How often should I give Carnivore Care?

[brittanyb]

As I've mentioned on other threads, one of my little guys, Finn, is experiencing some health issues right now. I've been giving him Carnivore Care, which I can't say enough great things about. He loves it (takes it very willingly!), and it's helping him gain back some weight. He is no longer eating his regular food, hopefully just because he is completely satiated by the Carnivore Care. This seems to be the case, since he *is* slowly gaining weight.

I'm giving him the recommended 6 tablespoons per day, split up into 3 feedings of 2 tablespoons each. Should I break it down into more feedings per day, now that he doesn't seem to be eating anything in between? I know ferrets eat every few hours, so I just want to make sure he isn't going hungry for too long.

I know some of you have used Carnivore Care successfully with your ferts, and your input would be very helpful. Thank you!

[Heather]

As it's his only diet, I'd be asking the vet as to how much he needs to cover his needs. I've used this only to support...never as a diet
ciao

[brittanyb]

I'll be speaking with his vet in the morning, and I'll be sure to get her approval on the feeding schedule/amount. So far it seems to be working very well for us. I'm so relieved that he's putting weight back on.

[peacexlovexpets]

To my understanding, Carnivore Care (Oxbow) is a balanced/complete diet, so you should be just fine feeding it.

An alternative that I do (as I don't use Carnivore Care) is I just grind up the kibble I regularly feed (as I'm not a raw feeder) and mix it with salmon oil and water and feed it. That way I don't have to switch diets on them and it is easier on the tummy/guts. You can either soak the food in water/salmon oil mix all night and then smash it with a spoon, or use a coffee grinder when it is dry and add water later. I add the salmon oil because my noodles are addicted to it (encourages them to eat) and the added fat helps the gut be more mobile in case they have a blockage (I've done the same thing with my dog when he ate a ferret tug rope and he passed it within a day or two-he's a repeat offender for foreign object removal). Just make sure you don't add the salmon oil if your animal suffers from chronic pancreatitis, as that would make issues worse.

[brittanyb]

We actually did give him a soup mix of his kibble and water for the first day or so before he refused to eat it, and then we switched to the Carnivore Care, which he happily devours. He loves it and eats it willingly, thank goodness, because I would hate to have to force feed him.

I spoke to his vet about our feeding schedule (amount + frequency), and she said it's perfect for his weight and situation. She said Carnivore Care *is* nutritionally complete, so no need to worry about it not meeting his needs. He does seem to be doing well on it, and it's helping him put on some weight.