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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2017 5:44:11 GMT -5
So, here we go with starting to switch my business to raw.
My three oldest ferrets have always been kibble fed, we tried to feed them some meat and they had none of it. They do like a raw egg whisked up and they do like the meaty treats for cats and will do anything for ferret oil, so we are hoping this will go well.
Since Saturday I have only been feeding them dampened kibble, wetting it a bit more each time. Yesterday I mixed it up completely and added a spoon of minced chicken and rabbit all mixed in, They ate a very little and dragged the bowl down the ramp and into their sleeping area. I am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.....
This morning, I wet their kibble again and added a small pinch of minced chicken and salmon all mixed in, this they seemed to gobble down so I added another bowl with the same. I shall see what is left when I get home.
They have now not had any dry kibble since Saturday and I have been letting it soak progressively longer to get them used to a softer texture.
This weekend we will be making up some of the soupie stuff and will see how that goes too.
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Jul 26, 2017 8:23:45 GMT -5
Here is the soupie recipe--- and good for you. holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/raw-diet-the-meat-of-the-site/ U can hold them in ur lap and daub their mouths with finger, if they do not go for it on their own from saucer. Let them down and try again in a couple of minutes. Of course you can read people's switching threads here to see how they got theirs to eat the soupie, and what problems they may have encountered. Once they eat freely off ur finger, put soupie on spoon then lay spoon on saucer. Sometimes they will eat right from saucer once from finger, but there are a few that needs the spoon. Don't know why---maybe they like being served
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Post by Sherry on Jul 26, 2017 9:45:00 GMT -5
You can do the method you are doing, or start with the puree soup. When I first went to raw with mine, I did what you are doing now, pretty much :-) I added progressively more and more raw puree to the kibble soup, about a tsp more every day, and a tsp less wet kibble, til all raw.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2017 8:35:45 GMT -5
You can do the method you are doing, or start with the puree soup. When I first went to raw with mine, I did what you are doing now, pretty much :-) I added progressively more and more raw puree to the kibble soup, about a tsp more every day, and a tsp less wet kibble, til all raw. Thank you for this. They did not each much of the mixture yesterday but have eaten much more today so these baby steps seem to be working. I seem to be getting on better with the tiny bits of minced salmon and chicken than with just minced meat. Perhaps it is because they like salmon oil so the taste is not completely alien to them.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 27, 2017 9:40:09 GMT -5
Just remember to keep pushing the envelope with them. Don't let them become complacent about a particular texture by giving the same thing every time. By switching things up, even just a tiny amount (as long as they continue to accept it), then they will be more willing to accept other changes, like proteins etc.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2017 2:35:40 GMT -5
Just remember to keep pushing the envelope with them. Don't let them become complacent about a particular texture by giving the same thing every time. By switching things up, even just a tiny amount (as long as they continue to accept it), then they will be more willing to accept other changes, like proteins etc. I took your advice on this and yesterday I put a small dish with a table spoon of just the minced up chicken and salmon in the cage. Harry actually ate some of it and came back for more. I would suggest he probably had about a quarter of it. The other two had a good sniff but I didn't see them take any of it. It is not much but it is a start. I left this in there for a couple of hours and then put in a bowl full of kibble whisked in with an egg and a bit of ferret oil before I went to bed last night. This morning over half of that was gone. I do feel progress is being made and very slowly we are widening their horizons.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2017 9:31:32 GMT -5
So, this morning I bought a blender and was able to make up some soup. I started by putting some of their oil on a spoon and Harry came and had a couple of licks, I put some soup on it and he gobbled that down. He then had more and more from the spoon and in the end I gave him the small bowl and he lapped up about half of it. I then tried the same with Ron and he had a few licks and then even Lady H had a lick or two as well. They have all gone into their bed now so I have left some kibble mixed into the soup in their cage. They have not had dry kibble for a week now, so they should be getting used to the differing textures.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 30, 2017 9:28:05 GMT -5
They are all making progress! With Ron and Lady H, after kibble has been removed for a couple hours, pick them up and try spoon feeding from your lap. Don't let them down after a couple of licks, but rather keep the spoon in front of their noses for a couple minutes before releasing them to try again 10-15 minutes later.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2017 10:34:37 GMT -5
I did post this on Facebook but I will say so here too. I persevered like you suggested with Ron and Lady H, yesterday Ron started to lick from the bowl and today Lady H did too. I have not given them any kibble now for two days. I am going to keep on with the soup at this thickness for a few days and then add less water and blend for less time so that it starts to thicken up and we shall go from there.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2017 3:09:24 GMT -5
So - Following advice on the Facebook group, I have made their soup more 'bitty' today. When I put it in this morning, they were not sure, so I have drizzled a little of their ferret oil on there and when I left for work, Lady H was happily eating. Things seem to be going well at the moment.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2017 8:30:24 GMT -5
Well all of a sudden the whole thing seems to have clicked. I have been whizzing up some of the ready bought paleo offal mixture and adding in some bonemeal until this weekend when I didn't bother to whizz is up and just put it in there with the bonemeal mixed in. They are eating a small bowlful between them at every meal.
Today, I have tried some minced rabbit, this has bone etc in it, the only thing it doesn't have is fur, and they seem to be liking that too. So today I have been out and bought some minced turkey and beef stuff that has bone in too.
I guess the next step is proper meat, any tips on that please?
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