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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2015 19:16:47 GMT -5
Hey everyone. My roommate pointed our that the freezer kind of stinks. Last night I didn't smell anything but today I did smell a slight odor...is this normal?
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Post by raynebc on Sept 14, 2015 13:01:24 GMT -5
I'd be worried if any of the contents of the freezer spilled or thawed. If you can get a freezer thermometer it can offer some peace of mind. I use a digital one that has a high temperature memory so I can check if it ever got warm in there.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 13:09:15 GMT -5
Check if anything is open.. sometimes freezer burned stuff smells gross
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 13:23:10 GMT -5
Is the freezer set to the right temperature? Its always best to check and make sure. ^^ Sometimes if its really hot outside and the temperature is low in the freezer then it can cause things to thaw and leak. Unless something leaked at the time you put something in. It happened to me once with some soupie. It spilled and left a slight smell. You know what you could do? Take everything out and do a thorough clean then let it sit for a bit before putting everything back in. ^^ I clean out my entire fridge and freezer every couple of months to avoid possible leaks or smells. ^^
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 13:58:46 GMT -5
I haven't opened anything yet and everything looks to be closed. I ordered a scale on amazon and as soon as it ships I will cut up,weigh, bag and organize everything. Hopefully that'll help. What causes freezer burn exactly? UPDATE: Oberyn loves pork and rabbit, especially rabbit. I fed him his first full size meal last night, some pork chop and some ground up rabbit meat and swallowed it down immediately! However his stools last night and this morning are a little concerning. They have the toothpaste consistency that they should have, but they also had a mucusy sheen and one of them had a few little pale yellow balls in it. I looked at the poop chart and it looks like a muscle fed poop but the balls concern me. It was only one stool that had it, all the others are just mucusy. He also doesnt seem to be in any pain when he poops, he doesnt make any noise or wimpers. I don't think it's parasites, I looked at a lot of pictures and it doesn't match up. What's really concerning me is that he's acting rather lethargic...like he keeps hiding behind my dresser. He just gets back there and sits with a depressed look on his face. But every time I get ready to call the vet he starts acting all playful and silly again. I've only had him for a little over a week so it's possible thats just how he is. I guess my problem is I don't know if he's being "lethargic" or if he's just laid back. He's so calm compared to other ferrets his age. Or maybe he's bored? He does spend almost all of his time in my room. The kitten comes in and plays a lot and he loves that. There is just so much stuff in the kitchen and living room that he can get into and it's hard to supervise him. I ordered a puppy play pen that will give him a lot of room and give me piece of mind so he can get out of my room and even out of the apartment and in the grass outside. So hopefully when that comes in I'll see an improvement. If the pooping persists I'm definitely getting it checked out, that's worth $30. I'm just so worried there will be parasites and the vet will give me that, "I told you so" speech. Which is a disheartening feeling when I just spent about $200 on meat and organs this weekend. I'm a natural worrier, in case you guys couldn't tell. Also, I'm not really worried about this behavior so much but I figured I'd ask:everytime I feed oberyn meat or Stella and chewys he rubs his face and neck on the ground as if itches. He does this evrytime he's done eating. In fact, that's how I've been telling if he's full because he does that for a few seconds. Do any of your ferrets exhibit this behavior? I think its just a funny quirk about him but I just wanna check. Also thanks Machan for the salmon oil tip! I rubbed some on his belly and he let me clean his ears with no trouble at all! Worked like a charm! :-)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 14:10:57 GMT -5
Your little Oberyn is so adorable. I love hearing all about him. I haven't opened anything yet and everything looks to be closed. I ordered a scale on amazon and as soon as it ships I will cut up,weigh, bag and organize everything. Hopefully that'll help. What causes freezer burn exactly?
It's caused by air getting into the sealed bags or containers. The air then damages the food by dehydrating it and the oxidation makes it look burned. UPDATE: Oberyn loves pork and rabbit, especially rabbit. I fed him his first full size meal last night, some pork chop and some ground up rabbit meat and swallowed it down immediately! However his stools last night and this morning are a little concerning. They have the toothpaste consistency that they should have, but they also had a mucusy sheen and one of them had a few little pale yellow balls in it. I looked at the poop chart and it looks like a muscle fed poop but the balls concern me. It was only one stool that had it, all the others are just mucusy. He also doesnt seem to be in any pain when he poops, he doesnt make any noise or wimpers. I don't think it's parasites, I looked at a lot of pictures and it doesn't match up.
Those little pale yellow balls are undigested fats. The mucous is just his digestive track reacting to a new protein or the food passing through quickly and the body wants to protect the track, so it produces some mucous. Nothing to worry about and normal. You want to worry when the poops are consistently funky. During a switch, you may see all kinds of strange poops. Here is a poop chart: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/2469/poop-chartWe all have off days. He is a growing boy and will nap where ever it suits him. When you get worried; look at his nose, ears and paws. Are they a nice healthy pink? If he is eating well and has energy when he is up, that's good. Once you get a scale, you can weigh him and sudden weight changes will alert you to problems. Also, I'm not really worried about this behavior so much but I figured I'd ask:everytime I feed oberyn meat or Stella and chewys he rubs his face and neck on the ground as if itches. He does this evrytime he's done eating. In fact, that's how I've been telling if he's full because he does that for a few seconds. Do any of your ferrets exhibit this behavior? I think its just a funny quirk about him but I just wanna check.
He is simply wiping his face off. If he had a napkin, he would use that. Instead they use whatever is around. They also wipe their behind after pooping. Carpet is much more friendly to a behind then a tile floor, much to our dismay.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 14:13:08 GMT -5
The poops during a switch will always be weird. So I would think you shouldn't worry unless this persists for several days. After he becomes completely raw fed for a while it would be easier. The poops always reflect what was eaten last. If he was eating whole prey then the poops would be fur and bits of undigested bones, if he was eating a meal with lots of bones then the poop might be harder and more formed, if he was eating spleen or liver or some other organ with lots of blood then the poop will be liquidy and black, if he was eating fish it will smells really bad. Some experienced raw feeders can tell the type of meat the ferret was eating by looking at their poop, I can only tell bone meals from organ meals and brain meals, because those smell like the worst thing you have ever smelled. So the last meat he ate was pork. Pork is a VERY fatty meat this is great for the ferret, but sometimes the body just doesn't need that much fats. So the undigested bits of fat are excreted. Those undigested fats often look like little white lumps in the poop, sometimes giving it a seedy appearance. From what you described, I would think that this was the case here.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 14:27:34 GMT -5
I haven't opened anything yet and everything looks to be closed. I ordered a scale on amazon and as soon as it ships I will cut up,weigh, bag and organize everything. Hopefully that'll help. What causes freezer burn exactly? It's fantastic that you ordered some scales. They come in handy with prepping food correctly as well as weighing in ferrets to keep track of weight. ^^ I wasn't sure about freezer burn but I thought I would google it for you anyway. "It is generally caused by food not being securely wrapped in air-tight packaging. Freezer burn appears as grayish-brown leathery spots on frozen food, and occurs when air reaches the food's surface and dries the product." UPDATE: Oberyn loves pork and rabbit, especially rabbit. I fed him his first full size meal last night, some pork chop and some ground up rabbit meat and swallowed it down immediately! However his stools last night and this morning are a little concerning. They have the toothpaste consistency that they should have, but they also had a mucusy sheen and one of them had a few little pale yellow balls in it. I looked at the poop chart and it looks like a muscle fed poop but the balls concern me. It was only one stool that had it, all the others are just mucusy. He also doesnt seem to be in any pain when he poops, he doesnt make any noise or wimpers. I don't think it's parasites, I looked at a lot of pictures and it doesn't match up. My three also love pork. I've never tried rabbit yet, but I'm super happy that Oberyn has taken a liking for the protein. Did you use the pork chop bone, or just the meat from it? I tried using the bone, but it seems to big or too dense. I couldn't figure out the best way to chop it up, but I may try again sometime. It would be a great bone in meat... if it wasn't so hard. (ahaha, bones.) Could you get a photo of his poops by any chance? If its too late, its fine, however next time you see it be sure to get some photos. It's most likely caused from him detoxing from kibble. I noticed the same thing with my ferrets when i switched. Its good to study the poop types because it can really tell you the health of a ferret. Toothpaste consistency sounds quite healthy too me. If it were runny, it would probably be from an intolerance. Let's see what @poncesmom thinks about the balls in the poop. ^^ What's really concerning me is that he's acting rather lethargic...like he keeps hiding behind my dresser. He just gets back there and sits with a depressed look on his face. But every time I get ready to call the vet he starts acting all playful and silly again. I've only had him for a little over a week so it's possible thats just how he is. I guess my problem is I don't know if he's being "lethargic" or if he's just laid back. He's so calm compared to other ferrets his age. Or maybe he's bored? He does spend almost all of his time in my room. The kitten comes in and plays a lot and he loves that. There is just so much stuff in the kitchen and living room that he can get into and it's hard to supervise him. I ordered a puppy play pen that will give him a lot of room and give me piece of mind so he can get out of my room and even out of the apartment and in the grass outside. So hopefully when that comes in I'll see an improvement. Is he lethargic all the time, or is it a once off thing? Keep an eye on him and if its happening constantly then there could be an underlying issue. It may also be since you just started a switch so give him some time and if it improves then it should be alright. Remember ferrets sleep around 18 hours a day, so that too could be the problem. Have you noticed anything else thats out of character? When I brought home my youngsters, they too seemed lethargic now and then but I nailed it down to boredom. I increased the play time from an hour to 2 hours and they seemed much happier. How many hours does he get out? If you get a chance to ferret proof the rest of the house, he'll have more space to explore. But like you said, its not currently ferret proofed, so maybe you could get some tunnels or boxes and make him a ferret playground to run around and explore. I bought a cheap soft playpen and have tunnels connected to it and inside I have biodegradable starch packing peanuts and all my ferrets go crazy at playtime. Its hilarious and fun! Why not also challenge him and hide some treats under some sheets and make him forage for them. ^^ If the pooping persists I'm definitely getting it checked out, that's worth $30. I'm just so worried there will be parasites and the vet will give me that, "I told you so" speech. Which is a disheartening feeling when I just spent about $200 on meat and organs this weekend. I'm a natural worrier, in case you guys couldn't tell.
Wow thats so cheap! My vet charges $55, however I get 10% discount when I do my ferrets all together. ;u; I also love how dedicated you are to little Oberyn. He's lucky to have such a responsible ferrent looking after him. You'll be greatly rewarded with little weasel war dances eventually. Also, I'm not really worried about this behavior so much but I figured I'd ask:everytime I feed oberyn meat or Stella and chewys he rubs his face and neck on the ground as if itches. He does this evrytime he's done eating. In fact, that's how I've been telling if he's full because he does that for a few seconds. Do any of your ferrets exhibit this behavior? I think its just a funny quirk about him but I just wanna check.
Ferret's are funny little creatures. I came to realise that they do rub their faces and necks on the ground after eating to wipe themselves clean. Kind of like how we would use a napkin after a meal. I like to put a towel down so they can clean their faces afterwards. ^^ It's a very natural behaviour and all three of mine to it. Also thanks Machan for the salmon oil tip! I rubbed some on his belly and he let me clean his ears with no trouble at all! Worked like a charm! :-)No problem at all! I was recommended the same tip, however I couldn't get any in my area. It seems non-existent in Australia, so I use duck fat. (still works like a charm too!)^^ You're doing very well. I probably said this a million times, but I'm being honest. I'm so happy that you're doing your very best for your little guy! Keep up the great work!!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 14:39:46 GMT -5
3 Mentors all cross posting with the same advice.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 14:50:43 GMT -5
You guys are too quick!! ;A;
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 20:49:35 GMT -5
Thank you guys so much!! :-)
All of your advice has really put me at ease, I'm so relieved!!
None of my meat seems to freezer burnt. Do organs just have a funny smell? The odor I'm smelling is very subtle.
Tonight I will probably feed more rabbit and tomorrow I'm gonna try cornish game hen, since that's the only bone I have right now. How should I go about cutting that up? I was thinking into four pieces but should I cut them smaller since it's his first time eating bones?
I love this forum! You guys are seriously life savers and me and Oberyn appreciate all your input! ^_^
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 21:15:44 GMT -5
I wish I could upload more photos of him but every time I try it doesn't work. :/ plus it doesn't help that all of the pictures I have of him are on my phone. He really is a handsome little fella.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 21:17:57 GMT -5
It's not a problem. We're all here to help out. ^^ I'm glad the advice puts you at ease!
It may possibly be organ. Are you sure that nothing spilt? The smell can linger sometimes but it should go away.
Oh yay! Rabbit and CGH sound good! Are they the entire animal? I wouldn't be too sure on how you could prepare that, however someone else will pop in and let you know for sure. ^^ Four pieces sound pretty good to trial him with. If he does well with the four, you can increase it. If he doesn't chop it up smaller and see how he does. ^^
I love this forum too! It's fantastic! Give lots of hugs to Oberyn! You're both doing well~
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2015 21:19:27 GMT -5
You're using your mobile aren't you? You can upload directly through the app Tapatalk. (maybe you can try that?)^^
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2015 1:56:19 GMT -5
By the way, have you applied for the mentoring program? You've made the 15 post requirement so you're eligible. You would also need the following: 1. a scale for weighing your ferret- preferably in grams. 2. All the makings for a puree soup, unless your ferret is already past the soup stage. This includes chicken(or other meat), liver, heart, and eggshell powder. This you get by rinsing out eggshells, drying them, and then pulverizing them with either a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder(clean, of course ;D ) 3. Initial picture of ferret before starting switch. You mentioned ordering a scale already, so you should definitely go for it. ^^ holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/61/sign-mentoring-program
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