|
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2011 21:08:04 GMT -5
You're welcome, and they're actually doing very well, I'd say! It's a big change, especially considering how ferrets tend to imprint food
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2011 6:50:39 GMT -5
Well I think my girls have boycotted kibble or something. I got up this morning to put my little boy on the bus and the kibble was dug out of the bowl and I dont think any was eaten last night. Maybe they were looking for the good raw soupies or something. Im so proud of them. Hopefully they arent as stubborn as I once thought. They came to the cage door licking their lips so maybe they were telling me that they want only raw from now on .
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2011 13:00:08 GMT -5
Aw, that's so great, let's hope they want their soup! I know when I first got Yogi as a kit, I gave him kibble dusted chunks, and he'd knock off the bigger pieces of kibble that didn't get crushed up into powder before he'd eat his food. When I saw him do that, I moved him right to plain chunks and he was MUCH happier!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2011 5:01:22 GMT -5
Well Im back. I just wanted to update you and tell you that I believe that the progress has stopped. They are still eating the soupie but no thicker than I last reported. It has no slivers of meat yet and they wont eat it in a paste. They are kinda at a stand still. Im guessing that they have reach their limit or something. The soupie has about the consistency of wet baby food. They just cant seem to get over this road block. I was wondering what I can do to get them back on the progress train so to speak. I dont know where to go from here. I dont even know where to start. The good thing is that their litter box is half as full as what it used to be. It has been quite a bit wetter with pee but not near as much poo. I just hope that they dont stop making progress. It actually worries me a little bit. I dont want this switch to stop making any more progress. What do I do? They are so darn stubborn. Silly girls. I cant be mad at them. They have been doin so well. By the way your new baby is so cute. She reminds me alot of a baby Tinker. Congrats on becoming her new momma. Thanks for all your help. Hopefully we can get over this hump soon. I long for the day that I can actually say that I am a full raw feeder with bones and all.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2011 12:29:00 GMT -5
Generally, we first try to drop back to a previous level, where they were comfortable eating. So, make the soup a little more watery, do this for a day or two and then try bumping them up again, and see if that gets them over the slump! Also, thank you so much. Rula's a doll, and I'm hoping everyone in the business settles down soon and welcomes her in
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2011 1:32:50 GMT -5
Congrats on getting full mentor-ship. I watered the soup down like you suggested. Hopefully with a couple of days of that, they will decide to eat it thicker again. I have faith that they will. Also it is shedding season for Tinker and I started putting squash baby food in the soupie today. They don't like the flavor of it as well as pumpkin but its all I could find at the moment. I will have to stock up on the pumpkin this year that way I will have enough to last me through to next year. Also their coat has gotten shinier since I started feeding raw soupies all of the time. They are also much more hyper. Gizmo is acting like a kit again and Tinker is my little wild woman still. I am so happy that they are improving on the raw soupie verses the kibble diet. Thanks for everything. I also wanted to ask a question. The reptomin powdered vitamins that you get for reptiles and things, would they be safe to give to ferrets as an add in to their diet or not? It is powdered calcium with I think vitamin D. I also know that it is ground up oyster shells. I was looking through a pet supplies website and was just wondering if that could actually substitute for the bone meal or the egg shells. Having ferrets make you actually use your mind more. They get you thinking how to best take care of them and makes you have questions like crazy to ask.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2011 12:14:35 GMT -5
Thank you so much! I was surprised when I came online and saw that! I'm so happy you're seeing results, re: raw v. kibble - it's so nice when you KNOW you're doing the right thing and SEE the benefits, too, and raw diets are just one of those areas that make those extremely visible changes. As far as the reptomin vit.s - I'll need to know definitely exactly what's in them, just so we can make sure that nothing sneaks up and surprises us with them
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2011 19:26:57 GMT -5
Ingredients: Dicalcium phosphate, bone meal, calcium carbonate, oyster shell flour, brewer's dried yeast, alfalfa leaf concentrate, desiccated liver. It is actually called reptocal. I found it on petco.com . If it isnt ok for them that is ok,I was just wondering. They do good with their bone meal and egg shells. Also you totally deserve your full mentor ship putting up with us noobie raw feeders and stubborn fuzzy faces.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2011 20:14:00 GMT -5
I know in small amounts and for *some* cases people supplement with brewer's yeast, but that combined with the alfalfa concentrate I don't really like. If they're doing well on the eggshell/bone meal, then stick with that, because this stuff isn't really introducing anything beneficial. If you're feeling like they're lacking something, or would benefit from some supplements, that's fine and we can work on getting a regimen set up for your guys
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2011 3:06:03 GMT -5
Yea I kinda thought the same thing for the alfalfa stuff. Thats ok. I will stick with their bone meal and egg shells. The bone meal is actually raw. It hasn't been processed. I know that ,I believe it was Sherry, that said it was more nutritious that way. I will put the nutrical on my no go list. I have access to all the bone meal I could ever want. My husband is a butcher. The guys that work in the meat shop with him always know when I send him a honey do list. They look at him and say" thats for the ferrets isn't it". They know him quite well. I am also gonna thicken up their soup today and see if they go back to eating it. Wish me luck. Thanks and I will talk to you soon.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2011 12:04:47 GMT -5
GOOD LUCK! Hopefully they're over protesting and we can get them back on track and moving forward ahahahaha, that must be really great, though, having a husband for a butcher!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2011 23:26:11 GMT -5
Yea it is pretty cool that he is a butcher. It definitely helps with the ferts being raw fed. I can trust that he knows what goes into the meat that the ferts have on their menu. They seem to still be hesitant about the raw soup getting any thicker but seem to still be interested in it. I guess I will just have to keep it more watery for a couple more days and very gradually make it thicker. I believe that only time will allow them the proper switch. The silly fuzzies. They love to be stubborn don't they? Anyways I will stick with the plan and see how it goes. Thanks for everything. I will probably update you tomorrow .
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2011 23:28:10 GMT -5
Sounds good, and yes, some are so much more tentative than others, but we'll still get them moving forward, even if it takes a bit of time
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2011 8:22:00 GMT -5
Hey. Sorry I didn't get back to you before now. My girls are eating their raw soupie a little thicker this morning. I believe that they even may want more. Hopefully we are on a roll and they wont be so stubborn about moving to bigger and better things. Well I am off to fix them a little more soup and see just how much they decide to eat.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2011 14:34:10 GMT -5
hopefully we're over the setback, now, stubborn girls!
|
|