|
Post by FireAngel on Sept 27, 2017 21:50:52 GMT -5
Great keep at it then! I also tend not to do the scruff routine with them at all unless absolutely needed and force feeding is required. The grab and dab method usually works great, I may tend to hold them a bit longer than just a little grab though to try to get them to lick their faces instead of just rubbing it off on a blanket! lol
|
|
|
Post by Aftershock on Sept 28, 2017 0:52:15 GMT -5
Weren't they sick at one point? Was that possibly when they started being picky about their food?
|
|
|
Post by LindaM on Sept 28, 2017 1:36:55 GMT -5
Kelsey has a big point. Did you by chance ever give them their medicines with their usual food? Some ferret medicines taste like butt... serious BUTT! If they had to deal with that nasty taste in their usual food, it may have created undesirable memories and feelings toward that food which will need to be overcome.
Medicines can be given with meat-based baby food, so as to not put them off their usual food if it's a nasty medicine or bad experience for the fuzzy.
As for the progress today, great job. Just hang in there, you're gonna be fine. BREATHE! ^^ Your fuzzies will get into the habit of things, don't worry. You just keep on trying hon.
|
|
stacylo
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 225
|
Post by stacylo on Sept 28, 2017 9:33:02 GMT -5
Yep! They had been sick when I first got them but that was when they were eating 8 to 10 ounces a day. As they have felt better, they seem to be eating less. They also were underweight and you could feel their little skeletons more than one should be able to. So it is also possible that they were eating 8 to 10 ounces combined when they were underweight and as they got caught up they just don't need as much I suppose.
I gave them their medicine by syringe and didn't mix it into their food. I was worried about them getting the timings related to each other so I tried to separate out putting food out and them being given medicine by at least an hour when I could. They never happened at the same time at the very least. They were both not pleased with being scruffed and given medicine via syringe but it was fast and I tried to get it past their taste buds so they didn't have to taste it. Still not a pleasant experience for them I'm sure. Rogue has been off all medication since September 12. Calamity has been off antibiotics since September 21 and has been on Carafate for a couple weeks now.
Calamity ate again on her own last night and this morning (lamb grind) and Rogue continues to hold out and makes this very stubborn face when I go to spoon feed her. She's consistently has a bit more 'tude than Calamity so I'm not super surprised and she's getting enough through spoon feeding to be okay I think. Grab'nDabbed with soupie again this morning and will be able to a few more times as the day progresses. They both still think it's poison but it's only been 24 hours so I would expect as much I think.
Calamity goes back to the vet today for a recheck. Her poop has solidified a bit since she's been getting lamb consistently for the last 2.5 days. So that's a good sign too!
|
|
|
Post by Aftershock on Sept 28, 2017 11:23:08 GMT -5
I was thinking it's possible their appetites crashed when they got sick, it happens. It's generally the first sign something is wrong.
I know this has probably already been asked, but have you tried popping some slivers into their mouths? How often are you spoon feeding them and how much per day? Do they ever have a time that they are hungry? They know the bone in meals are food, so either they still aren't feeling well or they are manipulating you.
|
|
stacylo
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 225
|
Post by stacylo on Sept 28, 2017 13:34:46 GMT -5
Yeah they could definitely be manipulating me. A Rogue, who is the spitfire of the two, has only gained 36 grams in the last 4 days while Calamity has gained 51. This is likely because Rogue is being super stubborn about her food while Calamity has made some progress. I have tried popping slivers in their mouths and if it's of some types they eat it (duck, beef) if it's of other types they won't (rabbit, chicken, turkey, lamb etc.). Even though they WERE eating each type before and were eating large (well, larger) amounts.
They don't appear to be sick anymore other than Calamity's diarrhea which seems a bit better since only feeding lamb protein. Both of them are super energetic and play hard and sleep hard.
I think I'll keep with the lamb soupie and grind since it's only been right at 48 hours of offering them one specific protein. Calamity has made huge strides just in 48 hours while Rogue continues to hold out.
|
|
stacylo
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 225
|
Post by stacylo on Sept 28, 2017 19:14:46 GMT -5
Okay so day 2 of lamb soupie and grind only. Calamity is eating the grind on her own, the soupie still is poison. Rogue continues to keep her foot down about not eating the lamb grind and is super annoyed when scruff her and encourage her to eat. She's eating some but super reluctantly. I keep telling myself that it's literally been 48 hours and I have to stay persistent and confident that she will come around. Her energy levels have been lower the past few days and that's because she's not eating.
They were both vetted today and both have temperatures of 102.9 which I don't think is something to worry about? They are both going to be treated for coccidia in case that is what the diarrhea in Calamity has stemmed from. The vet wants to be on the safe side that it isn't that causing the low appetites as well.
Egg is going a bit better than the soupie (not too difficult considering soupie is still poison.) And salmon oil has won them over. I may try giving Rogue a dab of salmon oil after she eats some soupie and/or grind in hopes of encouraging that process along unless that seems like a bad idea.
|
|
|
Post by Aftershock on Sept 28, 2017 20:55:03 GMT -5
What are the temps of the food you're serving? Cold, room temp, slightly warm?
How much bone supplement are they getting?
Also, you may want to take pictures of her poops every day. This thread would be a perfect place to post the pictures up as a bit of a diary for her stools. I'm very fond of documenting things for future reference personally.
|
|
stacylo
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 225
|
Post by stacylo on Sept 28, 2017 21:07:45 GMT -5
Great questions. I've tried slightly warm, cold, and room temperature and it doesn't appear to make much of a difference. The soupie includes 3/4 tsp of bone meal and they're getting raw RadCat grind which I think has balanced bone in it? I look forward to getting them back into bones asap! I do have pictures of daily poops and I can start uploading them here. My phone is dead at the moment so it will have to wait until tomorrow. She's been doing really well with the lamb and it seems to have solidified her poops a bit. Rogue just had a good size healthy poop too though I do wish her food intake would increase...
|
|
|
Post by LindaM on Sept 28, 2017 21:33:12 GMT -5
No, RadCat Raw isn't exactly a balanced grind anymore as it doesn't use any bones at all, it just uses eggshell powder, thus it's recommended to use it alongside other balanced bone-containing meals, and not just by itself for any long term. You can read more about it here: holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/raw-and-whole-prey-providers/
|
|
|
Post by Aftershock on Sept 28, 2017 21:43:14 GMT -5
You've been using the dab and grab, right? I assume you are using your finger, have you tried a spoon at all?
|
|
stacylo
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 225
|
Post by stacylo on Sept 28, 2017 21:50:40 GMT -5
No, RadCat Raw isn't exactly a balanced grind anymore as it doesn't use any bones at all, it just uses eggshell powder, thus it's recommended to use it alongside other balanced bone-containing meals, and not just by itself for any long term. You can read more about it here: holisticferretforum.com/natural-diet/raw-and-whole-prey-providers/Oh crazy! I thought I saw bits of bone in it and they seem harder than the other parts of the grind. Well dang. I would really love to get them off of grinds altogether but be able to use them when I need a ferret sitter some day. Are there any lamb bone in options that are appropriate? Or do I need to wait for bone until I introduce another protein? I have non-lamb bone in options in the freezer but I'm trying to wait until they accept just one protein entirely first. I've tried a spoon with mixed success. Rogue will eat off the palm of my hand more readily than a spoon at this point.
|
|
|
Post by Aftershock on Sept 28, 2017 21:57:14 GMT -5
The palm of the hand is also good, I ask about the spoon because I have an easier time dabbing on the nose with it, get them to lick, then swoop the spoon in as they lick their nose.
|
|
stacylo
Junior Member
Raw Feeder
Posts: 225
|
Post by stacylo on Sept 29, 2017 7:26:59 GMT -5
Beginning of day 3 - They ate none of their lamb grind or soupie overnight and would only put up with me spoon feeding .5 of an ounce total (lamb grind/soupie) each this morning. Everyone keeps saying kits are easy to transition but by golly these two are not! Everyone keeps saying they should be eating so much more but these two are not. I haven't gotten them to eat 3 ounces each in about 10 days. I continue to feel a mix of frustrated that I'm doing something wrong and concerned that they aren't like all the other kits I read about.
|
|
|
Post by Aftershock on Sept 29, 2017 10:19:04 GMT -5
Deep breath- it will be okay. I hate to say it, but you may want to offer a different protein they could be tired of lamb. I promise, I understand your frustration. Kits typically are easy to switch. My boys were a cake walk, my girly, Cow, was absolutely not. Introducing new stuff is the same battle I had when I first switched her. Not to mention two weeks of antibiotics right after getting her because she had a UTI.
This is going to be a pain, but would you mind running through what a feeding goes along for you? Every little detail helps (what you do, how they react). I want to make sure we aren't missing something small that could flip this whole process around for you.
|
|