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Post by Miousse on Feb 28, 2018 13:39:14 GMT -5
We're down to 2 ferrets. We've had some bad luck in the last year and have lost several to health issues. I thought we were doing well with quality kibble foods, but I want to switch to raw food in the next couple months, so I figure we need to start our homework. Our boys are around 4 years old. Koda is sable. He's having issues with urine control, but is otherwise active and healthy as far as my vet and I can tell - tests are ongoing. Has anyone else had this? Kronk is white. He's deaf and we suspect a Waardenburg Syndrome/Neural Crest ferret. He had a grey stripe down his back as a kit, and it roaned out pretty quickly, and he's always been a little "special" We also have Dogs (Lincoln and Kayra), Guinea Pigs and Fish! DIP Willow, Cleo, Kenai
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Post by LindaM on Feb 28, 2018 14:37:19 GMT -5
Hi there, and welcome to the forum! So glad to have you join us. Feel free to browse the forum, join in the ongoing discussions and ask any questions that you may have. We'll do our best to help answer them. I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your other babies. DIP little ones. Sadly, even the high-end kibbles can still cause issues in the long haul, they will take a bit longer and tend to be less than on poor quality kibbles though, but kibble always comes with its own set of problems. You're making a great choice in deciding to switch to raw, even if it can't undo certain health issues if they are already present, it can still do its part in helping to better control them. I'm gonna link you to the FAQ page about raw, it has some awesome links that can start helping you out with your research on raw. holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/17480/intro-raw-newbies-read
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Post by mermaidsirena on Feb 28, 2018 22:49:23 GMT -5
Welcome! It is a lovely group here and lots of help to make the switch. Adorable profile pic!!
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Post by Miousse on Mar 1, 2018 0:12:35 GMT -5
Thanks ladies! Looking forward to getting to know everyone & learn as much as I can.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 1, 2018 8:17:17 GMT -5
Hi and welcome For pics, I use tiny pic, and use the message board link.
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Post by Miousse on Mar 1, 2018 14:13:15 GMT -5
Thanks @sherry for the tiny pic tip - I couldn't get the link to work, but I got pictures in there, so that's already a huge improvement!
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Post by unclejoe on Mar 1, 2018 21:04:25 GMT -5
Hi and welcome aboard. Koda is so cute. We would love to have a sable kit again. We had a couple sable girls that were absolutely brilliant escapists . We would love to hear your experiences and see some more pix.
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Post by Miousse on Mar 2, 2018 12:05:29 GMT -5
Koda's always been my sweet one. I find during play he'll stop and check in with me. (hence the meerkat pic) I've always been a softie for the sables too.
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Post by Blue on Mar 5, 2018 21:30:09 GMT -5
Hi and welcome to the forum! Your babies are adorable, thanks for the pics. I'm so sorry about your losses. This can be a symptom of adrenal disease. Since he's 4, it's very likely. Other symptoms are extra itchiness, fur loss around the shoulders and base of the tail, aggressive and/or sexual behavior, and others. There's a really complete list of possible symptoms here (although sometimes there are almost no visible symptoms): hide-e-hole.com/symptoms-of-adrenal-disease/You need to keep a very close eye on the urinary issues: if he becomes unable to urinate, it's an emergency and he needs to be taken to the vet immediately. Here's more information on that: holisticferretforum.com/health/adrenal-disease/141-2/There's very good medication for adrenal disease, an implant (Deslorelin) that is inserted under the skin every 6 months. It generally controls the disease very well for up to several years. To be honest, since he's 4, I would just go ahead and get the implant anyway. It's not at all harmful if he's not adrenal. If the vet suggests doing a blood test for adrenal (the Tennessee blood panel), don't bother. It has a lot of false negatives and is very expensive. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
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Post by Miousse on Mar 5, 2018 22:46:32 GMT -5
Hello Blue, Thanks for the list of symptoms, it helps a lot. Koda's acting very nomal, - neither more excited nor more aggressive, his coat is gorgeous, and there definitely doesn't seem to be any balding or weight loss. It's just the peeing... he seems to have less control than ever. (he peed on me at bath time once or twice as a youngster ) It happens in his sleep now, and he can't always hold it to the box. I'll speak with my vet - I know she had mentioned the blood-work down the road, she was leaning towards ultrasound and x-ray to look for tumors - then the blood-work. Thoughts?
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Post by Blue on Mar 6, 2018 9:06:32 GMT -5
Hi Miousse! I'm glad that Koda seems to be otherwise doing well, although that doesn't necessarily rule out adrenal, since sometimes there are very few symptoms. Other things it could be... maybe a UTI, or urinary tract stones? Stones are generally visible on an xray. Some kibbles are known for creating stones -- grain-free Zupreem in particular, and ones with peas in general. A raw diet would definitely help with that. Let's hope it's not a tumor. I hope you and your vet can figure it out. Keep us updated!
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Mar 6, 2018 9:12:01 GMT -5
Hi and welcome to forum. So glad to have u. Lovely ferrets and doggies.
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Post by Miousse on Mar 6, 2018 22:14:39 GMT -5
Thanks @ abbeytheferret6! Blue - we've been on an assortment of foods, I tried to stick to higher-end, but the peas is news to me - so hopefully that wasn't my doing... Several of these include peas. Do you know if these ones are up there in the likely to have issues list? Kibbles: Orijen Cat+Kitten/Regional Red, Nutrience Subzero Fraser Valley/Prairie Red, Go! Fit+Free Cat Chicken, Turkey & Duck. Thank you! We're hoping it's not either!
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Post by Blue on Mar 6, 2018 23:07:27 GMT -5
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Post by Miousse on Mar 8, 2018 19:37:38 GMT -5
Of course, raw is best! Always!! That's the plan once we're settled in at the new place! I just know hubby would be most unimpressed if we got the "extra stanky" poops from transitioning where we're at now. - So we're reading up and getting ready for the switch!
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