Soup success!!

[shar]

After hours going back and forth reading about food transitions we made the soup for Sammy and snow. I had tried a raw egg (yolk only) to test the waters and Sammy loved it but snow was not having it. About a week later we made the soup. 8 ounces chicken thigh, 1 ounce liver and 1 ounce heart. I added bone meal as well and blended and added water. Snow is the picky eater and she ate the same amount she would’ve if it were kibble (possibly more). I would say roughly 2 ounces. She was not happy eating it out of the bowl, and even tried to run away, but after some coaxing and a scruff and stuff she licked every bit (for an hour) off my finger. Sammy ate less (odd to me because he’s the easier one!) but had about 1.5 ounces, he did gag and did not look happy eating it. But oddly enough still ate a lot of it. So soup was a success! This morning I’m looking at poops and they’re not horrible looking (I think), when I figure out how to actually post a good picture I’ll put them up..but one of the poop piles looks seedy and I’m trying to figure out if that’s them getting all the extra stuff out from kibble or if it’s just a transitional thing. Thanks for all the help! I’m so happy we at least have the soup down and can’t wait for them to start eating and trying new things!! I’m especially excited about frog legs and lamb for another protein.

[mermaidsirena]

Congrats on the soup success! I remember thinking it wouldn't happen and when it did I became obsessed with the amount they ate. For mine 2 ounces is good for a feeding. As they were adjusting we were up to about 3 ounces a feeding every once in a while. Now there are a few days they eat a bit less than the 2 ounces.

Egg -- mine only like their eggs with the yolk and white whipped together. Worth a shot for Snow.

I'm not sure on the poop but know that it looks a bit odd for a week or so. I found it a bit more smelly during that time as well. Egg seems to make it a bit runny and the heart and organs tend to make it quite dark. I was amazed at how much less water they drank yet they peed more. The meat is so full of water they don't need the water bowl like they did with kibble. We still have water in a bowl available but I think it evaporates more than they drink it.

[Sherry]

You have done so well getting them eating as much as they have first meal! Average for females is 1-3oz per DAY As for the poops- detox poops are really weird as a rule. The only constant is lack of consistency You will also find they will be much, much smaller, and wetter than kibble poops. The reason is they are utilizing the majority of their intake. The majority of the kibble they eat winds up in the litter box as they simply can't utilize it.

[shar]

Thank you so much for the suggestion, I'll definitely try that. The poop smells more, there is also much more urine than when they were on kibble. I noticed Sammy's scent has definitely became stronger. They're also not as crazy about the water, like when they were on kibble.

Snow is definitely doing great with the transition. We have got to the point where she eats on her own. Sammy on the other hand is only eating when he is finger fed. He’s slowly showing interest, which is very exciting. I've attempted guiding him towards the bowl while finger feeding, At times he will eat for a few seconds but try to back away. We've gotten this far by changing their feeding bowls from small ceramic bowls to small flat plates, to make the food visible and hopefully peak their interests. Without a doubt it’s been a great help.

This has all happened so fast. Considering its only the first few days on the new food, I feel as though it is normal for the poop to appear a bit different, as their bodies adjust.

I’ve been having difficulty uploading the images of their poop. I’m a little concerned because snow’s is appearing a bit seedy. Not too much but considering Sammy’s is normal it’s making me worry.

I also didn’t realize that the soup was finishing so quickly therefore I tried using beef instead, and they were not happy. We went right back to square one as of finger feeding. They have no interest on their own when it comes to the beef. They try escaping as I finger feed. So my best bet will be chicken for a while.

[Sherry]

Yeah detox stink can be pretty bad for a while. Both from their stools AND their bodies. Again- stools are going to be really off looking for a while yet, so I'd not worry TOO much.
And yes, beef is a very strong meat. That can be worked into the diet down the road a bit

[Blue]

Yeah, I always mix beef with poultry. Maisie loves all poultry but is so-so on the rest, so I always do half poultry (chicken, duck, turkey, goose, pheasant, quail) and half something else (beef, pork, llama, alpaca, goat, mutton, rabbit...) (these are all from Hare Today). Congrats on your first successes!