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Post by sessy1979 on Jun 11, 2011 8:52:34 GMT -5
This morning I thawed out 2 ice cubes of the soupie .... I added a little olive oil again and both actually licked more amounts off my finger then usual today. Roxie really consumed the most and she did it off the spoon too. They both seem to be taking a little more each time I try. I believe today out of all days they took the most so far. They still won't take it directly from the plate I put it in so I go back to the finger or spoon when I see they won't. I have tried the chicken baby food once before but they don't like that either. Very picky eaters I have!! The vet is going to give me a call Monday when Ringo's prescription is ready and I'll definetly ask how I can take his BG at home! I have placed multiple food bowls around the house for him. He sleeps alot so if I see he's going w/out for for hours at a time I go wake him up and try and get him to eat something. The vet said he needs multiple meals a day so when I do have to wake him up that's when I sit down w/ him and try the soupie. As long as he's taking it from my finger or spoon I let him but when he acts like he's refusing it all together .... I let him down so it's not like I'm forcing it on him. He seems to be having a good day today .... haven't seen him stumble around on his back legs so far today....he seems to be more alert too. I know this will be a constant struggle but I'm not willing to give up and I'm determined to see it through! I feel like I owe that to him!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2011 9:12:41 GMT -5
That's great progress! Getting them to like soup is the first main step. Keep it up, you're doing great!! If you can, next time you're at the vet check the same blood sample against your vets to see how close they are. That way you know how off yours is. Do you have a BG monitor? You can usually get them for a good price at walgreens. Let me know if you need one - I can find you a cheap one Definitely make sure he eats multiple time a day. Are you getting any yummy coaters to prevent ulcers from the pred? Might be a good idea to ask about. And you did NOT let him down. There is so much misinformation out there about ferrets you had no way of knowing. I feed kibble too. Most of us have at one point. Do not feel like this is your fault. You're an amazing ferrent and never forget it
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Post by sessy1979 on Jun 11, 2011 9:43:02 GMT -5
I do not have a BG monitar but I was definetly thinking about getting one! Any what kind of yummy coaters would you suggest?? Is that something I should ask the vet about? or something I need to order on my own? She never mentioned anything about ulcers Thanks for the encouragement! I know there's probably nothing I could have done to prevent this but I guess it's impossible not to feel a little gulity about the situation
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2011 14:36:29 GMT -5
I believe the name of the med is carafate. It's given prior to the pred. Pred should always be given on a full stomach. Usually goes something like
Carafate wait 30-60 minutes Eat wait 30 minutes then give pred. I'll have to double check that. It should definitely be asked about when you see your vet again. It's better to prevent the ulcer than treat it if one does form. You do NOT want to make Ringo nauseous and refuse food.
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Post by sessy1979 on Jun 12, 2011 14:47:23 GMT -5
Ok...so today both Ringo & Roxie have done really really well! Roxie actually had like 10 or so spoons full of soupie then this evening jumped right into eating it out of the dish I was extremely proud of her!! Ringo hasn't ate out of the dish yet but ... he has already eaten like 7 spoons full of soupie!! I've been waking him up every couple of hours(if he's sleeping) and giving him the soupie by spoon. He's ate alot more today then any other day!! I see alot of progress w/ both of them since we started I've been putting the olive oil in the soupies for the last 2-3 days and was wondering if I should put a little less in each time I make the soup? Or if I can just continue to add the oil?
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Post by sessy1979 on Jun 12, 2011 15:18:09 GMT -5
Roxie eating her soupie from her dish!!! So excited!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 15:29:46 GMT -5
Woooot!!! Congrats! That is great progress!!! #boing# So keep the soup the way it is for a couple days. Let's see if Ringo will eat from the bowl If he is willingly taking soup from the spooon, just try to slowly lower the spoon into the bowl and see if he'll continue eating. You can add olive oil daily. About 1/2-1 tsp per ferret. Great work - this is a huge breakthrough!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 15:30:19 GMT -5
What an adorable pic of Roxie
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Post by sessy1979 on Jun 12, 2011 16:04:19 GMT -5
Thanks Jackie! She was eating like a little champ!! She continued eating a quarter of what was in the dish after her 4 spoonfuls! I'll continue working w/ Ringo tomorrow! I usually let him just take as much as he wants off the spoon then let him go! He takes a little more each time though so I'm definetly seeing more and more progress everyday ... even if it's only a little bit! So proud of both my little fuzzies!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 16:09:00 GMT -5
You should be - and working with him as much as you are is definitely speeding up the process What exactly is in the soup mix?
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Post by sessy1979 on Jun 12, 2011 16:11:39 GMT -5
ground chicken, chicken heart, chicken liver, chicken gizzard
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 17:58:09 GMT -5
Alright, I think we need to add some eggshell for calcium. They have very high calcium needs. Take a couple egg shells wash them and let them sit overnight to dry. Then use a dry coffee grinder, blender, or mortar and pestle, and grind them to a fine powder. You'll add 1 tsp for every 8 oz of meat. What do their stools look like? The eggshell will help make them firmer You can also add some pumpkin to their daily food. About 1/2 tsp per ferret. Maybe a bit less. This provides fiber and helps to clean out the digestive tract. You can usually get plain canned pumpkin in the baking isle. Plain squash baby food works equally as well
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Post by sessy1979 on Jun 12, 2011 22:27:57 GMT -5
Sounds good! I actually already crushed up some eggshells and was waiting for the right time to add! I will pick up some pumpkin tomorrow while I'm out to have on hand too. Right now both their poops like normal ... nothing out of the norm! I actually have Roxie in a separate cage from Ringo ... she gets a little high strung at nighttime and seems to aggravate Ringo ... so we separated them a few months ago! But this way I can actually evaluate both their bowel movements! I will keep you updated!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2011 22:34:45 GMT -5
Sounds like a plan
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Post by sessy1979 on Jun 13, 2011 19:59:53 GMT -5
Today Roxie continued to eat out of the dish! She dove right in w/out any help from me!! She probably ate like 3 cubes by herself Ringo probably ate about 2 cubes by spoon! Still no eating from the dish though I tried lowering the spoon into the bowl while holding on to him but when I'd try to take the spoon away he'd stop eating So I just let him continue eating from the spoon while he wanted it! I'll keep trying tomorrow! I added eggshells today too!! Neither seemed to notice!
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