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Post by Celene on Jun 2, 2015 9:11:25 GMT -5
Ferrets can gain/lose up to 40% of their weight between seasons. My girls definitely prefer bone-in meat over muscle too! Sometimes I find it helps if I hand feed the first chunk for a few bites and then they get into it on their own. They don't really need the coddling since if they're hungry they'll eat, but I enjoy the bonding
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Shawna
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Post by Shawna on Jun 5, 2015 17:42:40 GMT -5
Up to 40%? Wholey Moley!
What about fur loss?
I noticed that they're both looking a little sparse around their shoulders & I'm not sure if its because of their harnesses, seasonal or the adrenal disease?
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Post by Celene on Jun 5, 2015 18:02:20 GMT -5
Ferrets generally fully "blow" their coats twice a year (usually with a thick, fluffy coat in winter and thinner one in summer). Basically their entire coat will get replaced within a period of several weeks to a couple months. Sometimes ferrets will shed really quickly all at once before their new coat grows in and will be left with a short fuzzy "buzz cut" which I often hear referred to as "kiwi". I believe adrenal manifests more as patterned fur loss, particularly around the base of the tail, although I've never had an adrenal baby so couldn't tell you for sure. In the US people often end up with "backwards" ferrets who gain weight and a fluffy coat in the summer and lose weight and get a sparse coat in the winter. Apparently this is because Marshall uses artificially lighting to force their jills into season so they can breed all year long
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Shawna
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Post by Shawna on Jun 9, 2015 5:07:30 GMT -5
I guess I'll just keep an eye on him. He does have some hair loss at the base of his tail as well but no aggression which, if I remember correctly, a symptom for the adrenal disease.
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Shawna
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Posts: 111
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Post by Shawna on Jun 11, 2015 22:24:20 GMT -5
So the boys are doing better in muscle meat department. I've basically given up on pork but they like lamb & goat. I've also decided to give it first before the bone in.
I usually mix the am & pm together for them to snack on & throw in an ice cube half way through the day. But on muscle days, I do muscle first & when that is mostly gone, I give them the bone in.
This seems to be working better for us.
I'm also thinking about getting a dehydrated & throw in some meat & see what they think. I mean they already set aside pieces in their bedding... Sooo hmmmm
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Post by Celene on Jun 12, 2015 9:18:32 GMT -5
I've heard that some ferrets only like jerky when they make it themselves. I dried some meat on a paper towel on the counter (it wasn't hot yet so it dried instead of rotting) and Nova loved it, but Mocha wouldn't touch it. I think she prefers her meat partially dried, but still a little chewy
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Shawna
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Posts: 111
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Post by Shawna on Jun 20, 2015 21:44:13 GMT -5
Opinions?
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Post by Celene on Jun 21, 2015 13:24:29 GMT -5
Definitely not! Ferrets shouldn't be eating anything with added salt, and I believe garlic is actually incredibly toxic to them. I wouldn't be feeding those to dogs either :\ You can buy pet jerky which is 100% meat with no added ingredients or preservatives. You can also make it yourself at home
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Post by Desiree on Jun 22, 2015 12:50:04 GMT -5
Garlic can actually be beneficial for dogs. But yes bad for ferrets and cats.
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Shawna
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Posts: 111
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Post by Shawna on Jun 24, 2015 16:19:12 GMT -5
I'm actually thinking about getting a dehydrator. I wonder how I can use it & make the pieces still chewy?
I knew those treats from my previous post. I decided not to buy it & get your input to confirm my instinct was right (or wrong)
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Shawna
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Posts: 111
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Post by Shawna on Jul 13, 2015 0:17:18 GMT -5
UPDATE
Finally got some salmon oil. They drink it like its water! & they can't get enough of it.
No worries in that department.
I think Zim's Lymphoma is progressing- he has a sneeze/cough & was on clavamox for 2 weeks which helped but its coming back again, & he has a heart murmur which he's on medication for. I'm wondering if I need to put him back on the Prednisilone again but my vet was more concerned with the heart murmur... so we'll see.
Dexter is strong, big & healthy (& I've been noticing that he's more cuddly than he used to be).
He still likes to do this lick lick nibble bite thing with me & that bite is anywhere from soft to hard. I really do need to try to let him out more often but because Zim doesn't play for very long he doesn't play for very long. He will periodically engage with me which I'm trying to get him to do since Zim will only play for 5-15 min before calling it done.
I bought one of those Super Thru-Ways from Marshalls which allows me to stick my hand in & chase him (& be chased). Sometimes he'll follow my hand on the outside while he's sharking through the tunnel.
I have also dubbed him & Mia (my roommate's dog) ok to be with. Zim on the other hand nipped at her nose when she was sniff/licking him once & she yipped in surprise then decided it was all good & considered it a doorway to play & started prancing & barking. I pulled Zim away since I took that to mean that her investigation was annoying him.
If I'm hold Dex, he just lets her lick at him. If he's on the floor, he just head into a tube if the need arises.
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Shawna
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Post by Shawna on Jul 22, 2015 23:55:25 GMT -5
Interesting!
They don't like turkey neck.
They'll only eat it mixed w/ chicken, which is kind of funny since Dex likes freeze dried turkey pieces.
Maybe I'll see what they think of frog legs next time I need to shopping for them.
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Shawna
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Posts: 111
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Post by Shawna on Jul 26, 2015 15:31:58 GMT -5
Well I have found a treat that they both enjoy!!!
3 treats actually
1- chicken heart (wonder if I can turn it into a jerky? & will they like it if I do?
2- quail eggs
3- salmon oil
But how much can I get away with spoiling them with?
I feel the need/desire to give them these treats daily. Their fur is also shinier & softer lately too.
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Shawna
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Posts: 111
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Post by Shawna on Jul 27, 2015 14:49:52 GMT -5
Dexter & Mia taking a quiet moment amongst my pillows. Dexter & his human (me). So... Question? Is it possible for a ferret to start cuddling more when he used to not? It's as if the cuddle bug did a quick nip at him. Now if I can just get Zim to cooperate...
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2015 14:49:27 GMT -5
Hi Shawna, how are your fuzzers doing so far in their switch? I've skimmed over your thread, with 10+ pages it's a bit of a read haha, would you mind giving an update on what they're eating, how big are the pieces, how much, and so on? Please and thank you As for the treats, chicken hearts most definitely can be turned into jerky, cut it into pieces, put it in the oven on the lowest temp and let dehydrate for 12+ hours. The eggs, with quail eggs you can give 3-4 once a week, twice a week if it's shedding season. Any more and they'll get funky poops. Salmon oil, you can give 1/2 teaspoon every 3 days, but I just use it as a treat every now and again for things like nail clippings, BG readings, or to get them to eat something they aren't fond of, I never really measure it, but not more than a couple drops every now and then is the rule. For the cuddling, it most certainly is after I started raw feeding my boy became much more cuddly, now he likes to sleep beside me all night, sometimes I am woken up with cuddles or kisses. Feeding raw is a wonderful bonding experience.
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