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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2015 15:00:07 GMT -5
I still recommend trying to introduce egg yolk if you can. Once ferrets realize it isn't poison they go crazy for it and it's a great tool to get them trying new things. Tried egg last night. Noodles wasn't interested. Raisin and Porkchop ate quite a bit. At least it's easy for me to pinpoint the problem since the others are doing fine. He's just not eating enough. When I let them out, I always put the cats' kibble up on the counter where the ferts can't get it. As soon as I let him out, he beelines for that area trying to find the teeniest tiniest crumbs.. It's like.. stop! Don't starve yourself! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! If I can figure out a system for feeding him by hand it will definitely help..
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Post by Celene on Apr 1, 2015 15:08:13 GMT -5
He's just waiting for you to give in, since he "knows" you will do it. One he realized so golden kibble is coming to save him he'll buckle up and eat what's there. I wasted a lot of time in my transition letting my girls manipulate me because I was scared they would starve
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2015 15:11:52 GMT -5
Yeah :\ The others are doing OK. Not great, more of a begrudging "i'm only eating this because i have to" attitude.
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Post by Celene on Apr 1, 2015 16:10:59 GMT -5
They'll get over themselves. They're just seeing if looking pathetic enough will gain them a ferretone topping
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Post by katt on Apr 1, 2015 19:37:45 GMT -5
Try warming the soup up a bit (use warm water to make the soup or a FEW seconds in the microwave - too long will just cook it) and hand feed it for a while. Then when they are more accepting of it, you can wean them off of hand feeding - but hand feeding will encourage them to eat it AND give you a better idea of how much each is eating.
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Post by katt on Apr 1, 2015 19:43:01 GMT -5
Can you get a picture of Noodles dangling? He looks a bit on the thin side from the top view pic, but not any different really from how my boys look in the middle of changing seasons. The belly and side pics look just fine to me - but a dangling picture of the belly would give us a better idea. I would watch to make sure he is eating and do some hand feeding so you have an idea of how much, but I wouldn't get too worried just yet. If he is eating enough, pooping normally, and active I would say at this point it looks more like seasonal change but keep weighing regularly and monitor eating amounts to reassure yourself.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2015 20:09:26 GMT -5
Yeah, I'll get some dangling Noodles pics tonight at playtime I have been trying to warm up the soup but I don't think it's making much of a difference.. Kind of hard to tell though since I started them on beef and now I'm feeding pork. They barely made a dent in what I put out this morning before work.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2015 20:11:01 GMT -5
Also, come to think of it, I think I got Noodles in February of last year! He was a baby and had all those health problems so I was more focused on keeping him alive than monitoring changes. So this might be normal for him - this is his FIRST adult spring so really I have no frame of reference!
Sometimes I forget I haven't had them forever..
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Post by Celene on Apr 1, 2015 21:24:18 GMT -5
I know what you mean! I rescued these girlies last summer, but it seems like they've been with us for years. Bad news on the getting you a video of spoon feeding... Turns out switching to raw has taken Mocha from Miss Fussypants to Miss Eatseverythingpants. I tried 3 different FDR soupies that she'd never had before and she just dove in and gobbled them all up. Here's a screencap though, just to show you the position I use: A towel of some sort is very important
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Post by katt on Apr 1, 2015 21:37:01 GMT -5
I dunno....you don't need a towel if you like being covered in meat paste....
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Post by katt on Apr 1, 2015 21:43:10 GMT -5
Here's some really awesome videos ferretbrah made: Did you try hand feeding her the bones? One of the other mentors took some great videos of hand feeding. These are a great demonstration of hand feeding
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2015 23:54:11 GMT -5
ARE SPOONS MADE OF MAGIC?
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Post by Celene on Apr 1, 2015 23:57:05 GMT -5
Yes they are! My girls don't like being finger fed, but they'll eat almost anything off a spoon.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2015 0:21:37 GMT -5
He's almost finished with that entire bowl. I think it was about 3-4 oz
EDIT: There's about 1.5 tsp left over from playtime today, and everyone ate at least a little. Should I put some in the cage when I put them to bed tonight, or should I save the next feeding for the morning? I'm hoping to start wasting less as they eat more.
EDIT EDIT: Forgot to mention I gave them soup this morning before work, and when I came home they had barely made a dent in it. I really want to get them on a schedule that makes sense so I don't keep dumping leftovers in the sink :\
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Post by katt on Apr 2, 2015 2:25:17 GMT -5
A good rule of thumb is there should be 1-2 bites leftover by the next meal. That way you know they had enough access to food all day but there is very little waste. Do this - the next few days, weigh their meal before you put it in their cage, and after you take it out. You will see some weight loss of the food from the water evaporating a bit but it should still give you a close idea of how much of it they eat. Then you can adjust your amounts accordingly to reduce waste. They do need 24/7 access to food though. How are they currently eating it? Like are you finger feeding, spoon, eating on their ow....
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