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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Sept 18, 2016 18:34:51 GMT -5
Sorry read through a little too fast.
Got one too that I am bringing in as well for insulinoma check. Got her off craigslist. Crossing fingers.
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Post by katt on Sept 20, 2016 0:35:46 GMT -5
Time, mostly. It wouldn't be a problem if we had consistent work schedules but we don't. I personally work at an emergency animal hospital so my hours are wonky and it makes planning meals very difficult. That's why we have kibble out in case something prevents us from feeding them their meals at the right times. That being said about half their diet consists of raw food as it is, since I often get raw food samples at my work, so I do my best to integrate any ferret safe foods in. down the line I plan to switch jobs which will make consistency a non-issue so at that point I want to go full raw. Right now it's just too inconvenient though. An inconsistent schedule shouldn't be an issue with feeding raw - I'm a medical student and have a wildly inconsistent schedule.   If they are already eating raw meats, the hardest/most time consuming part is already done! It would actually be much more time consuming to feed a mix of kibble and raw, as any raw meats need to be separated from kibble meals by at least 3 hours or you risk digestive upset and bacterial overgrowth. Raw meat is good a lot longer than most people think. Soups are good for about 8 hours, grinds up to 12hrs, chunks and bone-in meat is good up to 24 hours depending on how big the chunks. Our menu plan is designed for a 2 meal a day schedule for ease of planning. All you have to do for meal planning is follow the outline of the menu with proper balance and variety - it shouldn't take much time at all in terms of daily/weekly planning. Meat offered for a meal should be left available in the cage all day/night so they have constant access to food. As for your work schedule and feeding times, if feeding 2 meals a day is difficult, you can offer food once. I usually just put in their food at night with enough meat to last until the next night. [For organ and heart meals instead of doing 1.5 meals each every week, you can do 1 meal of heart, 2 meals of organ one week, and the next week 2 meals of heart and 1 meal of organs and it will average out to the 1.5.] For meal prep, I buy in bulk - EVEN when I had to share a tiny fridge-freezer with a roommate I was still able to get in a few months of food per batch. I prep it all into meal sized portions into ziplock bags and freeze. Then all it takes for daily feedings is to grab a bag of meat and toss it in the cage. Takes no longer than refilling a bowl of kibble.  I have a crazy schedule, so I totally understand the time issue. But it is very doable! The part that takes time is getting them accepting raw meats, and it sounds like you are already at least part of the way there. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2016 20:58:01 GMT -5
Health is all good according to the big boss! Thanks for your support everyone! Now once the fleas/flea dirt on the new guys clears up i'll start introducing them. katt ive never had any issues with feeding both raw and kibble, but I'll certainly keep it in mind. I guess it would just be planning their meals out ahead of time that would be the hardest at this point. I should probably just buckle down and do it. Will discuss it with the bae soon, as he's also helping with the cost/care of the babies and the money going towards a new diet will have to be discussed/split up. just got to make up a strategy. |
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Post by katt on Sept 20, 2016 21:02:51 GMT -5
Buying and prepping in bulk saves a lot of $ and time. For planning I simply organize the meat in the freezer by type (organ, heart, muscle and bone) so each day I can grab a baggie of meat according to which day it is (heart day, organ day, etc). If you print the menu framework and stick it on their cage or your freezer you can just follow along without too much planning, aside from ensuring proper protein variety. I'm alllll about efficiency - a crazy schedule means finding creative workarounds. But the nice thing is lots of people have done it ahead of you and have found different strategies. If there is ever a particular problem you run across, just ask away and we will all be happy to help find solutions! I'm glad to hear that the newbies had a good checkup!  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2016 21:39:49 GMT -5
Yes! I have been considering the full switch for some time now and I have lurked on this site for ages before finally joining. In any case, maybe this is just a sign to go ahead and do it. I'll certainly make a thread about it when it happens, because I think its really an issue of when not if. Yes me too! They did very well with their doctor |
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