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Post by Heather on Feb 13, 2011 19:39:39 GMT -5
Sounds like a successful morning. Great job ciao
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Post by sherik on Feb 14, 2011 15:33:28 GMT -5
Yay... Huck ate on his own today. I'm still having problems with Zoey. But you know what, once you get her started she eats a good amount for her size about an ounce of soupie. Realistically she should weigh about 20oz. She is just fat from the pred that she was on and weighs 2lb2oz. I think everyone is getting over the flu. I don't think it was the soupie from the last batch. I think the new baby Fog had the flu from maybe a kid or something in the pet store and passed it to everyone. They seem to be almost over it. For the soupie I made yesterday, I weighed everything, so I can try and make it consistant. Plus I portioned out the hearts and livers, so I can just grab a bag and mix it with the meat. The same everytime. I want to feed them lamb too at some point and maybe beef and mice. WOuld quail be too close to chicken to be a different protein? Duck? I live in a small town so my choices are limited not to mention, I can only get beef liver in the other protein organs. Rabbit would be ideal, but the source that I know of I don't trust to be not diseased, and I couldn't kill a rabbit myself. Had them as pets. I don't plan on trying another protein though until I know they are happily eating the chicken.
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Post by Heather on Feb 14, 2011 17:04:06 GMT -5
I agree. Get them eating chicken happily then move on to the next protein. Quail, duck, turkey....all different proteins. You could stay in the fowl and still cover your needs. If you can only get beef liver that's ok...that's why they call it frankenprey....a little bit of this.. a little bit of that..covers all the necessary components. It's only when you keep using the same major protein all the time that it becomes an issue. You know what you're saying about Fog bringing in a "bug" is entirely possible. Napoleon brought in an upper respiratory infection and infected every last one of my fuzzes including Napoleon. He was least affected though. ciao
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Post by sherik on Feb 16, 2011 0:58:23 GMT -5
I must say, I had a pretty positive day. Everyone is eating well, but Indy and Zoey, I think they are still getting over that bug. Indy will eat on his own if I put him in his cage and put the bowl in front of him though, although he may eat when I'm not around, not sure. Zoey I am still spoon feeding, I also put her back on pred, just in case, to see if that makes a difference. She's getting her des implant sometime this week, I have to work something out with my vet. I haven't had adrenal kids since I was a kid myself, does it affect appetite. I might try her with some quail this weekend, cause maybe she's bored of chicken. Huck and Lily ate a whole plate to themselves tonight, and Huck ate really well at lunch. That is 2 days in a row for Huck eating on his own. My little boy is doing so well I think. Fog is coming along well too. He eats his soupie like a little piggy. Maybe, we'll see. I might add some tiny chunks to their soup this weekend. cross your fingers they still eat it. Funny thing with Sid. He was eating, and grabbed the spoon and took off running with it. He hid it and licked it clean.
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Post by Heather on Feb 16, 2011 2:52:28 GMT -5
I think that you and your little ones are doing absolutely fantastic. Move them ahead when you think they're comfortable to do so. Yes, depending on the ferret adrenal affects their appetite. I think they get nauseaus. At least Pooka is. She grinds her teeth a lot but she's coming up on her third year so she's gone the longest I've ever been able to get an adrenal ferret to go. I'm trying to think of a couple of my other guys who have had adrenal...and yes...it seems to be part of the progression. Pooka also seems to be on again off again. She was doing really well a couple of days ago, eating raw on her own...today we're doing the whole baby food thing and not real well at that. She was like that a few weeks ago. So it has no particular reason, just how she feels Huck is doing so well. Nice going. They will get there. ciao
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Post by sherik on Feb 16, 2011 15:25:45 GMT -5
Oh yeah!! 6 for 6 today. Zoey is eating all on her own again. Huck is eating on his own. It is about freaking time. LOL Can today get any better? The sun is shining, my ferrets are eating and playing. This rocks. In fact they even cleaned out the raw that was left this morning when I went to work. That almost never happens lately.
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Post by Heather on Feb 16, 2011 15:59:24 GMT -5
That is so totally fantastic....{doing a happy dance around room} Congratulations. Give the brats a great big hug and tell them they are totally awesome little fuzzes ciao
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Post by sherik on Feb 19, 2011 0:21:40 GMT -5
Well everyone is eating pretty well the last couple of days. Last night I took the kibble completely out again, the first time I've done this during the week. No one ate the soupie. Well someone nibbled a little bit, but that is it. Lily, Fog, and Sid seem to be the only ones I don't have to remind that, yes, it is food, and you do like it. Huck was a bit of a struggle today, but he did eat on his own. Just not enough in my opinion. But he might have been POed, that I removed the kibble last night. I am so happy Zoey is back to eating like crazy again. But only twice a day now. Breakfast and soupie before bed time. Nothing in between. Her sugars are still good, and she got her des implant today, and I thought the melatonin plunger needle was big. OMG!!! I'm keeping kibble in the cage at night from now on until Huck and everyone doesn't have to be reminded about the soup being food. Everyones weights are good though. Indy lost 2 oz, and trust me he needs to. Everyone else is the same. So that eases the mind that they are eating enough.
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Post by Heather on Feb 19, 2011 0:32:03 GMT -5
Raw food fills better, they don't need to eat as frequently and often don't. Brats....they don't need that kibble. It's like a baby with a dummy in their mouth or needing their thumb. Oh, wow...yes that implant needle looks horrible. I have a little girl who weighs in at barely a pound and when the vet pulled that thing out all I could do was flinch...OUCH......you are going to put that in HER??? She took it like a champ...not...she tried to bite everyone and felt it was all our faults. Little Pooka gave me kisses afterwards but she wasn't too gracious about the needle either. Good luck about the kibble stuff. They will learn, just don't fill it...just leave it and let it get old and yucky. Eventually they just don't care and then all that's left is the crumbs but it's still there. ciao
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Post by sherik on Feb 20, 2011 14:02:29 GMT -5
Well I was going to start to add chunks this weekend. But decided to hold off until next weekend. Huck is still being picky at times. I have started to add ground bone in their soup though. They seem to just LOVE it this way. I didn't put too much in to change the flavor/texture too mcuh. I have never seen them eat it up so much. Even Huck wasn't spitting out the bone pieces. He used to. He has come such a long way. I did also get some very fresh chicken, just butchered yesterday, maybe that is why they like it better. I tell you though it is going to be so sweet to just be able to give them chicken pieces. Making soup is such a messy and long job. I spend 2 hours making enough for one week. Plus ice cube trays take up so much space in the freezer. I'm not sure how long the des takes to work. But Zoey is already eating like a piggy again. She ate 3 times yesterday. And 2 of those time, she cleaned her plate right off and moved onto the other plates. Maybe just coincidence.
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Post by Heather on Feb 20, 2011 17:19:13 GMT -5
That's great that you're guys are now settling into using the soupy as food. You've come a long way....bone too. Congratulations. Great work.... I was told the des too up to 3 weeks to start working. I'm seeing results within the week of various degrees. Pooka has a full, fluffy winter coat but is still grinding her teeth and isn't showing much of an appetite but she's eating raw again. Sprite and Captain Jack both have increased energy and are playing a lot more. Both are showing coat improvements. Lady "B" is showing no improvements Move ahead as you feel you can. You know your little ones ciao
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Post by sherik on Feb 24, 2011 1:29:29 GMT -5
I wish I could say that I am making progress. But sadly I am not. Still doing the soup throughout the day and putting the kibble back in at night. I though this weekend for sure I could start adding slivers. But with Hucks ordeal, I am just happy that he is mostly willingly eating for me off a spoon. Talk about a set back. Plus I've been adding more pumpkin to the soup for Huck. Most don't like it all to much, but will eat it eventually.
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Post by Heather on Feb 24, 2011 3:04:07 GMT -5
I'm glad that Huck is doing better. What a scare. Give your brave boy a hug. Give them time. This type of thing effects the whole business. Once Huck is feeling more himself, they will all start eating better. Give them and yourself time. Don't rush it. ciao
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Post by sherik on Feb 26, 2011 16:02:41 GMT -5
Well..... everyone is still eating the soupy well. Except for Huck still. I have to spoon feed him. Which he is doing pretty good at. He has lost an ounce though. I hate when he loses weight. He usually stays the same all year round and is already a slender ferret. I'm hoping it is just from the hairballs making him feel ill. He's still not quite himself. He plays but not for long. I wish he would just eat like he was before he got sick. But atleast he doesn't have to be on my lap to spoon eat. I've decided no more kibbles anyway. Lily throws it all over the place and then I catch them eating and scrounging for kibbles. Hate that, cause kibbles just don't seem to agree with Lily at all. When she eats them now, she always has gross looking poos. But they don't eat what I leave out for them at night. They are taking their sweet time with this switch. I still have to dab everyone with it one their noses before they will eat it, besides Zoey and Indy. I'm going to pick up some very fresh chicken today at the market. They seemed to love it like crazy last time. They like it alot better than the previously frozen stuff. Plus I scored on chicken hearts and gizzards the other day. usually I only can find frozen stuff, but my partner found fresh at the downtown grocery store. I really wish we still had a butcher here. I've searched all the surrounding town and cities and nothing. I'm also wondering if they are getting enough fat? Is the chicken skin pretty much just fat? Or is there a part of the chicken that may have more fat in it? I noticed that if I use the stuff with skin it makes the blender cup really oily and if there is no skin, then it is not oily. I have all my co-workers bringing in raw egg shells. I have collected enough to fill a large yogurt container half full. It should last me a while now.
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Post by Heather on Feb 26, 2011 20:38:05 GMT -5
You may find that things move along a bit faster now that you've removed the kibbles. Watch them closely though. Ferrets can loose weight so fast (as you know, Huck may take some time to gain back that weight as it's spring and putting weight on at this time of year is as difficult as taking weight off in the fall ) My guys love their fresh meat so much better than frozen but in the amounts that I buy it's only on special occasions that they actually get fresh. Ask the place where you got your gizzards the last time. Some times they will bring these in if you will buy the whole case (usually about 50 lbs). A lot of the chicken you buy is fairly lean. Try to use dark meat, make sure all the skin is left on or use whole chickens and use the fatty back, tail and other fatty areas. I hope that Huck is feeling more like himself soon. ciao
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