|
Post by Deleted on May 15, 2011 20:39:26 GMT -5
Any updates?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 17, 2011 20:25:47 GMT -5
Any updates?
|
|
|
Post by gnarlysalamander on May 18, 2011 23:01:11 GMT -5
hey there. not going home until tomorrow night, but we can start working on a menu if you'd like.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 19, 2011 0:29:57 GMT -5
Alright just make a menu of what you feed weekly and we will adjust it if necessary. Is anyone having any issues? Stools okay? How's jayjay doing?
|
|
|
Post by gnarlysalamander on May 24, 2011 12:07:52 GMT -5
wow, i totally spaced out and forgot this forum existed.
today is spring cleaning day! we fully disassembled the cage and took it outside to wash. the kids were having a blast out in the back yard with the playpen but it got a little too warm so we've moved the adventure indoors.
someone is still having the occasional gross poop. i have the litter box 100% clean so now i'm sitting here and i'm just going to wait until they all go so i can figure it out.
okay so, menu, here we go:
monday - am: chicken wings, pm: turkey breast tuesday - am: drumsticks, pm: wings and heart wednesday - am: pork ribs, pm: pork chops thursday - am: beef chunks, pm: chicken liver [extra pumpkin on this day to try and pacify the stinkies] friday - am: chicken wings and heart, pm: chicken thighs saturday - am: pork ribs, pm: turkey of beef chunks sunday: am: wings and heart, pm: one meal of whatever my parents thawed out and then realize isn't going to be eaten in time, or something i find hidden in the back of the freezer, normally beef of some sort
most days they get a little pumpkin as well. i freeze everything into meal sized portions and then put my pumpkin cubes in with it, but i always run a few meals short. i make sure all the days with meals of no bone have at least one "serving" of pumpkin [about 2 cubes between the five of them]
i want to add in turkey necks but i still cant find them anywhere. i may have to give in, clean out the freezer, and just get the store to order me a case.
and over the course of typing this up i've concluded it's not jayjay or sammy with the funky poo.
|
|
|
Post by gnarlysalamander on May 24, 2011 12:30:20 GMT -5
oh and i forgot to mention when i do hearts it's one per fuzz, and normally they get it as a snack instead of with the meal so i can make sure everyone gets theirs - it's the most stolen item on the menu lol
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 24, 2011 13:15:58 GMT -5
Ohhh a menu! Yay! You're so close to graduating! Okay so just a few quick questions - the bone in the chicken thigh and drums, are they eating them all? Same with the pork ribs? As far as heart goes, I usually feed about 2-3 oz of heart per week per ferret. Just to be sure. The exact taurine requirements are not fully known. So i would just make sure they get around that much. You can't overdo it on taurine Besides that, everything else looks awesome! The icky stool, what color/consistency/shape is it? Does it happy only occasionally or after a certain meat is fed? At least you have 2 down so far. Only 3 more possible culprits ;D And the turkey necks. They are really (for me anyway ) a pain to feed because the bone is really dense. I usually have the smash the entire thing up (of course the LOVE turkey necks so I can't refuse ). Chicken necks are much easier, but if you can't find either its okay. I find Turkey necks are really cheap so hopefully you can pick a few up.
|
|
|
Post by gnarlysalamander on May 24, 2011 18:39:05 GMT -5
the thigh bones they eat all of. the drumsticks i'd say about 85-90% of it gets eaten but they don't leave chunks, it's most of just chips that broke off while they were munching that they didn't go back for. the ribs it seems they only eat sometimes [the bones i mean]. should i try mashing it up before feeding, or possibly look for a different bone source? the icky stool is very dark and very watery to sometimes just liquid. it doesn't happen after poultry meals, but like, one day it will happen after the beef, and then the next time i feed beef it won't happen so i don't know what to make of it. it wasn't jayjay, jaydon, or sammy. i had to keep my door shut to keep them in the room [obviously] and when the sun started setting and coming in the window it got wayyyyyyy too hot in there so they had to go away. i kind of think it's frankie, because he's the one who doesn't even try to make it to the box unless he's right there and i've found it up on the food level. BUT it could be bandit because once someone goes out of the box, if i don't catch it right away he has the attitude of "well if they don't have to use the potty, neither do i!" i will say, if it's frankie, his body condition is still very good, as in not dehydrated or skinny or anything. bandit lost a little in the very beginning but he's holding steady now, not gaining or losing. it was only about 0.3lbs, but at the start sammy lost about that and she's a lot smaller. now she's quite porky so i'm thinking bandit will bounce back okay
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 24, 2011 19:36:50 GMT -5
he ribs it seems they only eat sometimes [the bones i mean]. should i try mashing it up before feeding, or possibly look for a different bone source? I would try smashing it with a hammer - see if that helps. If not, I'd choose a different bone meat. You can still feed the ribs, but they'd be a boneless day. the icky stool is very dark and very watery to sometimes just liquid. it doesn't happen after poultry meals, but like, one day it will happen after the beef, and then the next time i feed beef it won't happen so i don't know what to make of it. Keep watching to see if you can pinpoint who it is. If it continues and doesn't get better, you could be looking at either a food sensitivity, maybe a mild case of IBD. Stress can cause flare ups and cause bad stools. i kind of think it's frankie, because he's the one who doesn't even try to make it to the box unless he's right there and i've found it up on the food level. BUT it could be bandit because once someone goes out of the box, if i don't catch it right away he has the attitude of "well if they don't have to use the potty, neither do i!" Silly ferrets I'll pass your menu on to Heather and have her look it over
|
|
|
Post by gnarlysalamander on May 24, 2011 20:25:05 GMT -5
thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 24, 2011 21:54:55 GMT -5
Okay so one thing you might want to consider is switch the beef meal on Thursday with a bone in meal to help counteract the liver.
Are you comfortable with rearranging the menu, mixing things up, balancing everything out? Are you happy with where your kids are?
|
|
|
Post by gnarlysalamander on May 24, 2011 22:07:08 GMT -5
that's fine, i can just switch it with a day that i have two bone-in meals.
i'm more than willing to make changes. i'm happy where they are in the sense that they'll eat everything willingly [finally!] and they have longer sustained energy and just seem much more satisfied than when i'd fill a bowl with kibble. i still can't believe the changes in sammy and jaydon's coat, and can't wait to see if the others have the same changes at the next shed.
the only thing i'm going to start working on is getting them to eat more defined "meals". right now i've been giving them what i have portioned out, then giving them dinner and taking away what's left if anything. they're in my basement which because i live on a hill, there's a door down there to the backyard. since it's getting warmer, we've been noticing some crawlies down there. i've yet to see any bugs IN the cage or ON the food but just to be on the safe side i want to have it sitting out as little as possible.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 24, 2011 22:29:35 GMT -5
Awesome It seems to help a little bit to feed bone before and/or after organ meals. I'm so glad you're starting to see the positive changes ! They become so soft I never would have thought a ferrets coat could be like that I struggle with that on a daily basis ;D We have plenty of bugs here in FL (ants are the biggest problem, and second to that is cockroaches and then wasps/bees ). If I have the extra time, I feed 3 meals a day and give them an amount I KNOW They can finish. I do the same for the third meal. Dinner time is the only meal I like to have a little extra (in case they are hungry through the night). It helps keep the smell and waste to a minimum.
|
|
|
Post by Heather on May 24, 2011 23:23:41 GMT -5
Congratulations. you've graduated and you're ready to walk this path alone, now. You have the foundation to help you feed your fuzzes in a more natural and healthy manner. Please remember that your learning never stops, and dietary needs change from ferret to ferret and throughout each their lives. I would also like you to be aware that though you now have the capability and the knowledge to create your little ones diets you are never alone and that your mentor (you need only pm) is always available to you. The list is also a very good resource and you should always be aware that it's available to answer any questions you may have either about diet or care. Good luck, in a few days either Sherry or I will lock down this thread but be aware that you can always look through it as a reference tool but you just will not be able to post to it. Your mentor will be in to congratulate you shortly ;D. ciao
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 25, 2011 12:54:36 GMT -5
|
|