Post by Sherry on Jan 29, 2011 21:45:00 GMT -5
Name: Tara
HF Forum Username: Taratee
1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? I read about it in my initial research on ferrets about a year ago.
2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Be sure to include if you are interested in feeding whole prey (live or frozen-thawed) and if you are wanting to FULLY switch to a natural diet or PARTIALLY. If you are unsure what kind of diet you want to put your ferrets on, please express that and we can help you find the best type of natural diet for your ferret. I want to switch my ferrets to a more natural diet something that will be really good for them nutritionally I dont worry about the ease of preparation, or the meat its self. I even have a snake so feeding live mice wouldnt really be that big of a problem for me, I just want them to have a good balanced diet and I'm willing to do whatever is best (as long as I am able to do it)
3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet? I kinda discussed that before, I just really want my ferrets to get all the stuff they need to be healthy happy little critters
4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It can be a commitment of several weeks or even months. Your HF Mentor will be more then happy to assist you in switchng your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as commited. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, or if you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc) then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing to make the commitment? Yea I broke my ankle recently so I'm not working, I'm home all day with the fuzzbutts so I've got time
5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? I will start with my first ferrets:
Tia is a female standard sable she is the smallest, our vet says shes the size of a four month old ferret but has good muscle tone and such so hes not worried about her size, she is four years old and shes showing signs of adrenal disease but our vet says he wont operate on a ferret her size that the risks out weigh the rewards.
LuLu is a female white ferret with a silver tail, our vet says shes a pretty good size girl shes probably three years old shes not showing signs of any health problems
I got Tia and Lu off of craigslist together a year ago, they were a good starter pair pretty easy girls the girl i got them from said they were eating raw but wouldnt tell me what the diet was she had them on so i could continue to feed them it *frustrating*
Ichabod is a male black mitten ferret I believe hes pretty handsome, hes probably six months old now I got him in October from a pet store, no health problems just stole my heart and I had to have him, Ive tried to treat him with some raw foods before but he doesnt seem to care much, hes a bit pudgy but hes got hid baby fat and its winter.
Crane is a male I have no idea what coat pattern he is, hes white and black and splotchy he came into the petstore the same time as Ichabod most likely from the same litter he has some jaw problems and he was the biggest of the lot but hes looking a bit on the small side, he was returned to the petstore after a college boy decided he couldnt keep a ferret in his dorm, Ive also learned crane likes to chew cords so he was mostlikely returned because the boy didnt know what he was getting into
I keep the two boys together because Tia tends to be agressive and beat up on the boys, and theyre such wimps they cant defend themselves at all lol
6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc) I feed them 8-in-1 ultimate mixed with 8-in-1 ultra blend, and after reading online what ultra had in it I became distressed and knew I needed to change things, They also have bandits premium ferret treats ferretvite ferretone uncle jims duk soup all which i give them sparingly the vite i give most often
7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened? As far as I know Tia and Lu have eaten natural before and were fine on it, but my new babies dont seem to care much, crane is a picky eater
8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share?
9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer?all day every day
10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible). I'm working on this because ive got some pretty cute brats
Hi and welcome to the mentoring program. In a little while your mentor (Heather....whoo hoo that's me
) will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey.
Hi
I'm Heather, and we're going to be working together for the next little while trying to convince your furbaby to change to a healthier diet
I've been feeding a raw/natural diet for a little over 10 yrs. I have a small private rescue/sanctuary, just outside of Toronto, Canada where all ferrets turned into me are switched immediately over to a raw diet that consists of ground raw/whole meats or frankenprey/ and prey diet. At present every ferret eats this full range of diets. I don't keep kibbles in the house. All my furbabies are free roaming and have access to an outdoor play area that they can access at will. At present there are 12 little fuzzbutts who call this their permanent home. They range in ages of about 1 yr to my senior citizen, Dr. Pooka Dooks who is approx. 10 yrs. My most difficult switch was a little senior who was turned in at 9 yrs of age (she by the way has been my biggest raw switch challenge, which had me at times wondering why I was doing this to her) She eventually was completely switched and putting on a beautiful dark black coat, teeth that were nicely cleaned up, and she actually has a lot of fun investigating the house (she used to do nothing but sleep when she first was turned in). She has made me aware that every ferret no matter how old, can get a new lease on life by eating a species appropriate diet. She eventually passed on at 11 yrs of age to complete organ failure....old age.
Raw soupy is my favourite switching tool and one that I've had the most success with.
You can try to get them to eat a raw soup immediately. You will need a blender/food processor, and the following raw items:
8 oz raw chicken thigh meat (including skin and fat)
1/2 tsp of crushed eggshell powder (take a raw eggshell. Rinse it out. Let it dry. Crush to powder)
1 raw chicken heart
1/2 raw chicken liver
Water or broth(use more to make it soupier, less to make it thicker)
Blend ingredients together. Some prefer it at room temp. Try putting a dollop of "soup" onto your ferret's nose and they probably will lick it off. I use my finger. Sometimes this takes a little bit trying to convince them that you're not trying to poison them I find within a very short time they're licking this off my finger. When I see that they're willing to eat freely off my finger then I use a small spoon to try and get them to eat from that. Try to get them eating the soupy on their own. It might pique their interest.
Most ferrets will willingly eat the food once they actually TASTE it, so the only struggle you *should* encounter is them not wanting to taste it. Don't be surprised if your furbabies' initial reaction is to gag, spit and look at you like, what are you trying to poison me with But don't let them get away with it The hardest part is to insist and be consistent. Please also be aware that after years of kibbles they aren't aware that what you're offering them is indeed food. Once they willingly eat from your finger and spoon, work to try and get them eating this out of a dish or plate.
Each time you make your soupy, use a little less water to make it thicker/chunkier. Replace soup with fresh soup every 4-6 hours. You can make a large batch if you like and freeze into ice cubes or cupcake trays. Then you just thaw a portion and serve. OR you can put a frozen "cube" into their bowl and let it slowly thaw.
This is a good way to slowly ease them into wet foods. I use this method to switch all my furbabies and I've personally switched approximately 30 ferrets of my own in the last few years.
I will let you read through and if you have any questions please ask.
Good luck
ciao
HF Forum Username: Taratee
1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? I read about it in my initial research on ferrets about a year ago.
2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Be sure to include if you are interested in feeding whole prey (live or frozen-thawed) and if you are wanting to FULLY switch to a natural diet or PARTIALLY. If you are unsure what kind of diet you want to put your ferrets on, please express that and we can help you find the best type of natural diet for your ferret. I want to switch my ferrets to a more natural diet something that will be really good for them nutritionally I dont worry about the ease of preparation, or the meat its self. I even have a snake so feeding live mice wouldnt really be that big of a problem for me, I just want them to have a good balanced diet and I'm willing to do whatever is best (as long as I am able to do it)
3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet? I kinda discussed that before, I just really want my ferrets to get all the stuff they need to be healthy happy little critters
4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It can be a commitment of several weeks or even months. Your HF Mentor will be more then happy to assist you in switchng your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as commited. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, or if you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc) then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing to make the commitment? Yea I broke my ankle recently so I'm not working, I'm home all day with the fuzzbutts so I've got time
5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? I will start with my first ferrets:
Tia is a female standard sable she is the smallest, our vet says shes the size of a four month old ferret but has good muscle tone and such so hes not worried about her size, she is four years old and shes showing signs of adrenal disease but our vet says he wont operate on a ferret her size that the risks out weigh the rewards.
LuLu is a female white ferret with a silver tail, our vet says shes a pretty good size girl shes probably three years old shes not showing signs of any health problems
I got Tia and Lu off of craigslist together a year ago, they were a good starter pair pretty easy girls the girl i got them from said they were eating raw but wouldnt tell me what the diet was she had them on so i could continue to feed them it *frustrating*
Ichabod is a male black mitten ferret I believe hes pretty handsome, hes probably six months old now I got him in October from a pet store, no health problems just stole my heart and I had to have him, Ive tried to treat him with some raw foods before but he doesnt seem to care much, hes a bit pudgy but hes got hid baby fat and its winter.
Crane is a male I have no idea what coat pattern he is, hes white and black and splotchy he came into the petstore the same time as Ichabod most likely from the same litter he has some jaw problems and he was the biggest of the lot but hes looking a bit on the small side, he was returned to the petstore after a college boy decided he couldnt keep a ferret in his dorm, Ive also learned crane likes to chew cords so he was mostlikely returned because the boy didnt know what he was getting into
I keep the two boys together because Tia tends to be agressive and beat up on the boys, and theyre such wimps they cant defend themselves at all lol
6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc) I feed them 8-in-1 ultimate mixed with 8-in-1 ultra blend, and after reading online what ultra had in it I became distressed and knew I needed to change things, They also have bandits premium ferret treats ferretvite ferretone uncle jims duk soup all which i give them sparingly the vite i give most often
7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened? As far as I know Tia and Lu have eaten natural before and were fine on it, but my new babies dont seem to care much, crane is a picky eater
8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share?
9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer?all day every day
10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible). I'm working on this because ive got some pretty cute brats
Hi and welcome to the mentoring program. In a little while your mentor (Heather....whoo hoo that's me
) will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey.Hi
I'm Heather, and we're going to be working together for the next little while trying to convince your furbaby to change to a healthier diet
I've been feeding a raw/natural diet for a little over 10 yrs. I have a small private rescue/sanctuary, just outside of Toronto, Canada where all ferrets turned into me are switched immediately over to a raw diet that consists of ground raw/whole meats or frankenprey/ and prey diet. At present every ferret eats this full range of diets. I don't keep kibbles in the house. All my furbabies are free roaming and have access to an outdoor play area that they can access at will. At present there are 12 little fuzzbutts who call this their permanent home. They range in ages of about 1 yr to my senior citizen, Dr. Pooka Dooks who is approx. 10 yrs. My most difficult switch was a little senior who was turned in at 9 yrs of age (she by the way has been my biggest raw switch challenge, which had me at times wondering why I was doing this to her) She eventually was completely switched and putting on a beautiful dark black coat, teeth that were nicely cleaned up, and she actually has a lot of fun investigating the house (she used to do nothing but sleep when she first was turned in). She has made me aware that every ferret no matter how old, can get a new lease on life by eating a species appropriate diet. She eventually passed on at 11 yrs of age to complete organ failure....old age.
Raw soupy is my favourite switching tool and one that I've had the most success with.
You can try to get them to eat a raw soup immediately. You will need a blender/food processor, and the following raw items:
8 oz raw chicken thigh meat (including skin and fat)
1/2 tsp of crushed eggshell powder (take a raw eggshell. Rinse it out. Let it dry. Crush to powder)
1 raw chicken heart
1/2 raw chicken liver
Water or broth(use more to make it soupier, less to make it thicker)
Blend ingredients together. Some prefer it at room temp. Try putting a dollop of "soup" onto your ferret's nose and they probably will lick it off. I use my finger. Sometimes this takes a little bit trying to convince them that you're not trying to poison them I find within a very short time they're licking this off my finger. When I see that they're willing to eat freely off my finger then I use a small spoon to try and get them to eat from that. Try to get them eating the soupy on their own. It might pique their interest.
Most ferrets will willingly eat the food once they actually TASTE it, so the only struggle you *should* encounter is them not wanting to taste it. Don't be surprised if your furbabies' initial reaction is to gag, spit and look at you like, what are you trying to poison me with But don't let them get away with it The hardest part is to insist and be consistent. Please also be aware that after years of kibbles they aren't aware that what you're offering them is indeed food. Once they willingly eat from your finger and spoon, work to try and get them eating this out of a dish or plate.
Each time you make your soupy, use a little less water to make it thicker/chunkier. Replace soup with fresh soup every 4-6 hours. You can make a large batch if you like and freeze into ice cubes or cupcake trays. Then you just thaw a portion and serve. OR you can put a frozen "cube" into their bowl and let it slowly thaw.
This is a good way to slowly ease them into wet foods. I use this method to switch all my furbabies and I've personally switched approximately 30 ferrets of my own in the last few years.
I will let you read through and if you have any questions please ask.
Good luck
ciao
.
