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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2015 23:17:55 GMT -5
We finally got everything we needed to get him started on the switch. I weighed him today and he is currently 2.5lbs. We made the soupie recipe of the chicken thigh, liver, heart, and egg shell. He had his kibble this morning and then he eagerly ate half an ounce of the soupie at 7pm. I planned on giving him his kibble tonight before I go to bed and then give the soupie again around 8 am tomorrow morning. There was some skin not pureed good in the mix and it was a struggle to get it away from him. All he wanted to do was run and stash it but I was scared he'd choke on it. When he first licked it up he tried to swallow it hole, so I didn't want to take any chances. I'll get a better pic of him in the am while he is eating. It's hard to get one of him that isn't a blur. He never wants to stay in one spot to long, lol.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2015 23:19:23 GMT -5
Best we could get for tonight, lol. I'll get one up tomorrow.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2015 8:47:58 GMT -5
Kemblin is off to a very good start.
Fat equals energy for ferrets. Try taking the skin off during the blending of the soup.
Then cut the skin into small pieces and mix those in. He needs that skin and it's great for him.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2015 8:55:54 GMT -5
He ate about an ounce this morning. Skin included.  My question now is, do I give him some kibble in a little while (he normally eats this time in the am and around 7-8 at night) or just more soupie tonight at 7? Or feed him again, at lunch, some more soupie? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2015 9:08:20 GMT -5
Remembered to grab a pic this morning. I got a good video but not sure how to upload it here :/  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2015 12:16:38 GMT -5
Kemblin is eating the soupie really well. He is eating an ounce in the morning and and another ounce in the evening. So far the poops are still the same, just less of them. Energy level and sleep are still the same. I will weigh him again tomorrow and get a picture of his poo tonight.
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Post by linsul on Mar 7, 2015 11:53:25 GMT -5
I went cold turkey once I had all the food supplies for Kat. Kemblin is doing great with his soupies, if you have the supplies to make a balanced batch consistently I'd ditch the kibble personally. I think it's funny how much they love skin and fat, it's like offering someone in the desert water for us here Kat goes nuts! Less poops are win too, that part is awesome. Go Kemblin!
Edit: Are you weighing what he eats? I'd give him more than he can finish both feedings if he's an adult because they tend to eat more initially during the switch just to be sure he's satisfied. Adjust an amount from him showing you how much he can eat initially is what I'd do if he's eating twice a day. At least at first during the switch, unless weight/health issues say otherwise.
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Post by Celene on Mar 7, 2015 14:59:50 GMT -5
If Kemblin is eating the soup fine on his own, you can just ditch the kibble altogether. One thing to keep in mind is that during this part of the transition you will need to brush his teeth every few days.
Have you tried offering any small slivers of meat yet to see how he reacts?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2015 15:54:42 GMT -5
Linsul, that was actually my next question. He is up to 2.5 ounces in the am and then again in the pm but he is finishing his plate off. Was wondering if I should offer more until he leaves some on the plate. I am weighing the food out and also storing in 2.5 ounce containers. At the start of this 5 days ago, he was at 2.5 lbs and now he is at 2.4lbs. So not much of a drop so far. I haven't tried slivers yet because we were mixing his kibble up pretty thin when we decided to switch to raw (we were trying to get him off of Marshall's), so he isn't use to chewing. I figured on the next batch, which I will be making tomorrow, I would make the soupie a little thicker. Thanks for all the help and advise!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2015 15:56:05 GMT -5
If Kemblin is eating the soup fine on his own, you can just ditch the kibble altogether. One thing to keep in mind is that during this part of the transition you will need to brush his teeth every few days. Have you tried offering any small slivers of meat yet to see how he reacts? Hmmm, anything special I need to be using to do this. I wasn't aware I needed to  |
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Post by linsul on Mar 7, 2015 16:07:04 GMT -5
Linsul, that was actually my next question. He is up to 2.5 ounces in the am and then again in the pm but he is finishing his plate off. Was wondering if I should offer more until he leaves some on the plate. I am weighing the food out and also storing in 2.5 ounce containers. At the start of this 5 days ago, he was at 2.5 lbs and now he is at 2.4lbs. So not much of a drop so far. I haven't tried slivers yet because we were mixing his kibble up pretty thin when we decided to switch to raw (we were trying to get him off of Marshall's), so he isn't use to chewing. I figured on the next batch, which I will be making tomorrow, I would make the soupie a little thicker. Thanks for all the help and advise! Yeah I would give him enough to start seeing some left over just to make sure he's getting his fill since they gorge a bit at first. I read here they're catching up in nutrients while transitioning so if that's the case you want him to go all the way with his portions! It's also normal for them to drop weight in the spring, so his "normal" might be a little bananas if you look at his intake vs his weight. as long as he's eating and pooping normally no worries though. I'd try thawing 3 servings and dividing them into 2 and see how he does. Slivers are great because then you can start having "meals" of nutrient specific sort. It's important to know how much they're getting of what in each category of bone, meat, organs. Also because soupies don't have bone to clean their teeth. They leave a scuzz that can turn into decay if they aren't brushed on a no bone diet. I'd go with Celene's advice for sure with brushing and start adding slivers asap since he likes his soupies. Slivers, then chunks, then bone in chunks, etc. Kat was on Marshall's too when we got her, the poop was a horrorshow in smell and quantity! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2015 16:15:28 GMT -5
What do I need to get to brush his teeth? Regular toothbrush? What type of paste?
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Post by Celene on Mar 7, 2015 16:15:42 GMT -5
@nkg0404, I use oxyfresh pet gel and I rub it on my girls' gums with my finger. Other options for toothpaste include cat toothpaste from pet stores or baking soda/eggshells mixed with salmon/olive/coconut oil. For the "brushing" aspect I would recommend a baby/child toothbrush (with soft bristles), a toothbrush from a pet food store or even just a piece of gauze and your finger.
If Kemlin will eat them, gizzards are a GREAT natural toothbrush and have the added side effect of helping increase his jaw strength for future chewing.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2015 16:20:35 GMT -5
I will try the baking soda/eggshells/salmon oil. I have those here already. I will get a small amount of gizzards and see if he will eat some of those. When you guys say "Slivers", what is the actual size? Like pencil eraser size or small? Sorry if that last question seemed silly, lol. Just trying to get it all right  |
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Post by linsul on Mar 7, 2015 16:44:11 GMT -5
Yeah any smaller than bite sized morsel I'd guess. Or a longer thinner piece...anything smaller than a chunk. Some people use a potato peeler on frozen meat for slivers too. Play with the sizes and see what he does, stick with the biggest sliver size eaten.
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