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I'm new
Apr 21, 2017 12:19:19 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2017 12:19:19 GMT -5
Hi everyone. I am a new weasel mom. I got my first last year in may and my second in august. Of course the pet store employees told me to buy marshal kibble so that is what they imprinted on. My female will be easy to switch to raw but my male is the challenge. So I have a lot of questions. First what kind of meat should I start with and how much. Do I have to mix it with their kibble first or can they just jump straight into raw. My male refuses to eat raw so do I just completely stop giving him kibble and wait for him to get hungry enough to eat raw. The raw I have given my female so far is chicken and salmon. I know this is a lot but I'm determined to make the switch. I don't want to sign up for a mentor yet because I don't know if I'd be able to post enough or check in enough. Thank you for all of your ⌚️.
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Post by LindaM on Apr 21, 2017 12:43:24 GMT -5
Firstly, welcome to the forum! So glad you decided to join us and want to do what's best for your little ones. No, do not mix raw with kibble, this can lead to a bacterial overgrowth in their gut, and would require antibiotics from the vet to restore to normal. It's good practice to take kibble away a few hours before giving raw, and replacing it again a few hours after. And do not remove kibble entirely until everyone is eating some raw of their own free will (this means no syringe, finger or spoon feeding involved from you). Ferrets can and sometimes will starve themselves instead. If you don't feel comfortable signing up for a mentor yet, you can always start an unofficial transition thread, in which raw feeders like myself and some of the mentors and admins will all pop in and see where we can help or offer advice. Switching a ferret already imprinted, is not an impossible job, it just requires patience and persistence. Sometimes it can take a while, but it can definitely be done. Though for him you might want to start off with a little raw soup and use the Grab'n'Dab method. Grab him, rest him in your lap and dip your finger into the nearby bowl of raw soup and dab it on him nose/mouth/gums and then just let him go. Usually, this will get them to lick it off, at least before they rub their faces off on something else. You can do this throughout the day for a few days, or even in a 20-30 minute session if you need to, dabbing every 5 minutes. Best meat to start with for most is chicken, it's a mellow flavor. Beef by comparison has a strong smell and taste for most ferrets and can be harder to start them on that (mine all HATE beef for whatever reason). Turkey is another good one, as is duck, and pork is also a mild taste, but some ferrets aren't fond of it. Lamb which is considered a hypoallergenic meat, isn't always cheap or easy to come by. Things like rabbit, quail, duck, frog legs, etc. along with hearts and other organs can usually easily be found in any local Asian/Ethnic stores. If your girly will accept slivers of meat, you can simply skip the soup stage (but it's always good to introduce them to it, in case anyone ever gets ill), and just increase the sliver sizes. I'd also see if she'd like chewing on some gizzards (chicken, duck, turkey), this will help build jaw strength so she can start chewing on bones later. I'm gonna link to some information that you should read over, and it will help you too (third link in the link below gives you an idea for a meat shopping list). holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/17480/intro-raw-newbies-read
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I'm new
Apr 21, 2017 16:03:10 GMT -5
Post by unclejoe on Apr 21, 2017 16:03:10 GMT -5
I was amazed how my fuzzies all take to soup. I flavor it with some powdered kibble. To go full raw, just gradually reduce the kibble powder, if you go that route. I will let others guide you on full raw diet.
I took in 8 ferret refugees who had only been fed garbage cat or dog food, and they were all very happy to go to soups with real meat in them. I only had to force one to try it, but it only took once. 5 of the last 6 have been Marshall's, and the other a Real Canadian, and only the RCF resists soups. He eats raw and kibble but doesn't seem to like them mixed. He won't eat enough raw to sustain
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I'm new
Apr 21, 2017 16:45:25 GMT -5
Post by LindaM on Apr 21, 2017 16:45:25 GMT -5
Oh snap, I forgot to add, fish should always be done in moderation, so doing just one meal a week is advised. I also take it to another level, if I give a fish meal in the week, I skip the fish treats that week, and vice versa.
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I'm new
Apr 21, 2017 18:03:09 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2017 18:03:09 GMT -5
Linda can you put up a link of a so.up recipe. Sound like I need to make it? And if my female is perfectly fine on switching should I just start feeding them separately.
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I'm new
Apr 21, 2017 21:53:09 GMT -5
Post by LindaM on Apr 21, 2017 21:53:09 GMT -5
Soup recipe is the 4th link in that collective link that I linked to earlier. Here it is again, separately, for easy access: docs.google.com/document/d/1aRms_O0F38lNSQktABNYDqievQ9GZSR4rRR6fcAcPHA/editIf your girlie is already willing to switch, switch her at whichever speed she's fine with (some ferrets just switch easier and faster than others even if you start them all at the same time). You can feed separately. It's a good idea to feed them separately at least for a little while anyway so you can get an idea of the average amounts they will each eat (this will change with the seasons too, so overall think of a year span at least), and to check that everyone is eating everything.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 22, 2017 7:58:33 GMT -5
Also one more advantage of letting one pull ahead of the other in their switch process is it sometimes becomes a case of "monkey see, monkey do". The one behind wonders why the other is so excited about what they are eating and want it
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