Diet changes? (descriptive...just sayin')

[melcab]

So first I want to say that I had this whole thing written and it was wiped out by a strange pop up ad. Not sure if mods can do anything about that, but just letting you know that there is someone advertising here that is using these tactics.

Anyway, I noticed that Ron's poops are loose the past couple days. They are a normal brown color, just loose. Ginny's are fine, naturally. But I switched them from Marshall's food to Evo a few days ago. I started by mixing it in with the Marshall's just in case they didn't want to eat it, but they ate it with no problem and I gradually (ran out of Marshall's left over from previous owner) switched to all Evo. I'm assuming this is the issue, but how long should I expect it to last before normalizing again? So I know when to start worrying lol.

Also, should I wait for normal poops before starting the switch to raw so that I don't put too much stress on them by switching their diet too often? I am waiting for a mentor anyway.

I should also mention that we've been having a heat wave with outside temps in the mid-high 90's. Inside my house is quite a bit cooler, (I think because of the direction of the sun relative to my windows) but still not extremely pleasant. I've been keeping them cool by misting, putting ice bottles in their cage, ceiling fans and an occasional bathtub romp, but they have been sleeping a lot to conserve energy. Ron has been sleeping more than Ginny. It's a little cooler this morning and you could tell they approved because they were up exploring their cage, eating and drinking and not hiding in the bottom of the cage under the first platform where it's cool and dark. Could this be affecting Ron's digestion as well?

Anyway, thanks for the help. So glad I found this site. It's the best!

[miamiferret2]

hello & welcome! yes, the high protein content in EVO will cause loose stools. that is a very common thing that is reported by people that feed EVO. this is why kibble feeders will often mix it with other grain free kibbles such as orijen. if you are planning on switching them to a raw diet (if you can afford freeze dried) there are several freeze dried foods that are excellent and it is easier to get them to eat that. there is wysong ferret archetypal 1 and Stella & Chewy's freeze dried. as for stella & chewy's, i feed the canine formulas which have taurine in them now. the feline formulas i haven't tried yet. you can feed the freeze dried raw in soup and then sneak in real fresh raw meat from the grocery store. my ferret's favorite freeze dried from stella & chewy's is "duck duck goose" and chicken. he also eats "dandy lamb" and "big beef dinner." they wysong ferret archetypal 1 is EXCELLENT food. if i don't feed this food to my ferret, i can tell the difference in his coat after a week. i make sure not to run out of this food now.
raw, either commercial or fresh would be ideal. the difference in your ferret to me is very noticeable. my ferrets in the past were always fed kibble. i can't describe it but they felt sucked out? this ferret has more muscle tone, when you pick him up he's FULL, thick. hard to explain. i think it is the extra moisture. and mind you, i don't even feed whole prey and he doesn't get store bought fresh raw meat every day (i feed him freeze dried and i rehydrate it for him twice a day and i leave out a bowl of freeze dried while i'm gone).
if you plan on continuing to feed kibbles, i suggest that you buy Wysong Ferret Epigen 90. i was reading the ingredients online the other day it just came out and they sent me an email bc i order my freeze dried raw from wysong directly sometimes. the epigen ferret kibble ingredients sound great. definitely looks like the best ferret kibble out on the market today.

as for the heat, can you put in one of those wall unit (window) air conditioners? heat can cause runny stools but that is the least of it. it is very dangerous to have overheating ferrets. they succumb to heat exhaustion rather quickly. after hurricane katrina, i lost power for days and it was august-- my ferret did not want to eat, he was overheating, i couldn't keep him cool. the house was about 85 degrees.
i packed him up and we stayed at my brother's house for 3 days until our power came back. as soon as i got him in the air conditioner he was fine.

[Sherry]

Actually, it's not uncommon for looser stools with Evo, simply because the protein is so high. And no, I'd carry on with the raw switch. And yes, the heat can be a consideration as well.
As for the pop up ad, I've sent you a pm.

[miamiferret2]

sherry i think i got that weird pop up too. was it like an antivirus ad?

[Sherry]

If you are getting those- do NOT click on them! They deliver a worm. Just note who it's from if you can, and go to a computer forum, create an account, and have them walk you through some scans.
We had this happen last year, and it occured at a time when I was working with What The Tech. I had my antivirus down, got a pop up at the end of the download asking to reset the antivirus, clicked yes, and introduced a VERY nasty worm. Upshot was my computer had to be rebuilt.
I'll take this over to proboards, see what they say. But the name would be helpful.

[melcab]

Ok I'll get started on raw then as soon as a mentor is available. I do have some S&C chicken freeze dried dog food. I tried it dry, they each tried it then left it. I rehydrated it, Ginny seemed to like it. She was lapping it up, but didn't even eat 1 patty. Ron wasn't interested in it at all.

[Heather]

You have a mentor holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=switch&action=display&thread=2324
Gave you one the other day
ciao