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Post by sherik on Apr 2, 2011 21:35:18 GMT -5
It very well might have been Sid, but he was sound asleep when I checked on them.... but who knows, stranger things have happened. I think Huck is one of those ferrets that just doens't need to eat alot. His weight is exactly the same as always. But never eats all that much. My partner said I have been stressing about Hucks eating habits since I first got him, Which I guess is true. He has always been this way, even with kibble. I would have to put it on his blankets for him to eat. Maybe I have coddled him too much all his life. I know that can happen with Dogs. We had a dog who would only eat out of your hands, and she would even turn her nose up at steak and chicken, because the vet told my partners ex not to coddle her after she was spayed, but she did anyway. Made for one very stubborn dog. She was the princess Dusty, queen of the house. I am going to rehydrate the freeze dried stuff tonight and see if Fog eats it that way. I only gave him 3 little chunks in the food bowl. Plus it is expensive stuff, $40 a little bag. Crazy!!! That is cause of the shipping though. I thought maybe Huck would try it, but he just gagged when he sniffed it.
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Post by Heather on Apr 2, 2011 23:45:19 GMT -5
I tried the archetypal freeze dried...I had two fuzzes out of 10 that would eat it. It was hugely expensive. Now the price may have changed, got cheaper because it was a brand new product when I picked it up. Like I said, only 2 of my guys would touch it and only as a secondary product, they never actually ate enough of it to have it classified as an alternative food source. I always found it cheaper to feed raw so I just did and left the freeze dried and dried food to others. I had some rats at the time and they seemed to like it. Like I mentioned Yuri doesn't eat enough in my opinion but he's in good shape and maintains good weight. I guess like some people some ferrets don't have to eat very much to maintain their weight ciao
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Post by sherik on Apr 4, 2011 14:06:03 GMT -5
Huck has been eating pretty well the past few days. There is no more smell of kibbles in cooked Dook soup in the air. Maybe that is why. Zool always had a little bit of ground kibbles in his soup as that is the only way he would eat it. Someone has diarhea the past couple of days. Assuming it is Zoey cause of the loss of her Zooly. She is the only one left of the three that I rescued. I've been putting rescue remedy on their ears, and they got to say goodbye. Fog is loving the freeze dried raw with a little water mixed in. Yesterday I tried coating some slivers with kibble, but the only one who ate some was Fog. He's a good boy. There are some chunks in their soup again, Zoey, Lily, Fog, and Indy are the only ones who will eat them so far. I heard Zoey crunching on some of the cartlidge this morning too. So they are coming around. huck even walked up to the plate at lunch time and ate a little bit on his own. And I think he ate some last night to while I slept, as he had that full belly feeling when I picked him up this morning, you know what I mean?
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Post by Heather on Apr 4, 2011 15:28:44 GMT -5
Bringing in another cagemate is always stressful, even if they're having fun with it. Yuri reminds me so much of your Huck, any time I change anything,even when he has fun with it....he goes all emo on me. I finally had to just do what I was going to do and just take Yuri along for the ride. He still gets that "whoa is me" look on his face but for the most part it seems to be working. The more I paid attention the worse he got, so now it's like suck it up baby boy, we're doing this. It doesn't always work but he's just like a child who doesn't like things to change, ever. ciao
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Post by sherik on Apr 4, 2011 19:10:04 GMT -5
So should I just put the food in the cage then. And if he eats he eats. Just keep an eye on his weight? And just say too bad so sad, eat it, you know its food. Is that what you do? Just put the food in the cage and walk away? Cause I can try that.
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Post by Heather on Apr 4, 2011 22:27:49 GMT -5
Basically, yes...but not quite I keep an eye on him and if he doesn't show any inclination to eat on his own then I feed him. I use a rather top up method. I feed twice a day, unless I see them eating on their own. If I see them with their face in the bowl and eating then I hand feed once a day. I've broken down a number of times and hand fed someone who is being a stick in the mud about eating their food. Thor is my brat right now (I think he likes to sit on my lap and eat ) Thor just had surgery last week and the anesthetic made him feel really lousy so I was hand feeding him...he's doing really well right now but still choosing to "not" eat on his own because I think he likes the attention I would be tempted to see if he is indeed eating on his own or on the sly. Loki Bears was eating on his own for weeks before I ever actually caught him eating out of the bowl. I was busy feeling really sorry for him and hand feeding him (he was getting soo fat). I had to be away for 12 hrs and came in on him stuffing his face . ciao
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Post by sherik on Apr 5, 2011 22:06:24 GMT -5
So I am trying the method you suggested. So far everyone goes up to the food and eats when they want, rather than when I want them too. I have seen everyone do this but Huck and Zoey, but I did just see Zoey poop, so she has been eating on her own too. I never actually see Fog or Indy eat, but I know they eat, they are not a problem. So Huck got "filled up" as you say twice today. Although he feels like he might have eaten. Well I guess being extra full is ok. LOL. I would rather he be fat than thin, cause he always was on the slim side. Atleast til I know for sure he is eating on his own. I am watching him to see if he goes poop. If so then I know he has eaten at some point while I was at work. I fed them at 7am, and just now at 7pm. Is that alright? I just hope that I can catch Huck eating on his own. That would be so great. It would be nice to take a day trip and know that he is not going to starve himself.
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Post by Heather on Apr 5, 2011 22:46:20 GMT -5
Yes, what you're doing appears to be fine. The 12 hr spread is enough for him to get hungry but not enough to be dangerous. Good luck. I hope you do catch him eating....for some of these furkids they seem to have it down to a science about not being seen It's such a relief when you do finally catch the little bums. Sounds like your guys are getting the hang of it ciao
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Post by sherik on Apr 6, 2011 22:04:08 GMT -5
So if I seen Huck eat once today should I do a fill up before bed? I'm just worried that he is not eating enough. Everyone else is eating awesome. There was only maybe a teaspoon of food left between 7am and 7pm. He was playing today at lunch time. He keeps begging for Bandit treats, but he hasn't had any since 2 weekends ago when I felt bad for scruff feeding him. Fog was holding out at first for some freeze dried, but he finally came around and ate really well today. Zoey snarffed her food down when I put the fresh in. Is it ok for her to only eat twice a day being insulinoma and all? I have upped her dose of pred by .5. As she only seems to like to eat the soupie when it is warmed up a little. My sweet little Lily is by far the best eater. She has gained 2oz, and is a little chub. I never have to worry about her. Put the food in and she comes running. She goes back to the bowls like 4 or 5 times. Once I know for sure Huck is eating well I am going to try adding chunks again, although there are some small pieces of chicken skin in there that didn't blend very well and I seen Huck eat a little one at lunch time and then continue on his way.
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Post by Heather on Apr 6, 2011 22:14:06 GMT -5
I would top up Huck....it's just me. I prefer to err on the side of caution. That's a difficult call for an insulinoma ferret. You might be able to and to be honest.... I think you will have to do it by call. It's not something that I can tell. Calypso was initially fed twice a day, as her disease progressed it became 3x and so on. When I was feeding her three times she didn't eat very much. I think the raw holds them over much better than kibble. Can you leave some in her cage with her? I know with Calypso, I would leave whole prey with her so she always had food. Unfortunately, toward the end she would no longer eat on her own so was entirely dependent on my feeding her. That being said, even when offered kibbles she wouldn't eat it so I don't think by that time it would have mattered if she was eating or being supplemented with kibbles. That you will have to play by ear. Watch for the tell-tale symptoms. I would leave it a bit longer before offering larger sizes or just adding one or two pieces in the soupy and see if there is any takers ciao
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Post by sherik on Apr 7, 2011 22:31:01 GMT -5
Grrrr..... Huck is such a PITA!!! He just will not eat at all on his own. I can coax him to eat off the plate, but then he dumps it all over the cage. I don't know what it is with him.... everybody else eats really really good. Even Lily, who I thought would be a pain. But she even cleaned up Hucks mess in the cage. So I am spoon feeding Huck again. Twice a day, 4 tablespoons each time, or until he fights. I think he has been eating his blankets again like when he was a baby. So I am going to be giving him pumpkin and I am going to put some in their soupie. Huck has also lost another ounce. There has got to be an easier way. Well atleast I wish there was, but he is after all a ferret. Smart, but stupid when it comes to what food is good for them. I hope one day it will click.
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Post by Heather on Apr 8, 2011 0:21:24 GMT -5
I'm afraid that there is no easy road with Huck. Would you like Sherry to pop in and get another opinion? Three heads better than one, and I've never pretended to have all the answers I know that she had an absolute "pita" in Boris so she might have some ideas. ciao
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Post by sherik on Apr 8, 2011 16:53:47 GMT -5
Any ideas are welcome to get Huck to eat on his own. Cause I am getting to the point of just giving in and giving them kibble back. I really don't want to do that. But I'm at my wits end with him, and other things going on with stuff at home too and he is not helping the matter. I can't go anywhere or do anything, cause he just won't eat on his own.
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Post by sherik on Apr 8, 2011 23:32:22 GMT -5
Holy..... it is 9:30pm here and I haven't fed Huck since 2:30pm and he just went poop. That must mean that he ate something on his own. Holy cow... I am impressed.
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Post by Heather on Apr 9, 2011 1:15:30 GMT -5
Maybe, he is eating on his own?? You mentioned that he's loosing weight though...could that be just spring fling? ciao
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