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Post by Aftershock on Mar 25, 2017 12:16:31 GMT -5
Definitely lower the amount being fed, you want to eliminate as much leftovers (except a few bites) as possible. Every time you begin to worry ask yourself, 'are they eating/drinking? Are they pooping/peeing without straining/at all? Are they active? What season are they in? Are they shedding?' So whereas normally not eating a bit every meal would be concerning, it is getting warm outside, activity level is great, she is drinking water, and still pooping (it's not much, but she still is) that is how I could come to the conclusion that Moxie is going into summer mode.
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raebees
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Yes, i am contagious. 😂😂
Posts: 219
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Post by raebees on Mar 25, 2017 12:27:42 GMT -5
Ok, I've offered 1.5 oz of ground turkey, no water, little oil. So far only a bite or two from Bella and Moxie licked the ground near the plate 😂 When is a good time to fit some egg in? Moxie has that dry hack going on but I'm trying not to ruin what appetite she has. Is it better to offer it at a meal time or in the middle of the day if I can?
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Post by Aftershock on Mar 26, 2017 19:04:38 GMT -5
How is she doing today? She avoiding breakfast? Is she actually shedding then?
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raebees
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Yes, i am contagious. 😂😂
Posts: 219
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Post by raebees on Mar 28, 2017 15:08:22 GMT -5
3/24 Friday Breakfast - Chicken Thigh (bmp) - 2oz + 2 tbsp warm water Both refused, I added salmon oil Both refused, I added 1 tbsp. water Bella ate 13g Moxie ate 5g later Note: Defeated Dinner - Beef - slivered 30g (1oz) offered 27g remained next morning Note: ... hope they're hungry for breakfast ... 3/25 Saturday Breakfast - Ground Turkey - no water, no oil 55g (2oz) offered 35g remained Moxie did lick at it a little Note: Stubborn. Playing well and drinking water... Dinner - Organ Pudding 113g (4oz) offered 100g (3.5oz) consumed Moxie ate well Note: Still my favorite meals. We're almost caught back up to normal meal nights. 3/26 Sunday Breakfast - Beef - .75oz ground/.75oz slivered - 2tbsp water Moxie ate a few bites, between the two, .75oz was consumed Dinner - Leftovers + 1oz ground & slivered Beef Added 1 tbsp. warm water to remaining .75oz of breakfast, Bella finished it off Added 1oz ground/slivered beef, no more was consumed overnight Note: At least Bella ate the leftovers. 3/27 Monday Breakfast - Chicken - 1oz sliced, .5oz diced, 2 tbsp. water, drizzle oil 53g (~2oz) offered 23g (~1oz) remained Moxie didn't eat Dinner - Organs (last make up meal from last week) 127g (4.5oz) offered Moxie surprisingly resisted, added a bit of oil Plate was cleaned between both Added 28g (1oz), 21g (.75oz) leftover next morning
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raebees
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Yes, i am contagious. 😂😂
Posts: 219
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Post by raebees on Mar 28, 2017 15:12:48 GMT -5
I haven't been working recently and my days have been thrown off. I'll post weights and this weeks menu tonight.
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Post by katt on Mar 30, 2017 23:52:24 GMT -5
Hi Rae. I think there are several factors contributing to your girlies eating less and the moral of the story is DO NOT PANIC. lol 1) It is very common for them to eat FAR less come spring. In fact, ferrets may gain and lose up to 40% of their body weight each seasonal change. 2) Your girls are still very young and are just beginning to really approach "asulthood." As they enter their adulthood, they stop growing so much, and as a result - they eat FAR less. 3) We are heading into spring. Right now they are both young, and in winter mode. They are going to start dropping weight for spring AND dropping much of their baby weight. This can be rather alarming but I assure you it is NORMAL. They are both on the chubbier side and Bella especially could really stand to lose some weight. 4) It is ALSO very common for ferrets to eat more early in their switch to raw, and as they settle into the new diet, they begin to eat less. Especially as they start having to work (chew) for their food instead of inhaling it in slurpee form. lol All of the above combined at once can be rather alarming, particularly if you are not used to it. As long as they are playing and pooping (they will poop LESS, because they are eating less - common sense) normally I am really not concerned. To give you an idea/as a reminder - the average intake for an adult female ferret is 1-2oz per DAY. That means 0.5-1oz per meal. This is an average of course, and can be higher in winter and lower in summer. I would suggest that you weigh their food before and after meals, and then average out your measurements after a few days - that will give you a better ballpark o how much to offer them each day so that they are not overstuffed and refusing more food, and you aren't wasting a bunch. (And again keep in mind that even then, what they will eat will change day to day, and season to season)
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raebees
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Raw Feeder
Yes, i am contagious. 😂😂
Posts: 219
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Post by raebees on Mar 31, 2017 2:07:49 GMT -5
3/28 Breakfast - 1.5oz sliced Chicken - 1tbsp water & drizzle of oil Moxie ate 7g Bella at 15g Note: At least Bella seems to be getting the hang of it. Dinner - 1oz sliced, .5oz ground Beef - 2tbsp water & drizzle of oil 13g was consumed Moxie ate little Note: I'm not sure if Moxie actually ate any or just licked the plate where it was wet 3/29 Breakfast - 1.5oz sliced Pork - 1tbp water Moxie ate a few pieces, total consumed between them was 17g Added a whisked egg midday, both of them ate heartily, there was only a few slices of meat and a lick of egg left! Note: So. If only I could add egg to everything! Dinner - Organs - Last organ meal I offered 4oz, and they ate it all. This time I offered 5 oz and still, they ate it all, Moxie included. Note: Am I overfeeding organs? I know part of why they don't eat well other days is because they're stubborn over the chunks and drier meat. Should I limit the amount of organs I offer, in case they keep holding out for the easy meals? I'm still running under the "bite left" idea, and there are no bites left of the organs lately. 3/30 Breakfast - 1.5oz sliced Pork - 1tbsp water & drops of oil Bella ate 17g, Moxie ate 5g a little later Note: Pork is a bit better received than beef, at least by Bella Dinner - 1.5oz sliced Chicken - 1tbsp water, no oil Bella ate a piece or two until the chicken began sticking to the plate, after adding a tbsp. of water, she went on to eat another 15g, Moxie didn't eat. Note: Just before posting this I heard Moxie licking the ground again (I call it ground, it's the tray in her cage). As far as I could tell, she never touched the plate. Thank you katt, I am adjusting to how little they'll need, thanks to Aftershock, I've reduced the amount I offer them to 1.5/2oz, it leaves little leftover for the cat I do keep forgetting to post weights and menu, since we're on a little holding pattern without the bones, I haven't had to think about it too much. I did weigh them a couple days ago. Bella dropped to 1600g and Moxie is 830g. She's pretty sleek, I'm still trying to adjust to how tiny she is. But Bella is still very chunky. I think it makes it more challenging for me having two opposite spectrums. Bella has been put off by the drier meat, so that helps. When she does eat, she's sticking close to an ounce a meal, but she's not happy about it! That girl loves food. Moxie, on the other hand, aside from organ nights (which she has taken longer to get started on), doesn't eat. I might be able to coax a reluctant licking by adding oil or water, but she doesn't go for the meat with intention. Without either aid, she wont lick the meat. She licks the ground next to the plate like mad though. I can't figure her out, she acts hungry, just not hungry enough to approach the plate. We are going out of town this weekend to see the BF's mom, the girls are coming with, of course. I'm both nervous and excited. I love traveling with my ferrets but this will be the first time we leave the comfort of home with our raw fed ones. We wont be camping but I am concerned about whether or not they will handle the change well. I've already looked up an emergency vet clinic, just in case I'll also be bringing my scale so I can continue to weigh their meals. I feel like a heel for not posting daily like you'd asked Kelsey, I suppose this is a perfect example of why I didn't go back to school :X
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Post by Aftershock on Mar 31, 2017 9:43:30 GMT -5
This is going to sound silly, but what days exactly are you feeding organs and are you still mixing them all together like you were? Also, when you get a chance, would you mind posting a picture of the leftovers? I feel bad asking for daily because I know how busy you are, but we have run into a wall and since I'm not there I need you to be my eyes (because that doesn't sound creepy at all 😂😂😂) I bet the cat is super sad 😂😂😂😂
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raebees
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Yes, i am contagious. 😂😂
Posts: 219
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Post by raebees on Mar 31, 2017 10:37:44 GMT -5
Last week was a little off but I'm still sticking with the original menu kinda. They get heart, liver and organ on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday nights. I've been blending them into a pudding so they get a little of everything. I've thought about dicing them up instead but then I'm afraid they won't eat them, which concerns me regarding balance. I'll grab a video this morning of general behavior around the plate, so you can see what I see. 😎😆
The cat still gets her raw 😂😂 only now I have to actually think about it. She's been on the same schedule as the girls, only less bone meal powder. She's gonna hate me cause she stays here this weekend and I can only leave out so much raw. Poor garbage kitty has to go back to kibble for a day or two 😱
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Post by Aftershock on Mar 31, 2017 12:19:03 GMT -5
Hmmmmmmmmm. We may spice things up a bit when you get back and split the organs more like the menu set up and see if that changes anything. Also, I'm tempted to start switching around the organ days seeing as how it seems like Moxie could be holding out. That will happen when you get back though, so don't worry about it for now. But again, remember, as Katt said, they are both going to drop a TON of weight (I know you worry about Moxie being too skinny, but she could definitely stand to lose weight too) and eat (and poop) a lot less. You know, I should share a before and after of Cow with weights since she's right in the middle of her shed and has turned into a sleek lil Cowycake.
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Post by Aftershock on Mar 31, 2017 13:19:45 GMT -5
You don't see much of a difference in Cow right now, because she just went into shedding her winter coat. I suspect about a month after, I will have a true summer weight on her. There is definitely a difference in her neck and shoulders/ribs. She will lose the belly. Gator on the other hand, was a total fatty, and has sleeked out nicely. He has become such a nice tube sock shape! I would have one of Croc.... but I managed to not have any pictures of him being held up to dangle while he was fat.
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Post by katt on Apr 1, 2017 14:19:57 GMT -5
I know you may feel like Moxie isn't eating, but if she was actually NOT eating she would not be playing and pooping at this point. What have you offered so far in terms of proteins?
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Post by Aftershock on Apr 6, 2017 9:46:29 GMT -5
raebees as per the Mentoring Program Rules: '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.' I have asked for daily updates to better help the progress of your two girls, as we have run into some walls with getting them moving forward. I am patient, and very understanding that life is hectic, but I can't properly help you when I am not receiving updates for about a week at a time. Please update me more often like I have asked
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raebees
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Yes, i am contagious. 😂😂
Posts: 219
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Post by raebees on Apr 6, 2017 12:57:42 GMT -5
Aftershock I am sorry!! Like a dummy I forgot to bring my scale with us this weekend. We got back late on Tuesday so I don't have amounts they've eaten this weekend. I will say they ate "ok" in that there were bites taken, though reluctantly. I ended up having to hit the grocer down there and stocked up on some beef so we could focus on the red meat this week. 4/5 Breakfast was Beef - 1.5oz sliced (still half the width of a pinky nail or less) Bella is refusing, she'll lick at the plate only after I add salmon oil but drops every slice of beef she picks up. Moxie shocked me and actually ate about 3/4 of an oz. She doesn't seem to mind the beef so much. She still requires salmon oil to get her licking though. Leftovers - .75 oz Dinner - (I forgot we were going to do something different with organs) Offered 5oz, both Princesses ate about 3oz combined, Bella went back for seconds before bed. Leftovers - 1.5oz (cat gets it 😆) We had beef for breakfast again today but I haven't weighed remains yet since Moxie only ate a couple slices and Bella licked the salmon oil off. I guess the good news is her self imposed "diet" has made her drop weight. They are not shedding yet but I can see all the new fur growing in on Bella. Moxie hasn't started growing her new coat yet, but she never really got a fluffy winter one. katt So far we have had chicken, beef, pork (when I can find non-treated) & turkey, albeit ground. We have introduced quail, but haven't had it for a few weeks due to having to hold the parts in order to get them to eat. I promise to do better about posting. These girls are killing me with their stubbornness but I am getting more comfortable with only a bite or two being eaten. Aside from yesterday, Moxie is definitely not eating an entire ounce a day but is still the more active one, though she sleeps harder and longer than Bella. I think it's because Bella is hungry and can't fall asleep as easily 🙊 she kept coming to me yesterday afternoon with the "food" look on her face, and every time I plopped her in front of the plate, she'd lick her chops a few times and run away. At this point they get a tablespoon of warmed water, mainly to help the bone meal powder not be so powdery, and a drizzle of salmon oil. I get absolutely no interest without either additives.
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Post by Aftershock on Apr 6, 2017 21:49:57 GMT -5
I am so sorry, as your Mentor, my goal is to help you in the best way possible. Even if this means replacing myself with a Mentor whom I feel will suit you better, especially as it seems a wall has been found that I can't seem to find a way around. Sherry will be your Mentor for the rest of this journey, and she has many years of difficult switches under her belt. Keep at it Rae, I know you can do it!
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