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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2015 15:47:54 GMT -5
And now it's Monday. Terribly hot and humid here. We ran some errands, switched the upstairs ferrets for downstairs ferrets and I'm getting caught up on the forum. 1. Ferret's name: Yuki. 2. Ferret's weight: 3 ounces 2.8 oz. (1 470 grams) 3. Ferret has eaten "4 ounces" on average per meal. 4. Stools on various proteins: There's been light brown, dark brown, alittle bit of lighter yellow brown. (Detoxing while on soupie I assume) 5. Activity levels: The usual, Energetic & Playful~ 6. Weekly menu: Last week- Soupie (HF Recipe), Chicken Slivers with Soupie.
Yuki is doing well. I'm guessing you made my mistake, and his weight is 3lbs 2.8 ounces. He is detoxing and so his stools will be funky. I never realized what detoxing is, until I began taking Yoga. You can really feel toxins leave your body. I lost my Yoga center, when we moved here and am probably full of toxins again. Yuck! 1. Ferret's name: Haru. 2. Ferret's weight: 1 ounce, 12.9 oz. (819 grams) 3. Ferret has eaten "1.5 to 2 ounces" on average per meal. 4. Stools on various proteins: There's been light brown, dark brown, alittle bit of lighter yellow brown. (Detoxing while on soupie I assume) 5. Activity levels: A little energetic, becoming more playful (which is super adorable to see) 6. Weekly menu: Last week- Soupie (HF Recipe), Chicken Slivers with Soupie.
Haru should be about 1 pound 8 ounces, and that's a nice weight for a female. Her stools sound normal for the beginning of a switch. I'm pleased that both of their energy levels are good. They've gained weight! They both made a mess this morning, It seems they need a bath. ;A; I might just use plain water since all I need to do is rinse them. Is there anything else I'm missing?
Nope, you're not missing anything except maybe some cute pictures for this month's photo contest: Wet and Wild Ferret Fun. Bath pictures would be so cute! I ran out of chicken thigh for the sliversActually, that will work out well. Why don't you use gizzard slivers for the slivers. Do you already have soupie made? If so, you can use the gizzards as slivers. You won't be able to make a soupie with gizzards as a replacement for thighs, it will kill your blender. If your soupie is made and you're simply adding slivers, gizzards are perfect. You'll hear me sing the praises of gizzards often. Building jaw strength and cleaning teeth, they are a super food. How big are the slivers now? Have you increased their sizes or still working on the smallest sizes? If you go shopping and want to try a new protein, pork will be a good second choice. Find a nice fatty cut and you can still use chicken hearts and liver until we move on to the next phase and they begin eating slivers without soup. Your Bio was so interesting to read. You're a very talented young woman. I love that you're learning Japanese. My family spent alot of years in Japan at the turn of the century and then again after World War II. My other Mentee Akane is also Japanese, you might enjoy talking to her. She's very sweet. I thought we could talk about the Blockage Protocol today. What do you know about it? Do you have canned pumpkin and vaseline on hand? Are you familiar with Barium X rays? By Heather Downie
If you suspect your ferret has eaten something they shouldn’t, do not “wait and see”. Immediately start this process to push through whatever the problem may be. Pumpkin and vaseline are only to be used in emergencies, and vaseline can and does affect nutrient absorption. However, better a few days of a possible upset tummy than the alternative. The Blockage protocol is:
1 tbsp 100% pure canned pumpkin
followed one hour later by 1 tsp vaseline or ferret lax.
Alternate these both hourly until the ferret has nice big gloopy orange poops (should take 2-3 hours).
This should only take about 4 hrs. If at any point during this protocol the ferret begins vomiting, or crashes, stop immediately and call the vet while you are on your way there. It has now become a total blockage and the ONLY thing that might help it pass is a barium xray. If the barium doesn’t push the obstruction through then immediate surgery is essential or the ferret WILL die.
If the ferret does pass the object, follow up by 1 tsp of pumpkin for 3-4 days to be certain everything has gone through.Hopefully, Yuki and Haru will not go thru this, but you want to be prepared. Here is a link with info from Hurricanekatt (my Mentor). She has a little boy, Koda who is an inveterate chewer and has more than his share of Close Encounters of the Koda Kind. Here is a great thread: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/13211/blockages-all-takesHugs to Yuki and Haru, and Happy Work Week to you! :wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2015 22:48:08 GMT -5
And now it's Monday. Terribly hot and humid here. We ran some errands, switched the upstairs ferrets for downstairs ferrets and I'm getting caught up on the forum.Its freezing here. ;A; Oh yay! They're free roamers aren't they? Lucky them! >3< Yuki is doing well. I'm guessing you made my mistake, and his weight is 3lbs 2.8 ounces.He is detoxing and so his stools will be funky. I never realized what detoxing is, until I began taking Yoga. You can really feel toxins leave your body.I lost my Yoga center, when we moved here and am probably full of toxins again. Yuck!HAHA Oops! Lucky you understood my mistake Detoxing is good! I assumed that was the case with his change in poop every so often. Haru should be about 1 pound 8 ounces, and that's a nice weight for a female.Her stools sound normal for the beginning of a switch.I'm pleased that both of their energy levels are good.Thats great to hear >3< She was less energetic at the start, but now she's more playful and running/chasing after Yuki. They go up and down the hall, we have to be careful where we stand, especially when they shoot through your legs. Funny creatures >3< Nope, you're not missing anything except maybe some cute pictures for this month's photo contest: Wet and Wild Ferret Fun. Bath pictures would be so cute!I attempted to get some photos, I'll upload them to the contest >3< They don't look like they're having fun though. I think they dread bath time and as soon as they're out, they get bottle brush tails from excitement and run up and down the hall, chasing eachother etc >3< Actually, that will work out well. Why don't you use gizzard slivers for the slivers. Do you already have soupie made? If so, you can use the gizzards as slivers. You won't be able to make a soupie with gizzards as a replacement for thighs, it will kill your blender. If your soupie is made and you're simply adding slivers, gizzards are perfect.You'll hear me sing the praises of gizzards often. Building jaw strength and cleaning teeth, they are a super food.I have lots of gizzards! I'll put some in for their dinner >3< Hopefully Haru will try them with the soupie. Oh yes, you mentioned to me about gizzards helping with their jaws and cleaning teeth. >3< Healthy clean teeth are a must~ How big are the slivers now? Have you increased their sizes or still working on the smallest sizes?I made them alittle more chunkier than a thumb nail size. I doubled them in size before I ran out and they both handled it well ^^ If you go shopping and want to try a new protein, pork will be a good second choice. Find a nice fatty cut and you can still use chicken hearts and liver until we move on to the next phase and they begin eating slivers without soup.I'll get some fatty pork for them tomorrow >3< They haven't tried pork yet so I'm sure they will like them! Your Bio was so interesting to read. You're a very talented young woman. I love that you're learning Japanese. My family spent alot of years in Japan at the turn of the century and then again after World War II. My other Mentee Akane is also Japanese, you might enjoy talking to her. She's very sweet.Thank you! I love Japanese >3< I still have a long way to go when it comes to the Kanji even though I can read the basics. I can read Kana without issues. I'm yet to visit Japan. I was originally going to study there at Kyoto Seika Uni back in 2011 for their manga courses. But things had to be put on hold due to family issues. >3< I thought we could talk about the Blockage Protocol today. What do you know about it?Do you have canned pumpkin and vaseline on hand? Are you familiar with Barium X rays?I cannot find 'canned pumpkin' where i live, but vaseline is always available. We actually keep spares. Are there alternative to canned pumpkin, or can it be freshly made? Oh here's some photos! Hopefully, Yuki and Haru will not go thru this, but you want to be prepared. Here is a link with info from Hurricanekatt (my Mentor). She has a little boy, Koda who is an inveterate chewer and has more than his share of Close Encounters of the Koda Kind. Here is a great thread: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/13211/blockages-all-takes
Hugs to Yuki and Haru, and Happy Work Week to you!:wave3: Oh blockages would be a nightmare ;A; I'm already constantly checking before they come out, but you can never be too sure what they could get themselves into.. I will be sure to keep all that noted. Lucky for me, the vet around the corner has an emergency number and would be available for any emergencies if a blockage was to occur. I literally could run around the corner, thats how close it is. Very handy >3<
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2015 22:49:35 GMT -5
I have so little photos of Haru. She barely stays still even for a second >3< She's my next target this evening for some photos~
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2015 12:20:35 GMT -5
Hello :wave3: I attempted to get some photos, I'll upload them to the contest >3< They don't look like they're having fun though. I think they dread bath time and as soon as they're out, they get bottle brush tails from excitement and run up and down the hall, chasing each other etc >3< I think it's so much fun after bathing them. Mine do that, they get all bushy tailed and run around chasing each other and trying so hard to get dirty again. Too much bathing strips their skin of natural oils, but I confess to loving it when I find that they need a bath. I have lots of gizzards! I'll put some in for their dinner >3< Hopefully Haru will try them with the soupie. Oh yes, you mentioned to me about gizzards helping with their jaws and cleaning teeth. >3< Healthy clean teeth are a must~
Good, cut them nice and long and thin. You can try different sizes also. Then watch the concentration on their faces when they chew them. My Wynstan gets a special treat during gizzard meals. I stand at the sink and run a slice or two under some warm water and hand feed him, just a piece or two. Then I put him down and he eats fine, it's just "our" special time. I made them alittle more chunkier than a thumb nail size. I doubled them in size before I ran out and they both handled it well ^^
That's very very good. The next time that you go shopping, if you could pick up some wings, I'd like to see if they will chew on some wing tips. I'm thinking both Haru and Yuki will be good sports and give the wing tips a go. Cut the wing at the Tendon and save the Biceps and Forearm muscle in a baggie. Then cut once lengthwise and twice width wise, without slicing all the way through. Put one or two for each Haru and Yuki in with them, maybe at nighttime and see how well they munch on them. It will be fun and stimulating and their first real shot at gnawing on Bone In meals. I'll get some fatty pork for them tomorrow >3< They haven't tried pork yet so I'm sure they will like them!
Usually everyone likes pork. So, I think they will enjoy a change of protein. I cannot find 'canned pumpkin' where i live, but vaseline is always available. We actually keep spares. Are there alternative to canned pumpkin, or can it be freshly made?
That's right, no Thanksgiving and I guess no Pumpkin Pie? It's an emergency only situation and Butternut squash can also be used. Pumpkin is super fibrous so raw pumpkin is not good. You are not the first one to have issues finding canned pumpkin. Here is what Hurricanekatt suggests: Any type of squash will work for fiber. Pumpkin, Acorn, Butternut, Yellow...they are all very similar and all very high in fiber. I have used various squash baby foods in the past including the butternut, and sweet potato chicken. I have found they all work quite well. Sweet potato is higher in sugars than squash I believe but still works well for a fiber. You can also buy fresh squash of any kind and blend it up. As for canned pumpkin in particular I recently found a method that worked quite well
Read more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/889#ixzz3gXxlYfjD
A tip for the pumpkin that I recently discovered. I tried freezing it in cubes - HORRIBLE idea. It freezes like cement only worse. It is impossible to get out of the tray! haha What I found that DOES work is when I prepare the food bags, I put a fair sized scoop of pumpkin in each one. When I am done filling the bags, I gently (make sure not to poke holes with any sharp bones! haha) mush the bag contents around a little to spread to pumpkin over the meat. This way every meal has it's "fur" aka fiber content.
Read more: www.holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=switch&action=display&thread=192&page=9#ixzz1GiAjbrja
Read more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/889#ixzz3gXyAW09d
I love that you have an Emergency Vet so close. Emergencies rarely happen during convenient hours. Funny enough, you would think that the Vaseline is harder to get into them, but they love it. It might help also if you have a couple of syringes, a big one and a little one, just in case they refuse the pumpkin. Some love it and others hate it. Fingers crossed that you don't have to deal with a blockage, but it's best to be prepared. Your Artwork is amazing. You are very talented. Are you in school for Art or working in the field? I'm off to find some lunch and I'll check back in later. (dance)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2015 10:06:21 GMT -5
Hi! I read your message earlier but was very busy today so I couldn't reply until tonight/now. Today, Yuki went to the vet to get neutered and it went very well. He was well behaved today and didn't get nippy with the vet like he did the last vaccination visit. Unfortunately Haru was anything but behaved LOL She was so cranky today, which I can totally understand because I would be too if I was woken from my sleep and then put in a carrier that was headed for a needle trip She was very nippy with the vet. The vet couldn't scruff her properly, so I scruffed her, but since Haru was being very difficult, the vet decided to try putting a towel over her to make it less stressful (which didn't work). In the end, Haru got her last Distemper vaccine for the year. It took at least 15 minutes LOL. Poor little Haru. She must have remembered the vet from last time when she was speyed. It wasn't her favourite day thats for sure! So we left Yuki at the vet and took Haru home, then Haru got some yummy food to fill her belly, then went to sleep. She won't need to see the vet for a while so she can fret less >3< She ate some Gizzard today, I was going to cut it up but she took it right out of my hand. She ended up having a block of soup after her sleep as well. You should have seen her when yuki came home >3< I let them out for some play time after I got home from my appointment and Yuki & Haru got to finally explore my now ferret proofed bed room >3< Haru was playing more, alot more than usual! It was so adorable and I'm so happy she's getting more playful. She played with Yuki for alittle bit before going back to sleep and yuki stayed out for alittle longer and ended up relaxing in my bed. Haha! I had to watch him since he had stitches in. They get taken out in about 10 days. ^^ OH! At the vet clinic, they have this kitty that is a free roamer. I think He's a resident and we see him every visit. He was chasing a spider on the ground, and being so sadistic with it before he ate it ;A; Then he wondered over to me (kyaa, kitties are cute *Loves cats*) I have a photo of him when he first saw the ferrets. His face was like "What on earth is that creature..." There were also a couple of little kids (around 5-8 yearsold) who took a liking to Haru & Yuki. They never saw a ferret before and thought they were super adorable. The vet nurse was like "what do you think they are?" and the kids where like "I don't know" then she said "They're ferrets, there's another one in there, try and spot her" Haru was hiding under the blankets, trying to catch up on some Z's Lol. They wanted to pet them and everything but i could not let them, since Haru was very cranky and I couldn't risk any nips. I have to admit, I'm very happy that there's always someone who sees them at the Vet clinic and loves them. Here's some before and after photos of Yuki. and after. Lots and lots of photos lol. >3< I think it's so much fun after bathing them. Mine do that, they get all bushy tailed and run around chasing each other and trying so hard to get dirty again. Too much bathing strips their skin of natural oils, but I confess to loving it when I find that they need a bath. I love bath time >3< It can be hard though since Yuki like's to jump out before 'enjoying' the nice warm water ;A; He never used to do that, But I guess its from all that climbing he's been doing that led to him figuring it out. Was it bathing with shampoo's that strip the natural oils, Or water in general? Would it still be alright to just have a normal water bath without shampooing every now and then, or will it still strip the oils? They don't really make a mess of themselves much anymore so they've needed less baths. I try to limit baths and only do them when absolutely necessary. Small dirty spots can be wiped clean. ^u^ Good, cut them nice and long and thin. You can try different sizes also. Then watch the concentration on their faces when they chew them.I've seen the concentrating eating! The look on their faces when they ate the chicken thighs where classic >3< "Don't bother me human, I have thighs to chew!" My Wynstan gets a special treat during gizzard meals. I stand at the sink and run a slice or two under some warm water and hand feed him, just a piece or two. Then I put him down and he eats fine, it's just "our" special time.Is there anything special about putting them through warm water? Or do some ferrets just like the feel of it? I might try it and see how Haru and Yuki like it. >3< It sounds like a wonderful bonding time! That's very very good. The next time that you go shopping, if you could pick up some wings, I'd like to see if they will chew on some wing tips. We already had some wings. I actually defrosted them today and cut them up about an hour ago. I cut them in parts, Like tips, wingettes, and drumettes (if thats what they're called). I put them in containers, so I have 4 tips ready to go for tomorrow~ I also weighed them. 4 x tips = 61g. 4 x wingettes = 222g. 4 x drumettes = 314g. I also had two necks defrosted and thought I would chop / mash/crushed it. (which by the way, was very hard lol!) 2 x necks = 60g. Should I try Haru on the necks also? I'm thinking both Haru and Yuki will be good sports and give the wing tips a go. Yuki's already tried the tips before. I tried him on the full wing and he only ever ate the tips, so the tips should go fine with him. He was desexed today, so would he still be okay with eating tips? He was eating Gizzards fine before. Cut the wing at the Tendon and save the Biceps and Forearm muscle in a baggie. Then cut once lengthwise and twice width wise, without slicing all the way through.Put one or two for each Haru and Yuki in with them, maybe at nighttime and see how well they munch on them. I actually twisted them to break the bones, then cut through with a large knife. It was fairly easy to do. ^^ I was taught when I was little, to stretch the wing out, cut the skin part if needed, then twist and break the bone before cutting. So now it seems very easy to cut up the sections. ^^ It will be fun and stimulating and their first real shot at gnawing on Bone In meals.I'm hoping Haru gives it a go >3< Usually everyone likes pork. So, I think they will enjoy a change of protein.I couldn't get the pork or thigh this week. My room mate had one of those unexpected bills but it doesn't seem to be an issue since we already have alot of meat to choose from in the freeze until next week. our main shopping week is every fortnight, so I'm starting to have a good idea on how much of certain meats I should buy to last the ferrets a fortnight. I swear we have enough liver, necks and hearts to last a month in that freezer. We still have that kidney also and so much gizzard that we could throw a gizzard party. LOL That's right, no Thanksgiving and I guess no Pumpkin Pie? It's an emergency only situation and Butternut squash can also be used."whats a thanksgiving?" Me when I was 11 yearsold. haha! We don't celebrate it over here, along with halloween. I think the closest to thanksgiving we have would be australia day, but thats always mainly BBQ's and beer.(of course not for children LOL) Pumpkin is super fibrous so raw pumpkin is not good.You are not the first one to have issues finding canned pumpkin. Here is what Hurricanekatt suggests:Oh I never thought to try baby food. We have pumpkin soups and I've seen some that have the consistency of what canned pumpkin is suppose to have. Maybe thats our version of 'canned pumpkin'. Would that be an alternative also? Of course, only those with 100% pumpkin/puree and none of that chunky veg stuff. I think freezing it wouldn't be a problem with a silicone type ice tray. I was actually considering in getting a few. I also found that having a thin knife that was heated up (run through hot water) can help get those soupies that won't budge. I love that you have an Emergency Vet so close. Emergencies rarely happen during convenient hours.Funny enough, you would think that the Vaseline is harder to get into them, but they love it.It might help also if you have a couple of syringes, a big one and a little one, just in case they refuse the pumpkin. Some love it and others hate it. Fingers crossed that you don't have to deal with a blockage, but it's best to be prepared.Thats why they call them emergencies. LOL I noticed that also. I've had my fair share of after hour emergencies. There's even some vets that do run outs for emergencies, well I did know of some when I lived in Bendigo. Not quite sure where I currently live. but in any case, Having one so close that I could probably run there within 10-15 minutes is very helpful. I actually could get there in five if I take a shortcut through the paddock across the road. I have a couple of syringes already, but I'm probably going to get them replaced soon since they're about 6 or 12 months old ;A; I'm making up an emergency kit, specifically for Ferret emergencies, so they will definitely be in it along with vaseline, or a small can of pumpkin/baby food if I can get my hands on some. With baby food, is there anything I should avoid when it comes to labels and content? I just went onto our coles supermarket website and smack bam, there's a baby food for $1.15. LOL I was going to check to see if they have any pumpkin baby food there. Speaking of canned pumpkin. I see alot of 'cream of pumpkin. I might check the label. Okay I just checked a few and I see so many things in it... Here's an example Canned pumpkin would be 100% pumpkin right? I just looked into some puree or baby food. I'm noticing alot of the baby food has things like corn semolina/corn flour and vegies. Since we're talking about emergency laxative purposes, is that safe in small amounts? Is there anything that is a must avoid even in emergencies? You say that raw pumpkin isn't good, How about if I buy fresh, steam/cook it and puree it ? Would that be okay? Your Artwork is amazing. You are very talented. Are you in school for Art or working in the field?Thanks!! I've been on and off with studying in the visual arts field. I've even studied graphics design and gained many skills. ^^ I don't go to school, so I've been doing courses at TAFE (kind of like a lower level of University) At the moment I'm studying a Business course, since I'm coming out of a no study period and focusing on getting my anxiety medications in check.I'm going to be going back next year to complete a visual art course that I unfortunately had to put on a hold. I've been mainly freelance in the field. Especially with illustration and graphic design. ^^ I'm off to find some lunch and I'll check back in later. (dance)18 or so hours later and I'm sure you've found that lunch >3< It's currently 11:40pm so I think I should get some sleep. Sorry for being very late for replying again! Of course you know its always because of the fuzzies. They keep me so busy~
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2015 10:14:55 GMT -5
Oh I forgot to mention. I just gave Yuki some tips just before. (literally about 30 minutes ago) and he was chewing on it for alittle while. First attempt was when he was out wandering around- automatically he stashed it, so I thought I would just put them in the cage and he can eat there instead of stashing the wings under my room mates bed. LOL. I'm sure she would have a lovely surprise. I also found my missing slipper under there... once again. So once in the cage, I put him in there and closed the cage. It took about 5 minutes until he went from 'play' mode to 'oh yes, I'm actually quite peckish' He chewed on a tip for alittle bit before finally leaving it for later (stashing it, and coming back to stash the other three.) I put four in there, 2 for Haru and 2 for Yuki. Haru was asleep, and I knew she ate alittle earlier so I thought I would let her sleep for now and she can eat them later. Yuki ate about half of the tip as well. I heard the bones crunching, So he must have really loved it. >3< Should I try the wingettes if the tips go well for both of them? Or continue with the small amount of soup with added diced gizzard? I also have necks too, which I can crush if needed. ^^ Okay, I think I shall sleep now. I think i told myself before that I would sleep an hour ago but Yuki came out for alittle more play. ^^ Now I shall sleep~ Good night! (or morning ? Oh wait, Its 1am now so technically its morning here lol)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2015 9:18:05 GMT -5
I checked on the wings this morning and it seems both of them didn't touch them. ;A; Yuki tried it but didn't fully eat one, while Haru didn't touch any at all. I tried haru on a bit of meat from the chicken neck and she didn't touch it, so I tried the scruff and stuff technique with a plastic baby fork. I couldn't hold her over my arm, so I sat down and put her on my lap >3< I held the fork around her mouth and tried to coax her to try it. After 5 minutes she licked it and took it. (it was a small part, so she ate it straight away) I'm hoping that she'll try it again. >3< Oh I forgot to post this poop photos. One is from yesterday and the other two are from today. I'm guessing the poop that appears seedy or boney would be Yuki's since he had the tips yesterday night. Haru had soupie with Gizzards.
(yesterday morning poop The darker one is Haru's since I saw her doing it hahaha! )
(Yuki's poop in the large tray) (The poop is a dark brown colour, I think the flash made it look alittle darker than it should be. I'm assuming the darker ones are Haru's, mainly because I noticed thats how she's been pooping while on the Soupie/Gizzard meals. ) I also gave them their weekly egg today, so the poop might be yellowish later. I usually give them the egg on Wednesday since thats our egg day >3< Oh and more sleepy Yuki >3< Its been only a day since he was desexed and his fur looks more brighter/less yellow tinge around his face/neck area from the oils. I finally got them to start using the larger litter tray on the ground level and Yuki no longer knocks it around. yay. I also made more soupie, but using mince instead of the chicken thigh. I'm going to give them more gizzards in the morning also. ^^ Haru was playing again tonight >3< It was great! I got a video of it, I will upload it soon~ I just realised something interesting just now. We don't have litter trays around the house, just the puppy pads in some places but both Yuki and Haru never use them. They don't poop or pee in the house, and always go back to their cage if they need to go. I think its because they must go before they come out to play, and then they have dinner after play before they sleep.I watched Haru tonight when she was running back to the ferret room down the hall and she went straight into the cage to use the tray. What a good girl >3<
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2015 11:15:07 GMT -5
It's almost your weekend :banana:
I checked on the wings this morning and it seems both of them didn't touch them. ;A; Yuki tried it but didn't fully eat one, while Haru didn't touch any at all. I tried haru on a bit of meat from the chicken neck and she didn't touch it, so I tried the scruff and stuff technique with a plastic baby fork. I couldn't hold her over my arm, so I sat down and put her on my lap >3< I held the fork around her mouth and tried to coax her to try it. After 5 minutes she licked it and took it. (it was a small part, so she ate it straight away) I'm hoping that she'll try it again. >3<
That's okay, it was a first try. Keep doing this at night and maybe smash them a little more. Familiarity (with ferrets) breeds Content I'm not a fan of scruffing for feeding. Especially with females. They tend to see it as a dominance issue. The lap method is gentler and works better for me.
If she really is stubborn, take her over to the sink and run some water over the piece of chicken and try offering it to her. Don't put her down until she takes it. Even if she runs off, she's tasted it.
I heard the bones crunching, So he must have really loved it. >3<
Isn't that the best sound ever? Good boy!
Should I try the wingettes if the tips go well for both of them? Or continue with the small amount of soup with added diced gizzard?
How about for the next 3 days, we do the soup with gizzards for the morning meal. Then at night, leave the wings with them. If they refuse the wings and we know they will eat at least a little, then they will be hungrier and eat more breakfast.
Oh I forgot to post this poop photos. One is from yesterday and the other two are from today. I'm guessing the poop that appears seedy or boney would be Yuki's since he had the tips yesterday night. Haru had soupie with Gizzards.
Both poops look great. The darker one may also be darker because of the organs in the soupie. Those are nice and healthy looking poops.
Oh and more sleepy Yuki >3< Its been only a day since he was desexed and his fur looks more brighter/less yellow tinge around his face/neck area from the oils.
My cuteness fix for the day. He's really very handsome.
I finally got them to start using the larger litter tray on the ground level and Yuki no longer knocks it around. yay.
They are all so funny about litter boxes. Yuki must approve of his nice big new box.
I also made more soupie, but using mince instead of the chicken thigh. I'm going to give them more gizzards in the morning also. ^^
Have they tried it yet? That will be a new texture for them. I'll be curious to see how they like it.
Haru was playing again tonight >3< It was great! I got a video of it, I will upload it soon~ I just realised something interesting just now. We don't have litter trays around the house, just the puppy pads in some places but both Yuki and Haru never use them. They don't poop or pee in the house, and always go back to their cage if they need to go. I think its because they must go before they come out to play, and then they have dinner after play before they sleep.I watched Haru tonight when she was running back to the ferret room down the hall and she went straight into the cage to use the tray. What a good girl >3<
Oh boy, a video (dance) I can't wait to see it.
Wow, they are really well trained. I'm going to tag you with all litter questions, from now on. Seriously... :bow:
Since we are moving along fast and new proteins will be coming up, let's talk about IBD or Irritable Bowel Disease. Chicken is a common allergen and lamb is considered a hypo allergenic meat. You're already an expert on poop patrol, so here is an overview and what to watch out for:
Irritable Bowel Disease IBD (also called IBS) is a very common issue in ferrets. Most cases of IBD can be controlled through diet and supplements while more extreme cases require prednisolone to reduce the chronic inflammation. If IBD is not managed properly, the chronic inflammation can have devastating results. Inflamed intestines are not able to properly absorb nutrients from food, which can lead to malnutrition and serious nutrient deficiencies over time and the loose stools characteristic of IBD can lead to dehydration. IBD also affects the gut motility, meaning that food will move more solely through the GI tract. In addition, chronic inflammation of any tissue can lead to scarring and/or a significantly increased risk of developing tumors.
What is IBD? IBD is a condition in which the gastrointestinal tract (typically the small and large intestines more so than the stomach) is chronically inflamed. The inflammation can be instigated by stress (positive and negative stress) or allergens.
IBD is often diagnosed primarily by symptoms. However, a biopsy can be done to confirm the diagnosis. This may be advisable in extreme cases to ensure that there isn’t something more serious going on. Generally though, diagnosis by symptoms is the least invasive and preferable course.
Symptoms of IBD The symptoms of IBD can also be symptoms of various other medical conditions. If your ferret is having any of these symptoms it is important to see a vet. You must make sure that something else is not the cause of the symptoms, and it is important to get an IBD flare up under control as soon as possible (discussed later).
Symptoms include: • Chronic “bad” stools – often high in mucous, runny, seedy, off-color, diarrhea, blood in stool, etc • Tooth grinding (sign of abdominal pain) • Lack of appetite • Weight Loss • Lethargy • Ulcers (blood in stool, tooth grinding) - ulcers are more of a side effect than a symptom
Treating IBD with Medications It is important to get IBD flare ups under control. Initial flare ups, and any flare up that cannot be brought under control by diet should be treated with medication. The typical course of treatment for IBD is called “Triple Therapy” and consists of: Amoxicillin, Metronidazole, and Sucralfate (Carafate). The Amoxi and Metro help to reduce any secondary infection from opportunistic bacteria overgrowing as a result of the imbalance in the intestines. The Carafate is a tummy coater and soother that helps to reduce inflammation and protect the intestinal lining so it can heal. This can and will interfere with nutrient and medication absorption so it is super important to follow your vets instructions for the dosage and TIMING of these meds very closely.
When IBD cannot be brought under control via diet and antibiotics, then steroids are the next course of action. Prednisolone is the preferred steroid treatment as it is easier on the liver than prednisone. Steroids have a lot of side effects and are very hard on their little bodies so this should be a last course of action. However; do NOT avoid giving your ferrets pred when it is needed simply because you are afraid of the side effects. Uncontrolled IBD can kill your ferret – and it will be a long, slow, and painful death.
In some cases pain medication can help to reduce stomach pain that is interfering with appetite.
Treating IBD with Diet The best way to control IBD is through diet. Unsurprisingly, a balanced raw diet is the BEST diet for a ferret with IBD. The high moisture and easily absorbed proteins and nutrients are vital. In addition, by feeding raw you have complete control over what ingredients your ferret is getting. This makes it MUCH simpler. Both of my ferrets have IBD. My vet who is pro-raw told me this about Kenai during one visit “the fact that you feed raw is probably the only reason his IBD is as under control as it is.”
It is very important in IBD to identify the triggers for your ferret. This is a long and involved process that requires careful recording and a lot of trial and error. The best way to do this is to do an Elimination Diet in which you eliminate all but one protein and then progressively add new proteins one at a time to see which foods cause what reactions. Supplements (described below) can also be very helpful but should be secondary to dietary changes.
This is very much a trial and error thing. Every ferret with IBD is different. Some have food sensitivities, some have full-on projectile vomiting allergies. Some ferrets with IBD do best with very gradual changes in proteins, while others do best if they are not kept on any one protein for more than 1-2 meals at a time. This is where keeping a journal of your ferret’s input, output, symptoms, and additional notes is VITAL. The journal will help you notice patterns over time so that you can figure out what works best for your ferret.
Ferrets with bad IBD tend to do best with easily digestible foods such as commercially ground raw meats that are easy to absorb.
Lamb is your friend! Lamb is a very gentle, easy to digest meat that is often considered “hypoallergenic.” While ferrets can be allergic to lamb, allergies are uncommon. Goat is very similar to lamb and often less expensive if you have access. The important thing with IBD and food trials is to start with a novel protein (one that they have not had before). Elimination diets will be described in a separate article.
Supplements for IBD There are many supplements that are helpful for ferrets with IBD. Below are the most common ones: • Reishi - reduces inflammation and very high in antioxidants • Slippery Elm - prepared as a syrup, acts to reduce inflammation/irritation and coats and soothes the stomach. This is a tumme coater which, like Carafate, can interfere with digestion so it is best to only give Slippery Elm during flare ups, it should not be used long-term. • Pancreatic Enzymes (Pancreatin) – sprinkled over food (preferably 1 hour prior to feeding to give it time to act) this enzyme helps to break down food so that it is easier to digest and absorb nutrients from. • Probiotics – added into food as a powder supplement, or via kefir. Probios help to reestablish the proper balance of the gut flora. These are good to give as a regular supplement, but are particularly important after a course of antibiotics to help “reset” the intestines. • Salmon oil – helps to provide omega fatty acids. This is a good supplement regardless of the health of your ferret but in a ferret with trouble absorbing the nutrients from food it might help add some of the missing fats back in. Only use in small amounts as you do not want to further exacerbate IBD poops. • Call of the Wild Wysong supplement – this is essentially a multivitamin supplement that can help to fill in some of the nutrients that aren’t being absorbed during a flare up. • Carnivore Care – Carnivore Care is a high calorie, nutrient dense food sold by vets. You can get it over the counter at most vet offices. CC is a powder that you mix with warm water to make a soup for your sick ferret. It is designed especially for carnivores! You can use CC as a supplement to add extra nutrients to their food (use it like a gravy over their regular food), or in very sick ferrets, as their primary “emergency” diet. This is not a long-term diet, but it is very, very useful for extremely sick ferrets.
IBD and Other Diseases IBD appears to often go hand and hand with Adrenal Disease. If you are having trouble getting your ferret’s IBD under control, or if they show any symptoms of possible adrenal disease it is often worth doing a 3 month trial of Lupron or getting a Deslorelin implant.
It's a nice read, written by Hurricanekatt. :wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2015 8:37:06 GMT -5
It's almost your weekend :banana:yesss~ Tomorrow is Saturday . I really should use the weekend for study catchup I missed alot of hours of study since I've been really busy. I'll speed through it so I can have a "lazy" ... or "not-so-lazy-since-i-have-ferrets" weekend. I lost like 5kg since Yuki became my exercise coach. LOL All tha running up and down the hallway, chasing him and playing hide and seek really pays off. omg, we have a treadmill and i just realize I got into the habit of not using it- looks like I have a more fun alternative. That's okay, it was a first try. Keep doing this at night and maybe smash them a little more.Familiarity (with ferrets) breeds ContentI'm not a fan of scruffing for feeding. Especially with females. They tend to see it as a dominance issue. The lap method is gentler and works better for me.I might smash them alittle more tonight for their dinner. >3< I scruffed at first, but then she just sat in my lap so it really wasn't needed. I want to avoid scruffing and only scruff when necessary, like clipping nails/ear cleaning if they don't stay still oh and vet visits, especially if she decides she doesn't like the vet. Its funny, I was expecting Yuki to be more nippy with the vet, but he's always such a good boy when it comes to going to the vet. She hates it with a passion. If she really is stubborn, take her over to the sink and run some water over the piece of chicken and try offering it to her. Don't put her down until she takes it. Even if she runs off, she's tasted it.I have a feeling she will end up being stubborn tonight so I will try this for sure. I might cut a small piece off first, then try a bigger one if the small succeeds. I might also try it with Yuki also. Isn't that the best sound ever? Good boy!At first I thought it sounded painful, but now I realise how strong their teeth and jaws are. Its so amazing. >3< How about for the next 3 days, we do the soup with gizzards for the morning meal.Then at night, leave the wings with them. If they refuse the wings and we know they will eat at least a little, then they will be hungrier and eat more breakfast.Alrighty! I'll do it like that~ ^u^ Both poops look great. The darker one may also be darker because of the organs in the soupie.Those are nice and healthy looking poops.I noticed that the darker poops sometimes smell more than usual. Most of the time they don't smell, which is always a great thing. >3< They poop less and less is less clean up so we're been saving money on litter. We buy in bulk, so we actually just save more in litter rather than money. Its also great that they only go in a corner of the tray, so I can easily scoop out that section, scatter the cleaner litter around and refill if needed. I like them to have fresh litter, so I change the entire tray once a week and fully clean it. >3< My cuteness fix for the day. He's really very handsome.Everyone loves Yuki >3< My roommate says he's very photogenic. I noticed alot of other ferrets are also photogenic. Ferrets in general must be soooo photogenic <3 They are all so funny about litter boxes. Yuki must approve of his nice big new box.I caught Haru sleeping in it the other day. Have they tried it yet? That will be a new texture for them. I'll be curious to see how they like it.They had it this morning and both ate some before going back to sleep. ^u^ Oh boy, a video (dance) I can't wait to see it.I'm editing it right now >3< (its alittle dark so i have to adjust the lighting) Wow, they are really well trained. I'm going to tag you with all litter questions, from now on.Seriously... :bow:Well trained after a very long attempt. :thumbsup: I literally read this, then went in to feed them for the night and saw her having a snooze in the tray. Oh Haru, thats where you poop! As soon as she saw me she got out of it, ate alittle and then literally went back in there, did a poop and then curled up in the other end. Yuki was alone on the top platform so It seems maybe she was like "nope, I've had it with you Yuki. If you don't sleep down stairs, then I shall" It took them 4 weeks to learn to use the litter, and to stop digging it, and to stop knocking it around as a way of redecorating what they must see as "my bad tastes" in decorating cage stuff. Funny guys I literally had to drill holes in them and connect them to the cage but Yuki also found a way to get past that with his little tantrums. >3< I tried using blankets and then realised they were pooping on those since they were freshly washed. Instead I thought 'oh, scent from bedding' and used the one's I was suppose to wash and place them down the bottom with fresh ones up top. Worked like a charm after we got passed the ferrets and their 'i'll just move the blankets before i poop'. They never fail to amaze me. Of course, Expert on poop patrol, but I still wouldn't say I'm an expert on the poop yet though ahahha! ~ woah woah, I never knew that IBS could lead to tumors. That's very worrying ;A; (idea)Learnt something new~ There's probably so many poor little fuzzies out in the world who are going through this. It would be so stressful on them emotionally and physically. ;A; IBS has been on my mind since you last mentioned about chicken being an allergen. Even at the moment, they seem fine on chicken or other meats, but who knows what intolerance they could build up in the future. Its a good thing I'm learning in advance, just incase. A long, slow and painful death would be one of the worst kinds of suffering. Some of those supplements may not be available where I am, or may be called under alternative names/brands. I know we definitely do not have anything by Wysong and our customs may not allow me to import. ;n; I cannot seem to find any salmon oil thats in oil form in stores, but I'm pretty sure we definitely have it, maybe i'll buy online. I just have to make sure there's nothing added into it, other than salmon oil. Carnivore Care is a probable thumbs up. I found a oxbow supplier but they don't seem to sell any on their shop, however I'm sure i can still order it from them. I can get Probiotics easily, but does it matter on brands? I see alot of dog Probiotics and some that come in treat form. I see alot of slippery elm powders like this one -> www.carusosnaturalhealth.com.au/product/59/slippery-elm-powderI also found Pancreatin in tablet form(I think) It's called 'Nature's Life Pancreatin 1,400 mg' au.evitamins.com/pancreatin-1400-mg-natures-life-12175I also just realised that the brand 'nature's life' has Taurine powder. That Evitamins shop also stocks that brand 'now (or Now Foods)' They too have pancreatin au.evitamins.com/pancreatin-now-foods-9418Since I'm finding alot of these in tablet or capsule form, they would have to be crushed into powder form wouldn't they? Ferrets would have a certain dosage for Pancreatin or any other supplement depending on their weight right? Nevermind lol. I was googling and found this thread. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/199/using-supplements I might do some more research. It's always good to have records now, rather than later~ ^u^ (I said this before I did all the above research, but it never hurts to read up more about things ^^) It was a great, well written read. Very easy to digest-no pun intended. I had to explain Adrenal Disease and other diseases the other day to my roommate. It started off with a conversation, she was watching ferret videos on youtube and I mentioned that someone's ferret ended up dying from Lymphoma & Insulinoma (poor baby ;n;) and she said "Did she get them vaccinated for that?" I ended up having to explain that they're forms of cancer and for adrenal there weren't any vaccines proven to work as of yet but there is treatments to stabilise and hopefully prevent it from occurring, but being completely cured is very rare. I even told her, that the naturally feeding them raw will help with preventing Adrenal Disease and that genetics have a big role in it. She's even started to do some research on ferret related things now also. >3< I'm still learning about diseases myself, so there will be much more reading for me~
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2015 10:50:23 GMT -5
Happy Weekend to you... I lost like 5kg since Yuki became my exercise coach. LOL All tha running up and down the hallway, chasing him and playing hide and seek really pays off. omg, we have a treadmill and i just realize I got into the habit of not using it- looks like I have a more fun alternative.
Ferretcize, very trendy new workouts. Treadmills simply make for good towel/clothes hangers. We had one once and an exercycle. 5KG, good for you. I might smash them a little more tonight for their dinner. >
That should help some. They'll be handling bone nicely very soon. Ferrets tear with their front teeth and chew with their back teeth. I can't imagine how strong they must be to take down animals like Prairie Dogs. I noticed that the darker poops sometimes smell more than usual. Most of the time they don't smell, which is always a great thing. >3< They poop less and less is less clean up so we're been saving money on litter.
Organ poops and fish poops both tend to be a little bit smellier. When you see kibble poops compared to raw poops, you realize just how little of the kibble is nutritionally helpful. If you ever have a truly awful odor to a poop, then that's an indication that something is wrong, like a bacterial overgrowth. Everyone loves Yuki >3< My roommate says he's very photogenic. I noticed alot of other ferrets are also photogenic. Ferrets in general must be soooo photogenic <3
Everyone loves Yuki...a great name for a television show, maybe an anime show about ferrets. Both of Haru and Yuki are simply beautiful. I really love the rounder faces on all of the European and Australian ferrets. Ours are darling but have the pointier face. A common insult is to call someone a Ferret Face and that's just wrong. Oh Haru, thats where you poop! As soon as she saw me she got out of it, ate a little and then literally went back in there, did a poop and then curled up in the other end.
I swear they really understand exactly what we are saying. Sometimes they want to pretend that they have no idea what you mean, but I've seen too many signs that they speak Human. I tried using blankets and then realised they were pooping on those since they were freshly washed. Instead I thought 'oh, scent from bedding' and used the one's I was suppose to wash and place them down the bottom with fresh ones up top. Worked like a charm after we got passed the ferrets and their 'i'll just move the blankets before i poop'. They never fail to amaze me.
Yep, that sounds exactly right. Scent mapping is often used for blind ferrets. You use one scent for bedding, and other scents so that a blind ferret can find their way around. It's very clever, I wonder if blind people ever do that? Scent Mapping and Blindness
by Sukie Crandall
As you have noticed most ferrets aren't even slowed down by blindness, so it can even be hard to notice that one is blind. Sight is not terribly important to them compared to other senses. A few aren't so fortunate, or perhaps a room gets rearranged, or the family moves and that causes navigation difficulties. If the ferret is very active that ferret might crash into things more than usual during active romping.
One of the most useful things to do when a ferret is blind is to use scent to help map the house and point out obstacles.
The mapping can be done with food flavorings like extracts of vanilla, almond, etc. but those that have alcohol in them so can damage some furniture.
What we use are essential oils. You have to be sure to use oils of things which are safely edible and only use little swipes with some on a q-tip. Avoid violet because it confuses the sense of smell (though it can be useful for helping cover smells when guests come over and violets are edible -- real violets NOT African violets which are not related. There are essential oils of fruits (the citrus ones are good and peach is downright yummy in scent), spices (vanilla and cinnamon are marvelous as are many others but we've found the ginger and cardamon to often come up short), herbs (the mints and so on), so there is a wide selection.
For each room select two different oils. Use each for their own side of the room unless the room is small. This way the back bathroom may be rose and moving out into bedroom may get you to cinnamon on the same side as the door out and vanilla on the other side, then orange for the hall where you can turn toward peach for the dining area, or... You get the idea.
At ferret height put the individual scents on things that project like door frames, the edges of furniture and so on, and on things which may move in a room with use like dining room chairs. That way the ferret will smell them near and the bumping will be reduced or stop.
We are aware of the scents for a few days but the ferrets seem to know they are there for as long as two weeks after application. We have found that textures and noise also help a lot so besides bells on toys we will get her playing and then have piles of plastic bags or laid out bubble wrap to surprise her when we get her running after a scented bell toy suspended from a "fishing pole". We especially loves the bubble wrap and her play goes wild when she suddenly has "pop, pop, pop" going on under her feet!
Borrowed from Wolfy's Wondifferous World website
Some of those supplements may not be available where I am, or may be called under alternative names/brands. I know we definitely do not have anything by Wysong and our customs may not allow me to import. ;n; I cannot seem to find any salmon oil thats in oil form in stores, but I'm pretty sure we definitely have it, maybe i'll buy online.
If you ever have any questions about finding products, PM Therese, she's in Australia and in touch with several ferret communities. Her user name shows up as tmd, not Therese. She's lovely and very helpful. I also just realised that the brand 'nature's life' has Taurine powder. That Evitamins shop also stocks that brand 'now (or Now Foods)' They too have pancreatin au.evitamins.com/pancreatin-now-foods-9418 Since I'm finding alot of these in tablet or capsule form, they would have to be crushed into powder form wouldn't they
I keep a large bottle of Taurine powder capsules. They simply pull apart (I'm paranoid about the two tiny pieces of plastic though) and I can add it to a muscle meat meal or a soupie. If they are in pill form, then you do want to crush them. Do you have a small mortar and pestle? I've never used Pancreatin. I understand that Pancreatin reduces the absorption of iron from food in the duodenum during digestion. I'm not sure that this is a good thing, so I'll post to the Mentors Board and get back to you. I love getting to learn something like this. (dance) Okay, further down I see a link, but I'd still like to ask about it. Things change and we learn something new every day, especially about ferrets. They get so little published studies that keeping up to date is important. I can get Probiotics easily, but does it matter on brands?
What matters most is that you check the ingredients. Here is a very good discussion on Probiotics. We'll use that as your reading for today. It's not really fair to have lessons on the weekends, so I'll just call it reading. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/8435Hugs to Haru and Yuki. I hope you enjoy your weekend and I'll get back to you on the Pancreatin. :wave3: It was a great, well written read. Very easy to digest-no pun intended.
Pun Accepted as a weapon of mass digestion I mentioned that someone's ferret ended up dying from Lymphoma & Insulinoma (poor baby ;n;) and she said "Did she get them vaccinated for that?" I ended up having to explain that they're forms of cancer and for adrenal there weren't any vaccines
Oh, if only there were vaccines. That's how I lost my Ponce. Insulinoma first, then Lymphoma. We can manage Insulinoma for quite awhile, sometimes years, but it cannot be cured. Lymphoma though, usually takes them fast. Adrenal can be also be managed. Ferrets are little cancer factories, sad to say. Yours are young, so don't let that stress you now. It's always good to learn and happily you have time to educate yourself. We are our own best health advocate and it's even more important to be theirs.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 11:42:39 GMT -5
We're having a very interesting discussion on the Mentors Board about Pancreatin. Sherry has asked what product you were looking at, so I linked the info her.
I'll get back to you, when I hear more and let you know what everyone has said. This is so fun and I'm really happy that you asked this question. (dance)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 11:54:32 GMT -5
Happy Weekend to you...It's cloudy today, Probably might rain. Sleepy sleepy day~ I let the ferrets out this morning, I might let them free roam for the afternoon. >3< Ferretcize, very trendy new workouts. Treadmills simply make for good towel/clothes hangers. We had one once and an exercycle. 5KG, good for you. Ferretcize is effective, "scientific" ferret study has shown. haha! That should help some. They'll be handling bone nicely very soon. Ferrets tear with their front teeth and chew with their back teeth. I can't imagine how strong they must be to take down animals like Prairie Dogs.I tried them on the wings as they are but they didn't touch them, so I sort of crushed/mashed it It has the bone chunks here and there also and I attempted to spoon feed some to both Haru & Yuki. Haru took and ate some from the spoon, Yuki just licked it and went back to sleep. So I left it in there cage. I'm pretty sure they'll have a try of it after their nap. They ate all of their gizzards and the small amount of soupie yesterday. I noticed that they tear and chew with their side teeth when they eat chicken thighs. Its so intriguing >3< More poop pics! This one is the most recent and both are Haru's. The darker one (slightly seedy but otherwise good consistency and smooth) was from earlier this morning (Gizzard/soupie) and the lighter one (chicken wing mash) was from after playtime about half an hour ago I was writing this in the morning Saturday and its now 1AM on Sunday. Oops. This one is from later on in the evening, second level corner litter tray. I've seen the light brown and dark brown poops before, but the other poop is new to me. I cannot work out what food could make it that colour, unless its part of the detoxing. None of them smell either. While I'm at it, I'll show you what I did with the chicken wings! I ended up crushing/mashing them since they both ignored them completely as a whole. There's still bits of bone in it as well. I tried spoon feeding them alittle. Yuki licked it only and Haru licked it and took some to eat. Its funny, I was expecting Yuki to be the one who is eager to eat it, but it seems Haru's now switched places. I got videos of haru eating off a spoon and Yuki not so interested in it I'm trying to upload them at the moment. Organ poops and fish poops both tend to be a little bit smellier. When you see kibble poops compared to raw poops, you realize just how little of the kibble is nutritionally helpful.I had a feeling organ poops would smell more even before I got the ferrets. They're usually darker and wetter too. Haru and Yuki haven't tried fish yet. Maybe later down the transition? Kibble poops smelt honestly worse than raw fed poops, Even the organ poops smell less. I also noticed that they're easier to clean up. On the second day of bringing them home, Yuki was eating and pooping kibble. He accidentally got some in the carpet and it was a horror to clean up especially when the kibble poop got right in the carpet. It left a stain, which we now managed to get out. *sigh* Yuki had an accident a few weeks ago and the raw fed poop came off straight away and never left a mark. Lucky I got it in time, but anyway it wasn't runny, it was smooth and consistent which really kept it from sinking into the carpet. I found a accident poop this morning, it was dry and I picked it up and even that never left a mark. Lucky If you ever have a truly awful odor to a poop, then that's an indication that something is wrong, like a bacterial overgrowth.Can the colour/texture of the poop change to match the awful odor if its a bacterial undergrowth? It would also be something that happens every time they poop also right? Any way, I'll keep this noted. ^^ Everyone loves Yuki...a great name for a television show, maybe an anime show about ferrets. Both of Haru and Yuki are simply beautiful. I really love the rounder faces on all of the European and Australian ferrets. Ours are darling but have the pointier face. A common insult is to call someone a Ferret Face and that's just wrong. I named Haru and Yuki after Spring and Snow. My favourite season is Spring and I love cold weather. >3< We were originally wanting to get a Japanese Spitz and it was originally going to be a female named Yuki, but since our landlord said no pets (Cats & Dogs), But caged pets were an okay. I think it was the best decision though. I'm loving them~ <3 I also noticed that when I hear family or friends say 'ferrets a vicious' I get that knife in the stomach kind of feeling and my instant thoughts are "Ignorant fools, you're gonna regret saying that when you see how my ferrets are more affectionate than your cat/dog." I never thought of ferrets as 'vicious' even before having them. I believe that no animal is 'vicious' because vicious means to be deliberately cruel and there's always a reason for why an animal behaves a certain way. (Like, being fearful/defensive/afraid, or over excited/ playful) I was bitten my by own dog once and people like to jump to conclusions for that without knowing the reason, which was I jumped between a dog fight ignorantly when I was younger because I didn't want any of them to get hurt and she accidentally bit my hand. She's a great, well mannered/natured border collie and she would never attack a person or bite without a certain reason behind it. Its the same with other animals. My cockatiels used to bite, but that was out of fear and all i needed to do was be compassionate, understanding and patient with them before they could trust me. They weren't vicious, nor did they have any malicious intent. Yuki and Haru have bitten me, once each. But they too had their reasons. Yuki was over playful and was unaware of how strong his jaws/teeth were with my thin skin and Haru, well I accidentally spooked her and it led to her getting her bottom tooth stuck under my skin, which made it worse and freaked her out. Haru and Yuki haven't bitten me in over 3-4 weeks. They even rarely nip. All they need is love , understanding and patience. They also need someone who can do all that but still be firm with them, just as a parent would with their child. Animals are no different. ^u^ I thought that Haru's face was pointy at first, but after seeing many ferret photos from people from other countries, I can now see a difference in the faces. Naturally it also seems that females tend to have pointier faces compared to males. >3< 'FerretFace' omg. That sounds adorable, I don't understand how someone could use that as an insult. A good come back to that would be a cute ferret photo. "Yes, I am adorable, thank you for noticing" Oh this is Lucy my Border Collie. This photos old, She had a minor injury so she came to visit for a couple of days so I could tend to the wounds cleaning twice a day. ^^ She lives with my dad, I miss her! >3<
I swear they really understand exactly what we are saying. Sometimes they want to pretend that they have no idea what you mean, but I've seen too many signs that they speak Human.I think after a while, they probably do learn to understand human languages. Animals are so smart like that and yesss I agree! >3< Yep, that sounds exactly right. Scent mapping is often used for blind ferrets. You use one scent for bedding, and other scents so that a blind ferret can find their way around. It's very clever, I wonder if blind people ever do that? Scent Mapping and Blindnessomg now that you say that... The idea came to me from an experience I had when working at a horse farm. We had a blind mare that was temporarily staying there and she wasn't eating or drinking anything since her pony companion had died from an injury. We ended up putting her friends blanket on the stall door and she was back to normal.. That was my first experience with a blind animal and i never knew how much they rely on scent alone. Even if the horse knew her companion was gone (you can always tell since they tend to grieve), the blanket gave her comfort temporarily. If you ever have any questions about finding products, PM Therese, she's in Australia and in touch with several ferret communities. Her user name shows up as tmd, not Therese. She's lovely and very helpful.Oh yes, I've spoken to her on threads when I first joined. I think we last spoke about the canned pumpkin.^^ I'll be sure to PM her when I have questions on products. ^^ I keep a large bottle of Taurine powder capsules. They simply pull apart (I'm paranoid about the two tiny pieces of plastic though) and I can add it to a muscle meat meal or a soupie. If they are in pill form, then you do want to crush them. Do you have a small mortar and pestle?Capsules are easy like that. I was thinking that I would just open it for the contents and throw the plastic parts away, it was my first thought last night when it came to capsuled products. Yes I have one of those. I use it for my own vitamins. >3< I've never used Pancreatin. I understand that Pancreatin reduces the absorption of iron from food in the duodenum during digestion. I'm not sure that this is a good thing, so I'll post to the Mentors Board and get back to you. I love getting to learn something like this. (dance) Okay, further down I see a link, but I'd still like to ask about it. Things change and we learn something new every day, especially about ferrets. They get so little published studies that keeping up to date is important.
Alrighty~ ^u^ I would ask on here before I decide on using any Vitamins or products. I think i get alittle paranoid since they're so different compared to humans, so what works for us or another animal can be different for them. I also agree. One day something could be used no problem, but anything could change over time. I noticed that also! Compared to mainstream pets 'dogs and cats' the studies are so little and there could be so many things we don't already know about them yet. >3< What matters most is that you check the ingredients. Here is a very good discussion on Probiotics. We'll use that as your reading for today. It's not really fair to have lessons on the weekends, so I'll just call it reading.
I've been checking ingredients alot lately. Must be a ferret owner thing? I don't mind if its lessons or reading ^^ I finished all my course work early so I have a week off. I love reading as well~ holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/8435Thats an interesting thread. I probably say that alot, but I'm serious. I had a feeling that whey and flax seed wouldn't be good for ferrets. I didn't really know about yeast, because who gives a ferret yeast to begin with... lol Is there a thread that lists all the bad ingredients or what ingredients in general are safe? I was just thinking that it would be great to read through a list that has the Safe / Unsafe ingredients along with reasons or results from use kind of thing.. Ah, kind of like the one regarding ferret/ferret owner terms. Hugs to Haru and Yuki. I hope you enjoy your weekend and I'll get back to you on the Pancreatin. :wave3:
No problem, No rush~ (giggle) Pun Accepted as a weapon of mass digestion :heehee: Oh, if only there were vaccines. That's how I lost my Ponce. Insulinoma first, then Lymphoma. We can manage Insulinoma for quite awhile, sometimes years, but it cannot be cured.Lymphoma though, usually takes them fast.Adrenal can be also be managed.Ferrets are little cancer factories, sad to say.Thats so sad ;n; Its always an emotional time losing a precious family member to such diseases. Ferret's are not alone in the cancer factory business though. Pet Rat's are also prone to diseases, cancers and tumors and die fairly young. They especially are known for already being born with Mycoplasma Pulmonis and that cannot be cured, but it can be contained or controlled. In the wild, a house mouse or rat does not exceed 6-12 months at most. My old ratty, Ouzo, lasted 4 years. thats above average. 95% of rats have been known to die by 3. The reason for it was taking a holistic approach as well as give him all he needs to live happily. I gave him Echinacea, when he started showing 'worsening' symptoms so it can help boost his tiny immune system. It worked well, had him on it for a week when symptoms were bad, and other than that i gave it to him every fortnight for the health benefits. It worked quite well infact. He never once had a full blown breakout. When the time came, and I knew it was time, I wasn't sad at all. I just layed with him and he passed in his sleep. It was honestly the most hardest thing to go through in my entire life. I couldn't sleep at night when symptoms got worse, so bad I had to take him to an animal hospital in the city, an hour away (I lived somewhere else at the time). I had him for 4 years and he was alone for 3.5 years without cage mate, so it was basically just me and him. When he reached 3.5 yearsold I decided to get him a cage mate. (unfortunately that wasn't the smartest decision, the poor ratty I got ended up having severe sudden symptoms, which cost me in over $200 in vet bills between both rats. Eventually I got them back on track and basically saved a rat life.) It was around then that he gradually ended up with hind-leg paralysis. He was still very healthy and eating fine. All rats have mycoplasma and alot of owners tend to not realise that before getting them. I was one of those at the time, since getting ouzo was sadly out of pity. (all the rats where hurting him and he ended up with a bite to his eye ;n; so I couldn't leave him there even when the pet shop wouldn't separate him) Eventually I learnt all I needed to give him a good life, I'm going to do the same for the ferrets. (I also didn't expect to learn so much already, there's more to know and I feel very determined now) ;u; In the end, its all about giving them a good healthy life, with good food and lots of love and attention. Yours are young, so don't let that stress you now. It's always good to learn and happily you have time to educate yourself. We are our own best health advocate and it's even more important to be theirs.Even if it comes down to that in the future, It's best to not be stressed. They're intelligent little beings who would pick up on the stressed energy very easily, so in a time if they were to get sick it wouldn't help them emotionally. I like too prepare in advance when it comes to knowledge so yes, I have plenty of time to study. I hear that its usually around ages 3-4 or over that they 'could' show symptoms of a disease. Hopefully, Haru and Yuki will live a nice healthy life without having to go through anything like the top 3 ferret illnesses. This topic was the entire reason I ditched kibble and started on the ferret ultimate health journey I thought, well if there's a way to help prevent those, then I should at least try for them~ Ohh! I wanted to upload my spoon feeding videos but my internet is being slow tonight. I'll show you once they're done uploading. Its late now and i'm about to fall asleep. So good night for me~! I hope you have/had a good day today also~ ^^ I have more photos in the morning as well!!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 11:59:22 GMT -5
We're having a very interesting discussion on the Mentors Board about Pancreatin. Sherry has asked what product you were looking at, so I linked the info her. I'll get back to you, when I hear more and let you know what everyone has said. This is so fun and I'm really happy that you asked this question. (dance) Fantastic~! I was just randomly thinking to myself 'would it sound weird to say something like 'ferretastic'. I think I should get to sleep haha!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 12:32:32 GMT -5
We're having a very interesting discussion on the Mentors Board about Pancreatin. Sherry has asked what product you were looking at, so I linked the info her. I'll get back to you, when I hear more and let you know what everyone has said. This is so fun and I'm really happy that you asked this question. (dance) Fantastic~! I was just randomly thinking to myself 'would it sound weird to say something like 'ferretastic'. I think I should get to sleep haha! (giggle) Why not! We have Ferretography, Ferrents, Ferretcizing, and many more. Sounds like a good thread to see what everyone else has come up with. Night, Night, Sleep Tight :wave3:
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 13:08:06 GMT -5
Oh, the videos uploaded.
If they don't work I'll fix them in the morning. ^^
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