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Post by Heather on Aug 10, 2011 1:23:23 GMT -5
Name: Annie HF Forum Username: jaiyr
1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? I first heard of it from Ferrets for Dummies, and learned a lot more about it on here.
2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Be sure to include if you are interested in feeding whole prey (live or frozen-thawed) and if you are wanting to FULLY switch to a natural diet or PARTIALLY. If you are unsure what kind of diet you want to put your ferrets on, please express that and we can help you find the best type of natural diet for your ferret. I'd like to switch to fully raw.
3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet? I'd do anything to improve my ferrets' lives, and this seems like a good choice for them.
4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It can be a commitment of several weeks or even months. Your HF Mentor will be more then happy to assist you in switchng your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as commited. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, or if you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc) then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing to make the commitment? Yes. Absolutely.
5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? How long have you had each ferret for? Roxy: 4-5 months old, female, healthy, normal weight (a little on the small side) Rookie: 6-7 months old, male, healthy, normal weight
6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc) Roxy eats raw without a problem, and takes some ferretone when I clip her nails. Rookie won't eat anything besides Grain-free Zupreem kibble mashed up with some ferretone and olive oil. He won't touch a thing by itself, not even ferretone.
7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened? I once tried to give some Cornish Hen chucks to Rookie and he won't look at them.
8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share? I just got Rookie three days ago from a petstore he's been in his whole life.
9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer? At least 5 times a week.
10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible).
Hi and welcome to the mentoring program. In a little while your mentor (Tablefor3ferrets) will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2011 14:15:45 GMT -5
Hey Annie! I am going to be your mentor as we progress through this magnificent journey of switching ferrets to a raw diet. Before we begin, here is a little bit about me so you don't have to feel like you're talking to a total stranger Name: Emmi HF User Name: Tablefor3ferrets Location: Idaho, USA About Me: I am a freshmen at a community college and will be working up to a vet degree, hopefully specializing in small animals and/or horses (big difference, haha!). I own quite a few pets on top of ferrets and a horse and am always up for a workout or something fun to do. My favorite color is..... purple, it matches my horse. My favorite food is.... chow mien at Panda Express and homemade enchiladas. My favorite holiday is... 4th of July! I love how everyone comes together and celebrates the wonderful holiday all at the same time. I also love the food. My favorite hobby is... hiking, photography, and horseback riding I like to listen to... oh boy, where do I begin?! Katy Perry, Eminem, Taylor Swift, Johnny Cash, George Strait, The Middle East, Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gale, Goldfrapp, and One Republic. Those are only a couple that I like, haha! I collect... Breyer horses, yes, I love my Breyer's... Something about me you might be surprised to know... I am a black belt in karate and I hate watermelon with salt. I was also Grand Champion showman in horse 4-H fair two years in a row. I became a mentor because... Animals from the very beginning were going to be my way of life, I have always had animals and always will, they are apart of me. I want to switch not only ferrets but eventually other animals over to raw food diets. It helps keep diseases away and lengthens their lifespan. It is as simple as that, I need nothing more. About My Ferrets: I have three ferrets. Wolfie is my sole ferret. He is a four year old, Marshall's DEW whom suffers from Insulinoma and has been fighting it for approximately six months now. He was the one who got me to start feeding raw, since I don't allow him to have sugar (because of the Insulinoma) I immediately started switching him and he took to it wonderfully, he wasn't hard to switch at all. He is my little boy and always will be, because of him I know what love truly is. Nala is a darker two year old Canadian sable and is the craziest thing I have ever seen. We found her in the paper saying that her owners couldn't keep her anymore because they had to move to a state where ferrets were illegal. Stella was overall our first ferret but became my brother's as did Nala. Stella is a four year old Marshall's sable and is a sweetheart, but looooves to chew on stuff and you always have to keep shoes and socks! away from her (you have no idea how many socks I have gone through because of her…). Although Nala and Stella are considered my brother's ferrets I take complete care of them, so actually, I guess you could say that they are all mine! But I love them to death and always will. About My Natural Feeding Experience: Before starting the mentoring program on HFF (which was about three months) I have never switched a ferret or any other animal to a raw food diet. Although I already had my ferrets off of kibble for about a month before I started on the mentoring program. Nala and Stella were somewhat stubborn at the beginning, but Wolfie took to it almost immediately. It may have been hard in the beginning but now they are much happier and of course healthier. Type of mentor: As of right now I only switch from kibble to raw. I would like to work my way up to whole prey in the future. --------- So now that we have that out of the way, when you mean fully raw, do you mean just raw meat, whole prey, fraken-prey etc.? If you could give me some more details on what your main goal is that would be great. Of course you don't have to be dead set on it, you can always change in the future and if you ever have any questions you can post them here or PM me if you'd like. I am very excited, you are my very first student, so this will be a great experience for the both of us. But don't worry, I've been trained by some professional ferret people on here ;D
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Post by jaiyr on Aug 10, 2011 14:23:19 GMT -5
Hi Emmi! It's great to meet you! I want to switch to raw meat. As you know, Roxy already eats raw but I want to make sure she has a balanced diet. Rookie, however, is a kibble hog. He won't touch anything else. I'm not great on terms. What I've been trying to feed Roxy is a variety of different meats and some bone with an organ day. I've been trying to keep the percentages of bone, meat, and organ straight. I'm not sure if that's considered frankenprey and raw meat.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2011 17:15:03 GMT -5
Hi Emmi! It's great to meet you! It is great to meet you too, Annie! I want to switch to raw meat. As you know, Roxy already eats raw but I want to make sure she has a balanced diet. Rookie, however, is a kibble hog. He won't touch anything else. Alright sounds good. Roxy sounds like she is already doing well. And for Rookie, you said you've only had him a few days, so he may still be settling in to his new surroundings. But, since he already eats mashed up kibble, try adding some chicken stock to it, just enough so he can get a faint smell of it and possibly taste, of course start out with a very small amount and then start adding more. Eventually we'll start putting soup into his kibble then slowly wean him off of it. (I'll write about the soup later ) I'm not great on terms. What I've been trying to feed Roxy is a variety of different meats and some bone with an organ day. I've been trying to keep the percentages of bone, meat, and organ straight. I'm not sure if that's considered frankenprey and raw meat. Good good, I think you have a great start on Roxy. Does she eat the bone well and what kind of organs have you been feeding? Don't worry about the terms, they can get confusing at times Franken-prey is a combination between whole prey (mice, rats, chicks etc.) and raw meat. The other is just raw (i.e. chicken wings, pork meat, turkey back etc.) with no whole prey. Just thought I'd add this. This is our goal for a balanced meal and it will also consist of variety as well but we will become more technical later 75% muscle meats 10% edible bone 10% organ meat 5% roughage Right now, I think adding a little bit of chicken stock to Rookie's food would help him start getting used to the taste and smell. For Roxy, maybe cut down on the organ a little, she will only need 1 meal of liver (2oz) each week and 1 other meal of 2oz of any other organ (kidney, brain, pancreas, spleen) a week. Also have you tried any heart with her yet and how many different meat types (i.e. chicken, beef, pork) has Roxy been getting a week? I am still trying to figure out how to say exactly what I mean to say if it sounds at all confusing ;D Let me know if this gets overwhelming and I need to slow down a bit, I tend to do that.
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Post by jaiyr on Aug 10, 2011 18:33:28 GMT -5
Roxy usually eats the bone in her meals. She gets liver (beef or chicken) on her organ days, as well as chicken heart and gizzards which are muscle meats if I'm correct? She used to eat them plain, but she's starting to slack off, expecially on hearts. It's hard to find any organs around here besides liver. For meats, I try to give a variety. Usually she'll get some chicken or Cornish Hen, some beef or pork chuncks, and quail. Like I said with the organs, I haven't found any good meat suppliers beside the local grocery stores. Ill get some chicken stock and mix a tiny bit into Rookie's food. I'll let you know how it goes. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2011 11:42:11 GMT -5
Roxy usually eats the bone in her meals. She gets liver (beef or chicken) on her organ days, as well as chicken heart and gizzards which are muscle meats if I'm correct? She used to eat them plain, but she's starting to slack off, especially on hearts. It's hard to find any organs around here besides liver.Chicken heart and gizzards are muscle meats Heart is important for the taurine which ferrets need in their diet, the more the better. If she is starting to slack off on it maybe try adding a little extra virgin olive oil, heart does have a stronger taste and that may be why she is starting to slack a little. If you would like to learn more about taurine, here is a little information on it- www.ehow.com/facts_4894555_why-do-ferrets-need-taurine.htmlFor meats, I try to give a variety. Usually she'll get some chicken or Cornish Hen, some beef or pork chunks, and quail. Like I said with the organs, I haven't found any good meat suppliers beside the local grocery stores. That sounds just fine for now, it sounds like she is already getting her three proteins, which is great! For the organs, I know exactly how you feel. I can only find beef, pork, and chicken liver here, which is really annoying.. So, if you just keep steady with the organ you already have then that will be fine for now Ill get some chicken stock and mix a tiny bit into Rookie's food. I'll let you know how it goes. ;DAlrighty, I'm curious to see how he reacts to it.
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Post by jaiyr on Aug 11, 2011 15:08:31 GMT -5
Rookie ate his kibble like a good boy even with the added chicken stock. ;D I moistened it pretty well, too, and he didn't seem to notice. Today was organ day for Roxie, so I tried added a little olive oil on her hearts. She has eaten the liver and a gizzard, but hasn't touched the hearts yet. I'm probably going to have to add some ferretone as a last resort because that is what usually convinces her to eat them. Also, how much heart does she need in her diet? I usually give her two or three chicken hearts a week... ------------------------------------------------------- Edit: Instead of using ferretone, I cut Roxy's hearts into little pieces. She sniffed them for a bit and she ate some a them. The rest she stashed in her favorite hiding spot.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2011 11:20:52 GMT -5
Rookie ate his kibble like a good boy even with the added chicken stock. I moistened it pretty well, too, and he didn't seem to notice.That is great! Try that for a couple of meals and if he stays consistent we will start trying out some soup! Also, how much heart does she need in her diet? I usually give her two or three chicken hearts a week...If you dedicate about 2-3 meals a week with heart then she should be fine, I would just give her as much as she wants for each meal. I was always worried about my ferrets overdosing on the taurine in the heart or the vitamin A in liver but my mentor told me that it was pretty rare for that to happen, just to let you know if you were worried about letting them eat as much as they want Instead of using ferretone, I cut Roxy's hearts into little pieces. She sniffed them for a bit and she ate some a them. The rest she stashed in her favorite hiding spot.That was a good idea to cut them into pieces, you could also use a Cuisinart, it is a good alternative if you get lazy (like me, haha!) but slicing the meat is them perfectly fine too. If she does get sketchy about eating them again using Ferretone would be a good idea to try
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Post by jaiyr on Aug 12, 2011 11:28:54 GMT -5
Rookie ate his kibble again, he doesn't seem bothered by the chicken stock at all. Roxy ate the rest of her chicken hearts without a problem. Besides that, there isn't much to report.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2011 9:58:22 GMT -5
Wonderful wonderful!
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Post by jaiyr on Aug 14, 2011 19:17:23 GMT -5
Same as yesterday
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2011 11:58:16 GMT -5
Alrighty, since everything sounds like it is going smoothly and isn't being difficult lets start adding a little bit of soup to Rookie's kibble. For now we will have a very simple soup recipe and once he starts taking to it we'll add more ingredients. But for now, all I would like you to do is take a chicken breast, put it in the blender and add some chicken stock or water to it- add more water/chicken stock to make it thinner and less to make it thicker, for now you will need a little more liquid. After you have blended it up well, mix in a small amount to his food and see how he takes to it. If he doesn't take to it right away let him have the choice of eating for around an hour and if he doesn't touch it at all then take it out until the next feeding time. Let me know how it goes and of course ask questions if you have any
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Post by jaiyr on Aug 20, 2011 21:30:25 GMT -5
I'm sorry I haven't been on for a couple of days; I've been super busy. Rookie won't touch his soup at all. He'll sniff it like he's interested and almost take a lick, but other than that, he won't eat it. Any tips? On the good side, Roxy is doing great on her organs. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2011 10:27:56 GMT -5
I'm sorry I haven't been on for a couple of days; I've been super busy. That's fine, I completely understand, but I would like a head's up or even a very brief message saying that you are busy or will be away, otherwise I'll think that you may have quit the forum or gave up on your switch So, it would be great if you could do that Rookie won't touch his soup at all. He'll sniff it like he's interested and almost take a lick, but other than that, he won't eat it. Any tips?How thick is the soup when you are putting it in his food? On the good side, Roxy is doing great on her organs. ;D ;D Yay! What a good girl! Sounds like she is doing great! I was looking through the previous posts and was curious what kind of pork chunks Roxy gets? Things are sounding great! Don't worry about Rookie, we'll get him there
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Post by jaiyr on Aug 25, 2011 13:05:06 GMT -5
Okay, from now on I probably won't be as busy and will log on more frequently which means more progress. If something does come up I'll make sure to let you know. Thanks so much for being considerate. I got Rookie to eat a little teeny bit of his soup. It is very thin currently and I have it drizzled onto his kibble. Should I thicken it up a bit or give him a day or so to get used to it? For Roxy, one of our grocery stores sells unaltered pork that cut up into chunks and I thought Roxy would like it. No bones though. Also if it makes any difference, Rookie has gained weight. Not that he needed to. Roxy worries me though because she's alwaya been very small and skinny. I worry that she's underweight because she's not getting enough food or nutrients but maybe its just her body structure?
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