Kalamae0's Switching Thread / Machan

[Heather]

Name: Kala
HF Forum Username: kalamae0
Please confirm that you are 18 years of age or older: yes!

1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? A group I joined on Facebook after getting my girls

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 do not want to feed live or whole prey but will switch to 100% raw

3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet?

I've recently made the switch to a raw diet for my dogs and it has done wonders for them!

4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It requires a commitment of several months at minimum. Your HF Mentor will be more than happy to assist you in switching your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as committed. The switch takes time and effort every single day. It can also be extremely frustrating at times. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc), or limited time due to work, then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing and realistically able to make the neccessary time commitment?

I am!

5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? How long have you had each ferret for?

I have 3 female Marshalls ferrets I got on 4-2-16.

Meeka is just over a year old, her previous owner told me she has eaten raw previously but was switched back to kibble. Healthy weight.
Marlowe I got from someone of Facebook who hasn't told me her precious diet. She's about 2 years old. Healthy weight. Took to the chicken heart as egg I offered the best out of the three.
Salem I got from the same girl as Marlowe. She sleeps a lot. Could be slightly underweight? She's a small girl though so I could be wrong and she could be a healthy weight. 2-3 years old.

6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc) Do they already eat some form of

Totally ferret. I want to feed go! Fit + free if not raw. They have had ferretone and ferretvite

7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened?

I offered them each a chicken heart, Salem wouldn't touch it, Marlowe and Meeka ate them. I got them all to try a little egg (Salem didn't want it though) that I offered by no chicken gizzard.

8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share?

These are my first ferrets and I am trying my best to be the best ferret mommy I can!

9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer?

Fulltime

10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible).

Salem (left) Marlowe (right) Meeka is not in this photo. Sorry I couldn't get a Bette done of them all!

Hi and welcome to the mentoring program . In a little while your mentor (Machan), 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 :thumbsup: . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey.
ciao

[Deleted]

Hey @kalamae0 ~

I'm Machan. I'm from Victoria, Australia- so there may be a time difference when it comes to posting. I do hope that won't be an issue.  I have three dumplings called Haru, Yuki & Beavis. If you want to know some more about me, check out my profile in the Meet Your Mentor Section. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/176/meet-mentor

Congrats on being a first time ferrent!  Haru and Yuuki were my first ferrets and boy was it quite a ride. 
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. I will also be giving you small lessons and quiz here and there just to make sure you are following along. If you ever find that you don't understand something or are confused about something, don't be afraid to give me the heads up~ I'll do my best to answer all your questions.

Anyway, here is a quick reminder:

During the switching process, could you please copy and paste this questionnaire into your switching thread every Sunday/Monday.

1. Ferret's name:
2. Ferret's weight:
3. Ferret has eaten "X" amount on average per meal.
4. Stools on various proteins.
5. Activity levels:
6. Weekly menu:

Also, to help us make sure your ferrets are doing well during his switch, a picture from above showing his body shape clearly would be appreciated bi-weekly, but is not essential.

You are required to post every second day during the "soup" stage of the transition. From the "sliver" stage, through to large chunks, you will be required to post a minimum of every 3 days. Once you hit the large chunks, once a week will be acceptable.
If you wish to post into your thread more often, that will be MORE than welcome The above are simply the minimum requirements so we can help with sticky spots, and not have to "catch up" to where you are presently at. Failure to post as required will result in your switch coming to a standstill and will result in two warnings before being dropped from the mentoring program.
If something comes up, and you need to be away, please contact your mentor letting her know how long you will be absent.

FAILURE TO SUPPLY THE ABOVE QUESTIONNAIRE WILL RESULT IN TWO WARNINGS, ONE ISSUED IN THE SWITCHING THREAD, THEN NEXT VIA PM- THEN BEING DROPPED FROM THE MENTORING PROGRAM. BEING DROPPED FROM THE MENTORING THREAD WILL BE AT MY DISCRETION

You may request readmittance to the mentoring program if you agree to abide by the above rules. But you must wait for the next available mentor.

PLEASE NOTE that by applying for a mentor and using the forum you are agreeing to abide by the terms and conditions as set in this thread: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/1585/rules-regulations-terms-read-sign

From reading your application, you mention wishing to switch to a full raw diet.
This diet is commonly referred to as frankenprey. Throughout the entire switching process you will eventually start to balanced out your menu. The frankenprey menu is designed to mimic a whole animal, so the menu is made up entirely of bone in meats, muscle meats, & organs.  You feed your dogs raw, thats really awesome. I'm happy to hear that they are benefiting from it. You're going to love the results from the raw diet with your three girls.

Speaking of your girls, since they are all over 1 year, I think the best course of action would be to start from the soupie stage. 

Here is the Soup recipe.

Ingredients:
8oz raw chicken thigh (raw)
1 oz raw chicken liver (or other raw liver)
1-2 raw chicken hearts (approximately 1 oz) or 1 oz other raw heart
½ to ¾ tsp bone meal or crushed egg shell
(air-dry egg shell then crush with mortar and pestle or in a clean coffee grinder)

How to Make Soup:
Weigh out your meat and organs.
Add bone meal or egg shell powder. 
Add water until about the consistency of thick cream (no thinner!!). Blending up in a food processor is the easiest.

When you feed the soup Make sure to remove the kibble about 2 hours before trying them with the soup. The ferret's digestive tract is quite short, 3-4 hours from mouth to litter box, so it is fine to leave them without food within that time frame. Leaving them without food for longer than 4 hours may be risky (especially with ferrets with illnesses). Mixing kibble with raw is best avoided, especially if it is fed too close together, it may cause a stomach upset and may potentially increase risk of bacterial infections.

Once you make the soup, You can place it on an open plate and see how they take it. If they snub their noses, try dabbing some on their lip, or rub some on their gums. It may take a couple of goes until they can eat it on their own, so just keep trying them with the soup. 

I highly recommend that you avoid using ferretone and ferretvite. Both are very horrible stuff.  (Don't worry if you didn't know, we've all been there too.) Ferretone in particular contains BHA & BHT + Parabens. All have been linked to cancer. BHA/BHT has been shown to be carcinogenic in animal experiments. Ferretvite is simply full of sugar, and sugar can increase chances of Insulinoma. (I've heard some ferrents refer to this product as Insulinoma in a tube). There are much more healthier alternatives. I personally use animal fat, duck fat in particular and most others use animal oils such as Salmon Oil, or Emu Oil. 

That's all for now~ I look forward to seeing some photos and hearing a lot about your ferrets~
Bye!