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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 5:20:12 GMT -5
I am an accidental ferrent. We were out walking our dogs when they found an emaciated ferret in the ditch. He was too weak to move. We knocked on the door but it was not their ferret and they didn't know whose it was. So we took him home. Of course, it was a Friday night, so the vet wasn't open. My husband tried feeding him meat, but he didn't seem to recognize it as food. So I watered down my Blue Buffalo cat food and fed him little bits all night until the PetSmart opened. I bought every brand of ferret food they had to try and figure out what he was used to. It turns out he eats ZuPreem.
We have tried desperately to find the little guy's family. We put flyers in every neighbor's box, contacted every rescue group, scoured the internet, etc. We couldn't find his family. While we waited, we researched, ferret-proofed a room for him so he didn't have to be locked up, and bought a million toys and a ferret mansion. It's been a month and no one has come forward, so we took the little guy to an exotic vet and he was given a clean bill of health.
Obviously, we have fallen in love with him. But I am extremely concerned about his diet. The exotic vet recommended Marshall's pet food, so I knew right away I wasn't going to get any help there. I can't get him off the ZuPreem. I'm trying to get him to at least try the Wysong Ferret Epigen 90 that I bought after a little research, but he won't touch it. If I mix even the smallest amount in with the ZuPreem, he won't touch it. He literally chooses starvation over the Wysong.
What else can I do? I know that the ZuPreem is total garbage -- but I have to keep giving it to him or he'll starve! I put out a separate bowl of the Wysong next to the ZuPreem, but he won't acknowledge it.
Any ideas what to do? I'm open to anything except live feeding. Cost isn't a huge factor. Also (please don't judge me) I'm a vegetarian who knows zero about eating meat, so I might need some extra help if the best thing to do is try that.
Thank you in advance. I know Glitch (my daughter named him) will appreciate it!
EDIT: I tried Salmon oil. No dice.
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Jul 31, 2017 5:56:19 GMT -5
Hi jenb, I see u have signed up for mentor program. While waiting, I sent you the link to read up on raw feeding and also a video. Wow, what a lucky little fellow and your family too. We will be glad to help u. Is your ferret a Marshall's ferret? Nice to know that you r willing to give raw a try, which is the best for your little guy. Ferrets are obligate carnivores---like cats, meant to eat really just meat. They even lack a cecum to process vegetable/fruit matter necessary to turn it into nutrition. So we have some great info here at this site: holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/raw-diet-the-meat-of-the-site/We have a soupie recipe there, too. To get the ferret to eat the soupie, you will need to hold him in your lap and daub his mouth (soupie from finger). Let him down if he wants to get away from you. Then in a couple of minutes or so, do it again. Keep repeating this process. When he starts licking off ur finger, you can offer soupie from saucer. However, some like being served from the teaspoon first. Once eating from teaspoon, u can then lay it on the saucer. If you like you tubes, here is someone who is making the forum soupie. You can use plain human grade bone meal instead of eggshell powder. Amount is listed in the soupie recipe |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2017 6:48:39 GMT -5
He is a Marshall's ferret, so says the vet. He weighs barely 3 pounds. I will definitely try the soupie; thankyou! |
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Post by Sherry on Jul 31, 2017 7:30:59 GMT -5
Definitely start him on the raw puree. As Abbey said, just keep dabbing and letting go.You can offer from a spoon each time first to see if he will take it that way.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2017 2:42:23 GMT -5
Well, I psyched myself up to watch the video. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, although I still feel badly for the chickens. But I majored in science so I know that if I'm friends with a cat and a ferret, they need me to help them hunt.
I'm going to shop for the ingredients, so I asked my husband what part of the grocery store to look in. He said that he'd never seen chicken hearts or livers for sale, and that he peruses the meat department of our Kroger's thoroughly. So, do I need to find a butcher shop for these products? Or do you buy them frozen from the grocery store? Or do you ask the grocery store butcher?
Thanks!
Jen
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Aug 1, 2017 5:17:22 GMT -5
That is so sweet of you. I have not been to a butcher's shop. Maybe others have. I am sure they will tell you how they get their hearts. I get mine from the farmer's market. I used to get duck hearts at Farm Fresh Ducks pretty regularly. Shipping can be pricey. www.farmfreshduck.com/ I would call Kroger's meat dept too --- just in case something is in their freezer. Hearts seem to be the most difficult thing to find at grocery stores. Do tell us how it goes.
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Post by Sherry on Aug 1, 2017 9:17:34 GMT -5
Definitely talk to the meat manager at your grocery store. Those are usually in the frozen meat section.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2017 0:13:36 GMT -5
Okay, I'm buying tools (e.g. scales, food processor) and gearing up. We will start making the soupie when I get back from vacation next week. Question: how long does soupie keep? I've never been an omnivore, but I do have extensive health department training from my days in the food service industry, so I know there are standards. My questions are: - How long does the soupie stay okay for them to eat once served to them? (In other words, after it's been with the ferret ? amount of time it should be discarded.)
- How long does refrigerated soupie last?
- How long does frozen soupie last?
Thanks again for the help! |
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Aug 3, 2017 6:22:18 GMT -5
I would not worry about frozen soupies going bad. U can make up a batch and fill up ice cube tray(s). Once frozen pop out and store in a freezer bag. depending on the ambient temperature: Soups - 6-8 hours (for soup recipe, see below) Grinds - 8-12 hours Chunks - 10-24 hours depending on the size (larger chunks last longer) Bone-in meats - 12-24 hours, again depending on the size Whole prey - up to 48 hours Read more: holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/16051/abbeytheferret6s-switching-thread-abbylee22#ixzz4ogrjHo5I |
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Aug 4, 2017 4:26:09 GMT -5
I put my ice cube tray on scale and calibrated it to zero and found that the tubs in my ice cube tray would hold about one ounce.
Anyway, I would give 2 (at least to a male) for a meal or even more. Once you know how much yours will eat, u can adjust to whatever. You do want a little left over to show that he is getting full.
I think most of us feed twice a day.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2017 1:00:48 GMT -5
Well, I came back from vacation, and recruited my pet-sitter and teenage neighbor to help me because I needed the moral support. We followed the YouTube video and made the soupie -- he won't eat it. She has come over every day at least once and tried to get him to eat the soupie. No luck. He won't eat a raw egg. My neighbor even found a fresh chicken heart (I don't even want to know where) and he wouldn't eat it.
The only good news I have to report is that the ZuPreem is history. His kibble is now 50/50 Wysong/Orijen. He seems to be eating a lot less, but he isn't losing weight, so I'm assuming he was eating a lot of indigestible vegetable matter before.
How long to I keep this up before resigning us to kibble? I feel like I've failed the poor ferret ...
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Post by aurra on Aug 23, 2017 8:50:11 GMT -5
Do you know how old he is? My girl kit took to meat right away. I had left over chicken necks in my freezer from my recently passed dog. She loves them. The male is still learning. He wouldn't touch them. I grabbed one (knowing I was going to give him a bath) and played with it. Basically hand wrestle and with it and once he got the taste of meat in his mouth he got curious. He still hasn't eaten the bone but he does eat the meat. Mine are on part kibble and part meat diet right now. As I am still researching where to get the best foods. If you live near farms you can write raw pet food and the place where you live in Google. There are 3 farms near me that make raw pet food and one of them uses no veggies and I can buy organs and hearts from them.. as well as bone in meats. I'm going to check out the farm next week to see if they'll have everything I need. If not.. I know a lot of mid east or Asian grocery stores have a lot of organs and tongues.
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Aug 23, 2017 9:10:04 GMT -5
This is what i did with my last girl who was very difficult
1. I tried daubing mouth and letting her go. I did this many, many times.
2. Then, I tried scruffing her to make her yawn so i could put soupie in mouth. She did not have much to scruff, and she got offended at me scruffing her---and she did not yawn. After a few times thinking maybe i am scruffing wrong, she started running from me when she saw me coming. It is funny now thinking about it:))) but we were both stressed by then.
3. I decided to end all the drama and gently prised open her mouth. This worked, but I had to do it a couple of times or so before she started eating soupie from my finger.
Once you progress to finger feeding, You may have to offer soupie in a teaspoon before you lay it down in the saucer. Some will not feed directly from saucer.
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Aug 23, 2017 9:14:31 GMT -5
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