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Post by gfountain on Aug 24, 2015 9:01:51 GMT -5
Rather than giving Nala soup, try using a hammer and smashing the neck bones for her. Necks are hard to chew because of the shape of the bones, but if you can smash them up some, she should be able to eat them.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2015 11:07:54 GMT -5
Okay is that pretty standard for any bone? I just dont want her to get a bone blockage you scared me with that!
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Post by gfountain on Aug 24, 2015 12:04:37 GMT -5
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. A bone blockage is extremely rare, but you do need to be aware that it's possible. The boy that died from a bone blockage swallowed a 'knuckle bone' (I think of a chicken wing). He should have chewed it up, but apparently was just too lazy. More common than a bone blockage is getting choked on a bone or getting bone caught in the teeth until they learn how to eat it.
Nala isn't used to crunching bones yet and her jaw muscles are not developed like Shelby's are. She may need to have her bones crushed for her for a little while but with each bone meal, increase the size of the bones a little bit, so she will develop strong jaws. It shouldn't take very long for her to catch up to Shelby.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2015 13:15:00 GMT -5
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. A bone blockage is extremely rare, but you do need to be aware that it's possible. The boy that died from a bone blockage swallowed a 'knuckle bone' (I think of a chicken wing). He should have chewed it up, but apparently was just too lazy. More common than a bone blockage is getting choked on a bone or getting bone caught in the teeth until they learn how to eat it. Nala isn't used to crunching bones yet and her jaw muscles are not developed like Shelby's are. She may need to have her bones crushed for her for a little while but with each bone meal, increase the size of the bones a little bit, so she will develop strong jaws. It shouldn't take very long for her to catch up to Shelby. Oh my goodness that a huge bone to swallow I gave her two quail wings today. When I feed shelby her quail I usually start with the legs because shelbys favorite is the legs. So I will crush a leg for Nala and give shelby her leg. So far nala eats beef, quail. I had her try duck thats still a work in progress but she will get there.
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Post by gfountain on Aug 24, 2015 17:05:49 GMT -5
I really don't think you need to crush quail bones. They're already small enough. She might have to work at them a little, but she should be able to chew them up.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2015 18:37:26 GMT -5
I did crush the leg for her it helped her eat it. So hopefully soon she can start eating what shelby is eating. Next I will give her a leg thats not crushed.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 3:00:12 GMT -5
Nala scared me today. She was eating quail and started choking a little. Scared me a lot! I cut the quail pieces the size of a quarter and a little bit bigger. So I cut the body in half with ribs on top and what ever on bottom and cut that way. Are those pieces still to small? I just am scared she swallowed a part of a bone and now is going to have a blockage
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Post by gfountain on Aug 25, 2015 11:17:52 GMT -5
Those should be fine. She's having to re-learn how to eat. She has to learn how to hold her meat and chew so she doesn't choke. The choking is very scary, but she's learning to cough up bites that don't go down right. Don't let yourself panic. She's smart and will figure it out quickly.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 12:27:08 GMT -5
You are definitly a huge help by the way! Also I have given them a ton of heart today probably like 8 hearts and I blend them up and both of them are eating it. So can I over dose on hearts? Thry have finished the bowl twice do I keep giving thrm more or should I do a snack of something else?
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Post by gfountain on Aug 25, 2015 14:10:01 GMT -5
There is nothing in hearts that they can overdose on, but too much might give them a tummy ache. How many OUNCES of heart have they had? They should have only as many ounces as a normal meal. Of course, if they're still hungry you have to give them more food, but it doesn't have to be hearts. I keep gizzards in the freezer for between meal snacks. I freeze them spread out on trays and then put them into a freezer container so I can get out one at a time. Gizzards are good for their teeth and for developing jaw muscles. And I give them to them frozen so that makes them a fun toy to chase around the tile floor.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 15:25:36 GMT -5
I didnt measure ounces. I just gave them the hearts. I should probably start weighing them I am sorry. But last time I weighed the hearts for an organ meal 4 hearts was about an oz. So if I have to guess about 2 2.5oz. I have chicken gizzards. I will thaw out and do it like you because shelby and nala play that game with just food haha. What else are good inbetweeners or technically snacks?
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Post by gfountain on Aug 25, 2015 18:32:58 GMT -5
I love to watch them scoot around on the floor chasing gizzards. It's as much fun for them as playing with ice cubes and a lot more satisfying because they get to eat it once it thaws.
How much are the girls eating of other meals? That will determine how many hearts they need to have. If they eat 4 oz per meal, then they need 4 oz of heart and they could have had more. If they only eat 2 oz per meal, then they had a little bit too much.
Good snacks... chicken feet if you can get them, freeze dried snacks (I make my own), really any kind of meat, eggs. I use eggs as a snack instead of as part of their menu.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 18:43:53 GMT -5
I love to watch them scoot around on the floor chasing gizzards. It's as much fun for them as playing with ice cubes and a lot more satisfying because they get to eat it once it thaws. How much are the girls eating of other meals? That will determine how many hearts they need to have. If they eat 4 oz per meal, then they need 4 oz of heart and they could have had more. If they only eat 2 oz per meal, then they had a little bit too much. Good snacks... chicken feet if you can get them, freeze dried snacks (I make my own), really any kind of meat, eggs. I use eggs as a snack instead of as part of their menu. Sounds like a lot of fun. I am not sure how many ounces they eat. I just keep food in the bowl. Right now there are two quail legs and when they are done with that I just fill the bowl back up and so on.
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Post by gfountain on Aug 25, 2015 20:44:59 GMT -5
Starting in the morning, weigh all the food you give them, and if you throw anything out (unlikely at this point I know), weigh that too. Do that for 2-3 days. You need to have an idea of how much they eat in a 24 hour period.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2015 20:46:55 GMT -5
I dont know if shelby has a tummy ache or what but after she ate that heart meal today she hasnt wanted to really eat anything else. I dont know if thats normal for them to not have very much of an appetite. Shes played today and ran around and before she took her nap her and nala were playing. She just doesnt want to eat.
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