Diamond1313's Switching Thread/Sherry

[Heather]

Name: Laurie
HF Forum Username:diamond1313

1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets?

ferret.com I have been debating on switching for a while

2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Be sure to include if you are interested in feeding whole prey (live or frozen-thawed) and if you are wanting to FULLY switch to a natural diet or PARTIALLY. If you are unsure what kind of diet you want to put your ferrets on, please express that and we can help you find the best type of natural diet for your ferret.

I want to switch to raw I don't think I could handle feeding prey

3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet?

I have heard it is healthier for them

4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It can be a commitment of several weeks or even months. Your HF Mentor will be more then happy to assist you in switching your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as committed. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, or if you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc) then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing to make the commitment?

Yes I understand

5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight?

I have 15 ferrets.
Males
Bear-3yrs- blind in one eye
Snickers-4yrs-no known health issues
Sparky-6yrs- no known health issues
Anubis-5yrs-no known health issues
Hurricane-3yrs-no known health issues
Reese-4yrs-no known health issues
Abu-2yrs-no known health issues
Storm-2yrs-no known health issues

Females
Halaya-5yrs-enlarged spleen
Shayla-6yrs-no known health issues
Carmel-2yrs-no known health issues
Bubbles-2yrs- no known health issues
Mindi-5yrs- no fur on her face(vet says he cant find the reason for this)
Cleo-5yrs- no ears just the ear lobes(yes she can hear)
Annabelle-6yrs-Insulinoma, adrenal disease, and what ever else the vet finds out tomorrow.

6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc)

Dr foster and smith, n-bones, soupies, ferretone, Annabelle will eat cooked chicken

7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened?

No have never tried

8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share?

none that I can think of right now

9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer?

every day

10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible).
Bear


Hi and welcome to the mentoring program on our new forum. In a little while your mentor (sherry) will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey.
ciao

[Sherry]

Hello there! I'm Sherrylynne, and I'll be your mentor for their switch
First, a little about me. I'm 51, and have my own housecleaning business here in Calgary Alberta. I have 4 cats, ranging in age from 6yrs, to 17(only one would eat raw, unfortunately ). I also have 8 ferrets. Boris and Vincent came first, two brothers, a sable and albino. Then Sinnead(rip). I got her when she was 2. She passed at almost the age of 8, had adrenal for 3 years, treated with lupron for 2 of those.
After that came my first deaf ferret, Lucrezia. A marked DEW. Then two foster ferrets, whom we fell in love with and adopted- Zeus and Athena, both two years old at that time. Also both adrenal, and on lupron.
After that, a little abused ferret we called Willow. She was the worst fear biter I've had, although now she's becoming a sweetie . Then, Emily. 1 month younger than Willow, and those two have bonded strongly. She's the only one Willow wasn't terrified of.Suki is the last one, I swear! She was a little 8 month old darling the pet store was having a hard time selling, so were getting ready to send her back!
While transitioning the first four, Boris was my hold out. EVERYTHING I gave him was poison, in his mind . Worst little drama queen I've seen yet . Twisting to get away, gagging, retching- he did all of it! Then one day- he ate it! Every single piece on the plate ! Those four haven't looked back. Although Boris would still be a kibble head if I let him.
The next two for transitioning were the fosters. Until we adopted them, I could only supplement with raw. So in order not to cause unnecessary tummy upsets(mixing kibble and raw too closely can cause some problems- more about that later), I'd give them raw one day, and kibble on a different day. So, by the time we adopted, they had no problem with 100% raw diet.
With Willow, I brought her home, and she flatly refused to eat the totally ferret kibble, so I went back to the pet store and got her a small bag of the crap they were feeding them there, and brought it home. I tried to give her some, but she just upset the dish. So- I tried her with some chicken breast. She ate it up! Hasn't had kibble since . Emily came to us as a raw fed ferret, so no issues there. Suki was another kibble head, but caging her in the daytime with Miss Emily showed her how to eat raw.
That's me and mine in a nutshell

The reason I started looking a raw feeding was something my vet said to me. I was, at the time, giving them small pieces of fruit for treats. She told me that was VERY bad for them, and in fact, some studies have started to link early feeding of sugars with insulinoma later in life. So- I started thinking. Kibbles are full of carbs. It's all those grains/veg/fruits in them. Those are converted to sugars by the body. To me then, sugar= potential insulinoma.
So, I started checking out various diets. I had no idea what an obligate carnivore was at the time. I found out! Not much wonder there was soooo much poop in the box! I may as well have been tossing my money in there. They can't process anything that's not meat based! So I feed meat
Their fur is softer, their energy levels are amazing- no mad rushes then crashing. Even my three year old's teeth are amazing. No plaque whatsoever Healing is faster, and if they do get ill, they have more reserves to rely on than when they were just kibble fed!
And there is a LOT LESS POOP!!!! Yay!
I'm looking forward to helping your little ones get on a much healthier diet, and having fun while we're at it ;D

[diamond1313]

Hi Sherrylynne I am glad to meet you. I am excited to start my babies on a healthier diet especially Annabelle. It has been a long hard week with her and am hoping that switching her to raw will help her. As I mentioned in my last post I was taking her to the vet and we know for sure she has adrenal disease and insulinoma. The vet did blood work and she possibly has lymphoma , kidney disease and liver disease. So you can see why this is so important for her. She is starting to get better she is trying to use her back legs now and is awake more. She wont eat her kibble at all so I am thinking this is a perfect time to try to switch her since she is only eating soup. But the kibble is still in her cage and she wont touch it. So where do we start?

[Sherry]

It's so important getting her to eat something regularly on her own, to keep the inso under control. Since she eats soupies now(and you can do this with all of them), puree about a pound of raw chicken(any cut) with about 4 hearts, a couple of livers, a tsp of eggshell powder, and enough water to make it about the same consistency as the soup they are eating now.
Take the normal amount of soup you would give for all of them, and add just a tbsp or so of the raw puree, mix really well, and give that instead. You can freeze the raw puree in ice cube trays, and when they are frozen, baggie them. Every couple of meals, increase the amount of raw puree to soupie blend.
If they reach a point where they won't touch the new blend, just go back a step for a day or so, then move up again.
Now, there are a couple of different ways we can go about the switch. I've found with large groups, some prefer doing it by groups, others by the entire group, even though some ferrets are going to pull out ahead of the others.
I even had one where he concentrated on one ferret at a time
You know your fuzz best, and you also know which ones will likely race ahead, and which will need more help.
And to be honest, the ones in the cage with your inso. girl will take longer, simply because she needs something like kibble available all the time.
You might also want to try some freeze dried raw with her as well. She might take that over the kibble.

[diamond1313]

Do I get the hearts and liver at the grocery store in the meat section? And where do I get eggshell powder?

I am not sure if I want to work with one at a time or 2-3 at a time. I will try the soupies for a few days with all of them and see how they do.

[Sherry]

Chicken hearts and livers I pick up in the meat freezer section of the grocery store. Same for beef heart and liver. But we'll leave the beef for later, as it's much stronger tasting.
For the eggshell powder, when you have eggs, rinse them out, leave them to dry for a day or so. I use a clean coffee grinder for it. A couple spins, and they are pulverized. Others use a mortar and pestle.
And trying all of them on the soups is a good idea. Even when only switching a few at a time, you can keep up with the raw soup so the ones NOT being switched yet still have a taste for it.

[diamond1313]

Ok I will start the process with them. I will get the liver and heart after i get off work today

[diamond1313]

Annabelle lost the fight to life and went to the rainbow bridge today. I will be back on in a day or so. I am heart broken and need to get away for a couple days.

[Sherry]

Oh, I am so sorry Take your time, and hugs to you and your other babies.

[diamond1313]

Well I am back (kinda). I was going to get on and post last friday after I took some stuff to the dump well needless to say I didnt make it to the dump. I fell down the stars leading to the basement and broke my tailbone. I was put on bed rest sine then. Was given some pain meds and am feeling a little better now. Still cant sit, stand or walk for long periods of time. but at least I am out of bed.

I went to the store today and got the hearts and chicken and will make the ferrets the soup tomorrow. Hopefully they will eat it with no problem. (oops was reading your post on what to put in it and forgot the liver I will pick that up in the tomorrow when I get off work.)
Do I leave the kibble in the cage or do I take it out?

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.

[Sherry]

Hey- that's ok! I fully understand, unfortunately
Ok, for the kibble. You can leave it out of the cages for up to 12 hours, then offer the soup to them. You may have to scruff and dab it on their noses to get them tasting it.
Do you want to go with straight raw soup, or start mixing it in with their existing one slowly. That will be the easiest route for you, I'm thinking.

[diamond1313]

well I mixed the raw soup with the existing one and they must be able to smell the difference in it cause none of the wanted anything to do with it. I dabbed it on each of there noses to and Carmel and Bubbles bit me lol. I will try again today.

[Sherry]

You may want to reduce the bit of raw in it to the point where they go "Hmmm-something different here?....Nah!" ;D
Or, you can keep on with what you are giving now, and see how they do Whichever works for you the best, that's the point we'll go forward from.
But def. take the kibble out several hours up to 12 to help them build up an appetite

[Sherry]

Hi, any updates?