|
Post by Sherry on May 18, 2016 10:34:38 GMT -5
Lamb is always a good "go to" meat as most have little to no issue with it sensitivity wise. The problem is lamb is also either a "love or hate" type of meat. Can you get a fine mince frozen raw instead of the FDR? Hand feeding for a couple of days usually gets them over the hump of a new protein. If you could give JUST lamb for a week you would know if there is a trigger involved with fowl.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 18, 2016 10:38:52 GMT -5
Thanks. Alvin loves lamb and Farley is a stubborn eater but with holding and salmon oil I usually get him to eat. I have easy access to Rad Cat Lamb (our neighborhood pet store keeps consistent supply of that flavor). I'll pick some up tonight and give that a shot for the week.
Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on May 18, 2016 10:43:40 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 18, 2016 11:06:47 GMT -5
Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2016 7:54:11 GMT -5
Quick update: I started them on Lamb Rad Cat yesterday and so far their poos are solid but they are fighting me with eating. I've been hand feeding and coaxing with a few drops of salmon oil. Farley has been terrible about eating when he doesn't get what he wants to I'm giving him extra hand feeding sessions without giving him something else. It has also been very warm here (just got our swamp cooler started yesterday) so that could be affecting their eating as well.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on May 21, 2016 10:44:38 GMT -5
The heat will definitely affect their eating. And if stools are already looking more formed you are definitely dealing with a sensitivity then. Lamb is a very strong meat so it can and does take them longer to accept it unfortunately. Persevere and they will accept it
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 7:04:20 GMT -5
Hi Sherry. The boys are doing pretty well! They're still not eating very much, but it's no longer a fight to get Farley to eat even a tiny bit of the lamb. Alvin's stools are still not truly solid, but he has improved greatly. His bottom is staying clean so his skin isn't raw and sore. He is wandering the house a little more, which I absolutely love! I noticed that the Rad Cat uses eggshell rather than bone. Would the boys still benefit from a bit of the bone powder added occasionally?
Thanks! Have a great day.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on May 26, 2016 9:51:54 GMT -5
If the stools are a bit loose then yes. For Alvin look at the slippery elm syrup, and possibly even some pancreatic enzymes would work well but good to hear he is firming up a bit. You can also add a pinch of the bonemeal to HIS meal once a day and see if it helps. The thing with IBD is what works for one won't for another. So now is the time to also keep a daily poop chart going for him. I kept mine on the computer. Once or twice a day, just comment on the stool, consistency/colour/solidity etc. Post what he ate, if there were any external stressors and so on. You will find after about a month of this you will be able to pinpoint MUCH better what is happening and even more important- what is normal for HIM for stools. Because normal for an IBD ferret is in no way normal for one without it. Keep them on the lamb for a few more days and pick up another protein. Rabbit, goat, pork, anything other than fowl. You will want to start a slow mix into the lamb over the course of 3-4 days, increasing a bit at every meal until straight on the new protein for a week. This will be more for Alvin's tummy but also will be helpful with getting the others to accept the new protein
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on May 26, 2016 9:55:27 GMT -5
Forgot to add- if with any new protein he goes back to liquid diarrhea stop the new protein and go back on the lamb until he is stable again. He may still wind up needing his pred increased for his IBD over a short term. My Boris was on almost 2m daily for a month to reduce the inflammation in his gut. He was weaned off over the next month successfully.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 2, 2016 10:01:16 GMT -5
update please
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2016 10:05:36 GMT -5
They are both doing pretty well with the lamb! Farley is eating on his own and Alvin looks like he is feeling much better. More energy and just looking brighter. All of the stools are mostly solid and the few loose ones happened at night so I'm not sure who had it. I've been looking for the alternative proteins you suggested but it looks like I will have to order them. I've also tried looking for the slippery elm but haven't had much luck.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 2, 2016 10:13:15 GMT -5
Sounds good! So looks like lamb works at a hypoallergenic for Alvin then They DO feel so much better when their tummies aren't always hurting. I would order some other grinds, but nothing with any fowl right now. If you decide to go through hare today you can even get ground mice, guinea pig, etc And yes those will be with fur and all, so that helps bulk up stools also. Again, it will take a bit getting them to accept it but by doing a slow switch his tummy should stay happy. When he has about 6 months without a flare up then you can try small amounts of duck, quail etc for him.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 2, 2016 10:14:42 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2016 10:51:08 GMT -5
Thanks Sherry! I'm going to try to find a few more flavors of the Rad Cat locally before Hare Today. We have a tiny freezer right now (we have been planning on buying a stand alone freezer for a while now) so I've been making weekly trips to the natural pet food stores nearby. Fortunately we have a few to choose from within a 5 mile drive. They regularly stock the turkey but are willing to place special orders.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2016 7:52:42 GMT -5
Good morning Sherry. Alvin has had so much more energy the last couple of days and I can tell he feels better. I gave them venison Rad Cat this morning and I'll keep an eye on them to see how they tolerate this protein. I also have beef as a few rad cat flavor but they have had beef from the grocer's before. I did increase Alvin's pred to help with any sugar/IBD issues in the meantime. I'll let you know how the venison goes.
|
|