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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2015 15:39:27 GMT -5
Do you weigh the food after they have eaten it? I would like you to keep track of how much you put in and how much you are dumping. You should start a food journal, either on here or in a notebook of what and how much you put in, how much was eaten, any weird poops etc. This will help you keep better track of their intake and outputO_O. What are they currently eating out of? I find that plates work better for ferrets than bowls. I use tupperware container lids, the round ones. They are higher sided than a standard plate so it helps contain the mess. Ferrets who love beef! (giggle) Beef is a hard flavor to get ferrets to like and we like them to have at least one meal of beef a week, so your fuzzbutts are already ahead of the game there! I do weight it before I give it to them, but I'm bad about weighing after. I'll shape up. Most of the time they eat most of the soup, just from my own visual records. They eat off of tea plates - almost like bowls, but with shorter sides.
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Post by Desiree on Apr 5, 2015 15:51:12 GMT -5
Perfect! If they eating all of it at a certain time, up the amount by an ounce for now. So if they eat it all while you are at work, up the amount by an ounce during the time, or at night. I want there to be a bite or two left over at the next feeding. Also, we will double check with katt but I think it will be good to up the amount of bone meal powder to 2 tsp if you are doing close to 40 ozs of meat and organ.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2015 18:06:38 GMT -5
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Post by katt on Apr 5, 2015 18:26:54 GMT -5
Don't mean to disagree but two pounds is 32 ozs, as one pound equals 16 ozs, correct? I was thinking that since the recipe is 8oz muscle meat, 1 oz liver, 1 oz heart and 1/2 tsp of bone meal powder, that the bone meal powder should be upped to 2 tsp of bonemeal powder since it is about 4 times the recipe. Yes lol That's what I get for reading and posting in the morning. 16oz is one lb. SMH. "Introducing - Katt's brain on finals!" Sooo disregard! Should be 4oz of heart though.
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Post by Desiree on Apr 5, 2015 20:38:43 GMT -5
Everyone actually looks pretty good. Right now, since it's spring, a weight drop is to be expected. On raw, some tend to gain a lot right away and then taper off, some gain little at time, some of the bigger fatties drop all the fat from kibble and then gain muscle mass. All depends on the ferret.
Keeping track of weekly weights also helps.
How have appetites been today?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2015 21:00:23 GMT -5
Appetites are good. I just put them to bed (they got to come out early for cleaning day!) and put 5 oz of soup out for them. Noodles and Peanut are chomping down. I'll have to weigh them/do a per-ferret update tomorrow night if that's okay. This came out of someone's butt today. I'm 90% sure it was Raisin. This is as close as I could get the picture to look the color it did in real life. It was a green/yellow, almost neon. :\
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Post by Desiree on Apr 5, 2015 21:11:47 GMT -5
That is really green and neon > Right now, don't stress to much, keep an eye on Raisin and see if it continues. If it does a vet visit might be in order but like I said before poops are going to be weird. You haven't brought any new ferrets into the house or touched a baby at a store and then touched your babies have you? It could be a sign ECE but that often comes with a foul smell as well. Something you would have noticed if you were taking a picture that close. And yes weights for tomorrow are fine.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2015 21:15:28 GMT -5
Nope, I haven't touched any ferrets outside of our household and we haven't had anyone new in months. :\ Her energy levels are good and she seems healthy otherwise.. what can the vet do about ECE??
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Post by Desiree on Apr 5, 2015 21:20:25 GMT -5
Antibiotics and fluids are often prescribed. Because of the soup, her fluids should be fine. I seriously doubt it's ECE but that is always a concern with green poos. I've come to expect them with certain meats in my group. Frog legs make weird light colored almost grey poos in my group every time.
As long as her energy levels stay up and she eats and her poos trend back to normal, she should be okay.
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Post by katt on Apr 6, 2015 12:20:03 GMT -5
That's not an ECE poop, it's way too solid. ECE = green Slime. Honestly, that poop isn't particularly concerning to me - at least not yet. A bit off color, and a little extra mucous but it's really not a horrible poop and as Desiree said odd poops are very normal with a diet change - it takes some time for their systems to adjust to the new stuff. Keep monitoring them, and watch for any additional symptoms - change in energy, loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation/straining etc. If other symptoms begin to show up, then we will have more cause for concern, but I really wouldn't panic or stress yourself out just yet. Btw are they shedding yet? That can also cause some strange poops. These are based off of kibble poops, but you get the gist of the slime part:
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Post by katt on Apr 6, 2015 12:24:37 GMT -5
Antibiotics and fluids are often prescribed. Because of the soup, her fluids should be fine. I seriously doubt it's ECE but that is always a concern with green poos. I've come to expect them with certain meats in my group. Frog legs make weird light colored almost grey poos in my group every time. As long as her energy levels stay up and she eats and her poos trend back to normal, she should be okay. Yep - another fun thing with raw. You can actually tell what they have eaten based on their poops!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2015 14:11:53 GMT -5
That's not an ECE poop, it's way too solid. ECE = green Slime. Honestly, that poop isn't particularly concerning to me - at least not yet. A bit off color, and a little extra mucous but it's really not a horrible poop and as Desiree said odd poops are very normal with a diet change - it takes some time for their systems to adjust to the new stuff. Keep monitoring them, and watch for any additional symptoms - change in energy, loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation/straining etc. If other symptoms begin to show up, then we will have more cause for concern, but I really wouldn't panic or stress yourself out just yet. Btw are they shedding yet? That can also cause some strange poops. Good. It's just too weird for me hahaha! I do believe everyone is shedding, except Raisin. I think her body has the seasons reversed because right now it's as if she's preparing for winter - she's chubby and her fur is long and did I mention luxurious?
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Post by Desiree on Apr 6, 2015 14:35:49 GMT -5
My boy is reversed too, his coat is much fuller now. If they are shedding adding an egg or two a week per ferret is great for that especially if any hacking occurs. It took my guys almost three or four eggs to actually enjoy them. Just crack an egg into a bowl add some warm water and whip it up. You can leave the eggshell if you want but mine just play with it instead of consuming it.
You were using ferretone correct? Any luck switching them to another oil? Oil is great way to get them to eat new stuff, I tried salmon for the first time last week and get this my picky boy wouldn't touch it until I put salmon oil on it. Ferrets are weird.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2015 15:26:47 GMT -5
I haven't heard any hacking etc but I do want them to start eating egg for when we really need them to. I'm having a hard time getting them to entertain it but I think adding warm water might help!
We were using ferretone. They are now willing to eat their soup without it. I did have to use it yesterday to clip everyone's nails. :\ I'm going to try salmon oil again but I do have coconut oil too. I was going to try mixing the salmon oil with ferretone to start and then wean them off of it..
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Post by Desiree on Apr 6, 2015 22:02:01 GMT -5
You can always add a little oil on top of the egg to get them to dig in.
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