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Post by Sherry on Apr 13, 2017 9:54:18 GMT -5
Oh excellent and don't be surprised if they DO eat less. Ferrets are lazy eaters given a chance, and when they have to chew they realize they are full faster Keep with this size for the next 2 meals, then we are going to start moving up a little bit. Same size around, but about an inch longer.
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raebees
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Raw Feeder
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Post by raebees on Apr 14, 2017 17:36:07 GMT -5
Yesterday's breakfast was pork chunks, maybe about the size of a nickel, little less. Both girls ate 2 or 3 pieces before deciding it wasn't worth it Out of 1.6oz of meat offered, they ate .75oz so not *horrible*. Last night I added a few chunks of beef about the same size to their remaining pork (I sniffed the crap out of it first, though) so they had a little over an oz of meat. By this morning there was just a little under an oz of meat left. I don't think they ate much other than the egg wash. I'm wondering if I should stick at about this size for a few more meals until they're eating a little more heartily? It is warming up *slightly* here, Bella has started to blow her coat, but it's still fairly chilly in our garage. I know they'll be eating less but they're both not consuming even a full ounce for the last couple days. Tonight is organ blend, i think I might switch it up a little. Instead of blending well, i'm going to leave it a little chunkier, maybe even hand slice equal amounts of heart, kidney and liver to add to the pudding portion. Wednesday I left them with 5oz and it was gone by morning, so maybe some chunkiness to their pudding will help satisfy a bit better.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 15, 2017 10:29:00 GMT -5
They are still doing well, even trying it And you are also for making them do it And yes, stick with this size for another couple of meals and see how they do.
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raebees
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Raw Feeder
Yes, i am contagious. 😂😂
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Post by raebees on Apr 15, 2017 10:36:38 GMT -5
Oh, good, cause even the chunkier organ mix wasn't near as big a hit 😂😂 They licked all the pudding and left all the chunks, which I kinda expected. This morning and tonight I'll be offering chicken again, see if they like it enough to eat the ounce I leave.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 15, 2017 10:42:51 GMT -5
If they are being really silly, and only eat about half what is there, just leave the other half in and don't add anything more. It won't hurt them
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raebees
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Post by raebees on Apr 15, 2017 11:02:54 GMT -5
Got it! Leftovers might be what's for dinner! 😂
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raebees
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Raw Feeder
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Post by raebees on Apr 17, 2017 15:23:56 GMT -5
Well, stubbornness on their part prevails. Bella has eaten maybe an accidental slice or two but remains adamant in her resistance to consuming chunks, even the smaller ones. Moxie has surprised me, she doesn't eat a lot but has no problem picking up chunks and eating them. She still wont touch the plate without the liquid enticement but she is doing better than Bella at this point. We had beef yesterday morning, about an ounce. Moxie ate a few pieces but Bella only licked after the egg wash and refused to even pick up a piece. Last night was organs, i added chunkiness to it again, only smaller pieces, and they both ate better than the last time, but didn't finish it all. I'll be continuing to add the chunks to the organs so they realize chunks need to be the way of life now. Beef was for breakfast again today, Moxie took her time warming up but when she came to the plate, at least 4 or 5 pieces were eaten. I've been keeping them about the size of a nickel so they're not easy to swallow. I'm not worried about Bella at the moment, she is still chunky and can stand to lose at least another pound. I guess she must not be truly hungry if she wont at least try to eat the meats. Poor girl loves food, she really does, just not if she has to work for it. I'm hesitant to increase chunk sizes without her at least attempting to pick up and eat the pieces. I guess we just keep at this size until she comes around? I added a bit more water to the egg wash, they don't seem to care as long as it's present. I also limited how much wash i've been adding since Bella insists on licking it off of all the pieces.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 18, 2017 9:57:48 GMT -5
Okay, what I want you to do now is think "meat spaghetti". Are you making the pieces about the same size around, just longer? And how long has she had to go with minimal food? Because at her age a day or more isn't going to hurt her If she is eating a couple of pieces, then next meal eating a couple more- by third or fourth she should simply start eating. Right now she knows she can manipulate you. And guaranteed if they are the same size around, just longer, she is playing you.
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raebees
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Post by raebees on Apr 18, 2017 11:03:26 GMT -5
I'll grab a picture of the meat pieces this morning. They aren't longer, but they are the same size around as the piece Moxie ate the other day. I watched Bella yesterday, she picked up a couple pieces and dropped them off to the side of the plate. I didn't see her eat any of them though.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 19, 2017 11:13:51 GMT -5
How long before you are caving and making smaller pieces again? As long as they are about this big around [..], and about a half inch long, they can and will swallow them whole. It sounds like Bella doesn't want to have to do more than bite them once or twice. I know this may sound like back sliding, but try picking up a piece the same size Moxie is eating and hand it to Bella, see if that makes a difference. By the way- is Bella still pooping/peeing/playing, etc?
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raebees
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Post by raebees on Apr 20, 2017 1:38:58 GMT -5
Yes, she still has good energy, and is pooping a bit, though not near as much as before, understandably. I haven't been caving in on the piece sizes, I have re-wet the meat a little when she comes back to the plate. I did try offering her a couple pieces from my fingers, she licks them and grabs them just fine, but then deposits them somewhere other than her stomach. She holds the pieces almost gingerly, like she doesn't want to bite down too hard. I checked her mouth, I can't see any teeth that might be causing her issue and she doesn't act like they hurt when she does chew off a piece. Yesterdays chicken went over really well for Moxie but Bella just wouldn't do it. The videos are of her and Moxie, a little long, but you can see how Bella acts, like she's searching for the easy pieces and when she can't find them, she gives up. Today we went for pork, I cut a few pieces a bit more on the narrow side, Bella did eat a couple of them but definitely not happily. Moxie still did pretty good, breakfast was better than dinner but a few decent pieces made it down tonight.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 20, 2017 9:44:35 GMT -5
Do you leave the dish in the cage for them to eat later? Main reason I asked if Bella was still pooping- if she's pooping, then she's eating. But maybe not when you can see her. She did eat some there however. Each piece she dropped, she scissored a piece off first. She reminds me of my Suki- they are both very dainty eaters.
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raebees
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Post by raebees on Apr 20, 2017 11:23:46 GMT -5
I do leave the dish until the next feeding and will usually add a touch of water or egg wash if it's dried out throughout the day. She scissors pieces off, I think, because she can't drop them. It used to be Moxie was the dainty one. 😂 Bella is still pooping, I try to catch her in whichever corner she wants to use, she's not pooping as often, though, and the size is pretty reduced. I weigh the plate after they attempt to eat at meal time, and then again before offering the new plate, just to see if she has eaten eaten and I didn't catch her. She hasn't. The meat will weigh almost the same. Neither of them tend to eat outside of it being freshly offered I noticed. I'm going with Pork again this morning, and will try longer, *slightly* thinner pieces as well as nickel size pieces, too. I've been leaving them with about an ounce, to 1.3 oz of meat, but I may reduce that further and stick to just under or right at an oz. I grabbed some body shots of Moxie yesterday and will snap some of Bella today. Moxie is around 750g right now.
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raebees
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Posts: 219
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Post by raebees on Apr 20, 2017 12:03:33 GMT -5
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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 Apr 20, 2017 21:04:07 GMT -5
We're on blockage protocol for Bella again. This time it was a piece of fabric. She started chewing on one of her plastic bags earlier today, I took it away but it was hard to tell if anything was missing. Then, an hour later, I caught her in the act of chewing this fabric bag. It's a thin fabric used to cover a laptop when it was new. There is definitely some missing so I immediately got pumpkin in her. We're an hour and a half in, already did a dose of Vaseline. Shortly before that, she pooped, and when I inspected it, sure enough, a small piece of clear plastic was in it along with a decent amount of what looks like fur but could very well be the same fabric. In another 30 min will be the second dose of pumpkin and then I'm praying.... Poop, bella, poop!!
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