potato peelers! Time has come for Flexie to eat this stuff. I'm very proud of my stubborn girl. Have you been able to check Flexie's BG yet? No, I have not gone to Walgreens yet, but I did look for it while I was at the grocery store. They had a few different kinds behind the security cabinets. What kind specifically am I looking for? I'm looking at Walgreens' website right now, but I can't tell the difference. People who have insulnomic ferrets usually have a glucose monitor at home and check the BG everyday right? Do I need to get strips and needles too? I'm not sure how to go about poking them either. Do you see what you are talking about on this page below? www.walgreens.com/search/results.jsp?Ntt=blood%20glucose%20monitors Everyone's poops and activity level still OK? Yes, everyone is doing well in this department. Mango had some tarry loose poop Sunday morning, but he did eat half a chicken egg (beaten yolk and whites) the night before. So it may have caused it? Judging from the poop in the boys' litter box in their cage, their poop was firm and good today. I saw your Easter pictures on FB. They are beautiful. Little Flexie posed perfectly for hers. Thanks! Flexie is so photogenic! I love taking seasonal and holiday themed photos.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2015 20:21:48 GMT -5
Weekly weight-in! Leela- 1 lb. 12 oz. (down 1.0 oz since last week) Flexie- 1 lb. 15 oz. (same) Mitch - 3 lbs. 10 oz. (down 5.0 oz. since last week) Mango -3 lbs. 6 oz. (down 1.0 oz. since last week)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2015 20:13:48 GMT -5
OMG! I cut up small pieces of pork, and put some tea over it. Leela licked the tea, and just left... No interest in the pork AT ALL. So I grabbed her, and tried the "scruff and stuff" for the first time in a long time. She started eating the pork pieces, and she end up eating just under 0.5 oz. of it! Wow... I didn't expect that she would be enthusiastic about new protein, but I didn't think this method would work for Miss little diva. Although she didn't really like it, she ate it. So should I do this again tomorrow morning, until she eats this new protein on her own? Flexie's kibble tea method worked too! I poured hot water over uncracked kibble, and used its "tea" over raw soup. I didn't stir it up. She ate almost all of it, and the last spoon full I had to help her by hand-feeding. But she did eat most of it on her own. I will try this a few more times to make sure that she will eat this 100% of the time on her own. Once I know that for sure, I will take away the daytime dry kibble completely. That will be the end of the kibble at our house!!! Woohoo!! The boys ate cut-up chicken wings for breakfast, and turkey wings for dinner. Their breakfast was supposed to be CGH, but I realized that I was out of it... I have to go get some more! They like turkey wings just fine, so I will change their weekly menu and incorporate turkey on a regular basis.
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Post by gfountain on Apr 8, 2015 9:09:09 GMT -5
Well, everyone is eating something new at your house! Good for them, and good for you! Yes, give Leela another meal or two of the pork. Try it without the tea first and see if she'll eat the new food without it. Flexie is doing well also! When you pull the kibble, make sure you leave some soup with her for during the day. She needs to have food available all the time, especially since we don't know what her BG is yet. You can leave her a chunk of frozen soup if you're worried about it going bad. Soup is good for 6-8 hours, but if you leave it frozen it has the extra thawing time before it starts to sour, and she can eat it as it thaws. Be sure you weigh it before you leave so you can check when you get home to see how much she ate.
Post the boys' menu here for me to review again after you incorporate the turkey.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2015 22:11:06 GMT -5
Leela had pork twice today. Each time I offered plain pork pieces first. Then I executed the "scruff and stuff." It worked in the morning. She started eating, and she ate about 0.5 oz of just pork. I left whatever she didn't eat on the plate all day. When I got home there were only a couple pieces left, so she must have eaten some more after I left. Well, it did not go well for dinner. She fought me when I tried to scruff her. She didn't like it, and she ran away. So I poured some tea over it and she changed her attitude! She ate 0.7 oz. with tea. Again I'm leaving some more for her to eat over night.
Flexie ate soup with tea over it twice today. Each meal was about 0.6 oz. I will give her the same thing tomorrow morning, and if she eats it without a fit, I will leave this soup + tea for her to eat during the day and remove kibble completely.
Mitch and Mango ate quail for breakfast, and pork loin for dinner. Mango was so hungry for dinner for some reason. He didn't even bother to carry it into his feeding den. He just ate right by the plate, which is unusual for him. I think he ate more than his share of the meal... Mitch looked sad when there was nothing left on the plate. They eat a lot more on muscle meat days!
And here is the boys' revised weekly menu:
Mon AM: Edible bone-in meat (chicken wings) Mon PM: ½ Hearts + ¼ liver, ¼ other organ (½ chicken hearts + ¼ chicken liver + ¼ pork kidney)
Tue AM: Edible bone-in meat (CGH) Tue PM: Edible bone-in meat (turkey wings or neck)
Wed AM: Edible bone-in meat (quail) Wed PM: muscle meat (pork loin)
Thur AM: Edible bone-in meat (turkey wings or neck) Thur PM: Hearts (chicken hearts)
Fri AM: Edible bone-in meat (chicken wings) Fri PM: ½ liver + ½ other organ (½ chicken liver + ½ pork kidney)
Sat AM: Edible bone-in meat (CGH) Sat PM: Muscle meat (chicken or turkey gizzards)
Sun AM: Edible bone-in meat (quail) Sun PM: muscle meat (beef steak)
8- Edible bone-in meat 1.5 - Hearts 3- Muscle meat 1.5- organ -------------------------------- = 14 meals
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2015 11:39:56 GMT -5
I found this at CVS. Is this ok to use?
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