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Post by Blue on Jan 6, 2016 12:26:40 GMT -5
Well we're 100% grind now!! 2.5 oz last night, 2+ oz this morning. The poor thing seems really ravenous, I'm worried I underfed her when she went to the sitter's. I've been reading the Rad Cat ingredients (http://www.radfood.com/products), and it doesn't look like it has any actual bone in it. Do I need to look for a more complete grind? (I really doubt I'll ever do it at home).
Rad Cat Chicken ingredients:
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Post by Sherry on Jan 6, 2016 12:29:32 GMT -5
That uses the eggshell powder instead. And yes, I would look for a different one. You can still feed this in rotation, but getting actual bone is much better.
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Post by Blue on Jan 6, 2016 19:36:36 GMT -5
OK, so having read up on it, Rad Cat isn't actually classic grinds with bone, it's just commercial raw. Sorry for the confusion. The sitter tried to get her to eat Bravo Cat grind (does have bones) and she didn't want it. So this means we haven't got her to eat any kind of bone yet, sorry. So #1 I need to go to my local store and pick up something with bone, or order it if not available so we can work on getting her to eat that. Will do tomorrow. #2 I can't believe this but I'm actually considering grinding the meat myself. But even the heavy duty grinders I've seen (I don't mind buying something expensive in this case) seem to have a narrow tube going down to the grind part. Do I have to chop stuff up into small pieces first? Like, I have a whole rabbit in the freezer right now, I can't just dump it whole into a machine and magically get grinds out of it? (I know, this is probably a very stupid question, sorry. And probably influenced by cartoons.) I'm also worried that she did catch my flu. Or maybe the lethargy this evening is due to eating 4 oz of food this morning (in 2 servings)!! She only ate 1/2 of the 2 oz I gave her tonight. She also didn't drink much water and she usually drinks quite a bit, even with the soup. I think she might also be a little squinty eyed
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Post by Sherry on Jan 7, 2016 11:03:05 GMT -5
Texture can be a huge thing for them, and getting bones into them is the hardest of all. Ferrets are very lazy eaters and if they don't have to chew, won't So getting something with a fine- medium grind for now would work better. As for grinders for the home I am no help at all as I don't use them but if the tube is narrower then yes you will have to cleaver them up in manageable sections. As for catching the flu she will show similar symptoms. Stuffiness, chest congestion, etc. She will definitely be off her appetite and lethargic.
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Post by Blue on Jan 9, 2016 13:24:55 GMT -5
I am once again confused, but I think that's Maisie's main goal in life. The morning after I wrote that, she seemed in really bad shape, very lethargic, and when she tried to stand for more than a few seconds (for soup and a treat) she toppled over sideways and stayed lying down (but finished the treat/soup). At noon she was still weak but more alert, and She wanted to stay out longer than I had the time for. After that, got back to normal very quickly, which is totally awesome but I don't understand!!! Was it the flu? Or some other freak event? Eating too much the day before (5.5 oz Rad Cat)? Anyway, transition: I found one local grind that has everything, but it doesn't say in what proportion (although I'm pretty sure they're just grinding the whole chicken up), and it only comes in chicken. It's a pity because it's organic! It's a Jehovah Witness farm that just does chickens and eggs. www.jehovahjirehfarm.com/petfood.phpI gave her 1 oz soup + 1 oz grind last night, and she ate 1.1 oz which was mostly the soup. So this morning I gave her 0.9 oz soup, 0.3 oz grind, and she ate it all. Then, still for breakfast, I gave her 0.8 oz grind, 0.4 oz egg, and she ate everything except 0.2 oz. Right now (noon! she's still acting hungry!), 0.8 oz grind + 0.3 oz egg, same thing (0.2 oz left over), except this time I noticed that what's left behind seems to be mostly bone so I need to watch that. The only other 100% ferret-friendly grind I've found is Bravo: www.bravopetfoods.com/cat_frozen_basics.htmlalthough I'm going to have to order the veggie-free version. It says it needs supplements, for cats and dogs at least. Is that generally true of grinds? Is that OK for ferrets? Also, it's not human-grade, but maybe that's true of all grinds? Sorry for the many questions and confusion! Why can't she stay on raw soup? If it's just the micronutrients from the raw bone that she's missing, isn't she missing those in kibble anyway? (Sorry, I just have to ask!)
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Post by Sherry on Jan 10, 2016 12:09:19 GMT -5
In kibble they are added back in afterwards in chemical form(as compared to natural like raw). And those four are fine The company has to add in that bit about supplements etc to cover their own butts legally as raw diets haven't had the resources spent on them to "prove" they are appropriate in and of themselves for our carnivores If you are ordering in, a place like Hare Today is a good option as well.
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Post by Blue on Jan 13, 2016 12:47:58 GMT -5
Ah, I see. I never would have guessed! At least for once the food is better than advertised! And Hare Today looks like a great resource, thanks.
Weekly weigh-in: 1/11/16 1 lb 12 oz (+1 oz from last week)
She's still eating up a storm, up to 3 oz per meal! Right now I'm doing 50% Rad Cat, 50% grind with bone. She doesn't finish all the bone bits, but she does eat some, and I've seen some in her poop. Since the bone pieces are so small to begin with, shouldn't they be completely digested? And should I aim for 100% grind with bone and stop with the Rad Cat?
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Post by Sherry on Jan 14, 2016 11:04:47 GMT -5
As she isn't yet used to digesting bone, more than normal will come through And she will leave some behind. Mine still do with even medium grinds. Once she is on at least 3 different proteins, we can get you graduated!
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Post by Blue on Jan 19, 2016 11:53:35 GMT -5
Great, thanks for reassuring me about the bone fragments!
Weigh-in this morning: 1 lb 15 oz (+3 oz, I think she's only now getting back to what her weight should be at this time of year. We'd stepped the switch up before the holidays and I think that left her in deficit.)
I kind of reached my 3 proteins this weekend, although it's all poultry, I don't know if that matters. I know I need at least one red meat.
- chicken you already know - Bravo duck - can't remember the brand but it was turkey meat with chicken organs & bones -- and it was all organic!
We also tried some Vital Essentials Beef, but I got nibblets which didn't mix well at all and the whole thing was a fiasco. Maybe the patties will work better.
So to get another protein I need to either ask my local pet store to order in some Bravo, or order myself from Hare Today. I guess I should really order from Hare Today to get some good variety, although I'm a bit worried about ordering 10 lbs of stuff she might not eat. On the plus side it's so cold that shipping won't be a problem!
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Post by Blue on Jan 19, 2016 13:20:03 GMT -5
OK, I ordered my 10 lbs from Hare Today. I'm lucky, they're just one state over, so it shouldn't take long. I'm guessing Maisie will like the salmon since she already likes salmon oil. I'm hoping anything poultry won't be too much of a problem (chicken, duck, goose, pheasant, quail). That leaves rabbit, mutton, pork, and beef. So far she hasn't seemed to like beef, has been fickle on pork and lamb, and rabbit is a complete unknown.
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Post by Blue on Jan 19, 2016 20:25:46 GMT -5
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Post by Sherry on Jan 20, 2016 11:10:22 GMT -5
Looks good And the stronger tasting meats always take them longer to accept. Just keep pushing with them. Lamb is always a good one to get them used to as it often becomes a "fall back" protein for if they are having any digestive issues. You can always start by mixing it with a favourite and slowly increase the ratio.
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Post by Blue on Jan 23, 2016 10:01:40 GMT -5
My Hare Today delivery arrived yesterday, just hours ahead of the East Coast snowstorm! (I think they're calling it Snowzilla. It might just be a slight dusting to you Canadians. ferretmomma I hope you're doing OK up in PA!). I left the package outside since it's below freezing, and I'm bringing in and portioning out the bags one-by-one. First up: mutton, since we'd been working on lamb with Rad Cat. Yesterday: 3/4 turkey, 1/4 mutton: fine. Today: 1/2 each: needed to be finger fed at first but was quickly convinced. What should be my plan: work on each meat until she'll eat a 100% meal of each?She enjoyed a nice nosedive into the snow on the porch this morning And then came straight back in.
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Post by Sherry on Jan 24, 2016 13:14:11 GMT -5
Good call on leaving it out, especially if there are no stray dogs etc that will tear into it. Yes- they can still smell it frozen Working on each individually is a great idea. You will know faster if there are any food sensitivities then as well.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2016 7:35:20 GMT -5
My Hare Today delivery arrived yesterday, just hours ahead of the East Coast snowstorm! (I think they're calling it Snowzilla. It might just be a slight dusting to you Canadians. ferretmomma I hope you're doing OK up in PA!). Thanks for thinking of me! We ended up only getting about 6inches, so not too bad! And now everything is almost melted and we're expecting 50 degrees this weekend!
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