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Post by caicaixprincess on Feb 5, 2011 20:43:40 GMT -5
My female is losing a lot of weight shes so skinny now her little bones stick out im feeding her raw,and ferret food everyday and shes still really skinny
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Post by bluemoose on Feb 5, 2011 20:47:06 GMT -5
If she eats raw on her own, I'd cut out the kibble entirely. Are you feeding her meat, bone, and organ?
As for losing weight, if she's too skinny the best course of action would be to have the vet check her out. It could be caused by a variety of things and none of them are good. I'm sure someone more experienced with ferret illness will pop in with some ideas but losing excessive weight in a short period of time is definitely a sign of illness.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2011 21:48:51 GMT -5
How old is she? My Trixie lost a lot of weight after she hit a year old. Both my girls also slimmed down a lot after switching to raw. Ferrets are naturally slim animals, so they shouldn't be fat. Is it getting warm where you live? She could be losing winter weight.
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Post by bluemoose on Feb 5, 2011 21:53:28 GMT -5
Yeah that's true. If she's just slender she may just be shedding off winter weight. If you can see ribs, hip bones, ect. she's definitely too skinny and should be examined by a vet. Is there any fur lose on her tail or anywhere else?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2011 22:12:45 GMT -5
What are you feeding her raw wise? I ask because ferrets need a certian amount of fat in their diets, so if your feeding chicken w/out the skin and leaner cuts of meat then she'll need more fat. Regardless, if your fuzz is loosing weight she should probably be checked out by a vet to rule out things like cancer, insulinoma, or adrenal....
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Post by Heather on Feb 5, 2011 22:14:21 GMT -5
You mention she's loosing weight...how much weight? When you first start switching you should be keeping a physical log as to what your ferret weighs so that you can get a heads up if your ferret isn't eating properly or the diet isn't covering its needs. True, ferrets lean out when they're on raw but your ferret is eating both raw and kibbles. It sounds to me as there may be a problem with her diet. Perhaps she's not getting enough fat or bone (which has rich fat deposits in it). How about you post your diet and how you're feeding it and we can have a look and see where it might needs to be improved. If its not the diet then perhaps a trip to the vet is necessary to rule out some underlying health issue ciao
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Post by caicaixprincess on Feb 5, 2011 22:20:51 GMT -5
Shes being fed raw chicken and its boneless, and skinless. I dont have anything in my home to weigh her, but her hips, and ribs are sticking out. She used to be were u could barely feel her bones, but in 2 weeks shes lost a lot of weight. One thing i forgot to mention sometimes she will cry in pain, and i dont see where shes hurt, even if i checked her thoroughly otherwise shes still playful and active. I have to wait for my paycheck thursday to take her in the vet.
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Post by bluemoose on Feb 5, 2011 22:24:45 GMT -5
That much weight lose in two weeks is definitely not good. I'd make an appointment and get her in to the vet as soon as you can. Could you work out a deal with your vet to take her in Monday and pay him/her when when you get paid?
Oh and don't cut the kibble out of her diet if she's only eating skinless, boneless chicken for raw. A balanced raw diet needs to have meat, bone, organs, and fat. I'd start buying the chicken that still has bone and skin. It's cheaper too =P
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Post by caicaixprincess on Feb 5, 2011 22:30:26 GMT -5
Im not sure, but I call them first thing in the morning(since their closed right now) and see what I can do.
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Post by bluemoose on Feb 5, 2011 22:32:31 GMT -5
Most vets are reasonable and will work with your financial situation. After all they love animals and are there to help them. I would definitely try to get her in as soon as you can because even if there was a problem with her diet, she wouldn't lose that much weight that fast especially while still eating kibble. Have you noticed her eating less?
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Post by Heather on Feb 5, 2011 22:38:24 GMT -5
Boneless, skinless chicken has very little nutritional value for a fuzz. She has to have a whole meats. You're doing well by her by getting her to eat meat. That's great but chicken without bone or skin and fat has very little nutritional value. If she's eating her regular allotment of kibble then it shouldn't be too bad but she needs fat. Her diet is hugely deficient if your only feeding the chicken. Chicken produced the way it is now is like feeding baby mice...great snacking but very little food value even for us Your little one needs to see a vet asap. If she's crying out in pain and she's loosing weight to the point that you're mentioning, she needs a vet. I don't think that she can wait for a week. Is there anyway that your vet will accept a differed payment. I really think your little one needs to get to a vet fast. ciao
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Post by caicaixprincess on Feb 5, 2011 22:52:02 GMT -5
She has been eating less, but ive been force feeding her today. Shes not the only ferret in the house that has been losing a lot of weight my brothers ferret Apollo has been almost the same way. I do have raw heart would that be a good thing to feed them? I am going to cut off the kibble once its all gone it is almost empty so thats a good thing.
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Post by bluemoose on Feb 5, 2011 23:01:43 GMT -5
Yes heart is a great source of taurine. However, I wouldn't cut out the kibble completely until she (and any other ferrets switching to raw) is eating a balanced raw diet. If you're not planning to feed whole prey (whole mice, rats, quail, rabbit, ect.) then you need to emulate the correct proportions of meat, bone, and organ. This is approximately 80% meat, 10% bone, 5% liver, and 5% other organs. All raw of course as cooked bones are very dangerous. And as mentioned, the diet needs to include fat as this is a ferret's energy source. Chicken skin is a good source of fat. She also needs at least three different protein sources. For instance chicken, beef, and pork. More is always better but three is the minimum. The fact that she'll eat chicken chunks is a great start but she still needs to start eating bone and organs. Some ferrets aren't big on organ meats and take some persuading. If you haven't already, considering signing up for the mentor program to get one-on-one help with your switch. An unbalanced raw diet can actually be more harmful than kibble. holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=switch&action=display&thread=61And while you're waiting for a mentor, they're a bit backed up right now, feel free to read through the nutrition threads and ask any questions you'd like. If she's eating less and requiring force feeding she could easily get even worse very quickly. If Apollo is exhibiting similar symptoms, it might be a good idea to take them both in.
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Post by Heather on Feb 5, 2011 23:03:17 GMT -5
Don't take either of them off kibbles until you can get a decent raw diet together for them. Here try this:
8 oz raw chicken thigh meat (including skin and fat) 1/2 tsp of crushed eggshell powder (take a raw eggshell. Rinse it out. Let it dry. Crush to powder) 1 raw chicken heart 1/2 raw chicken liver Water or broth(use more to make it soupier, less to make it thicker) Blend ingredients together. Some prefer it at room temp. Try putting a dollop of "soup" onto your ferret's nose and they probably will lick it off. I use my finger. Sometimes this takes a little bit trying to convince them that you're not trying to poison them I find within a very short time they're licking this off my finger. When I see that they're willing to eat freely off my finger then I use a small spoon to try and get them to eat from that. Try to get them eating the soupy on their own. It might pique their interest.
You can use any meat in this recipe. I only suggest chicken because it's a good starter meat and is easily available. You need to teach them to eat at least 2 more types of meat minimum. Higher the fat content the better. I hope this helps you ciao
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Post by taratee on Feb 5, 2011 23:15:08 GMT -5
i was thinking maybe shes bored of what youre feeding her, and make sure she gets the skin my boys eat the skin first also thigh meat has both dark and light meat on it if you can find some bone in skin on thigh meat. break up the bone with a hammer and see if she likes that
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