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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2011 8:22:07 GMT -5
You also need to have heart in the diet. Chicken hearts are usually easy enough to find, as is beef heart. If heart cannot be found, taurine needs to be supplemented as soon as possible ((taurine is extremely important to health).
You should also have at least one other organ, like brain, spleen, thymus, kidney, pancreas.
The amount of liver is relative to the amount of food that ferret eats. Ferrets that eat more will need more liver. It usually ends up being between 1-2 oz per ferret per week. 5% of the diet should be liver. If liver is the only organ, up that to 10% temporally until another organ can be found.
You can calculate how much liver each ferret needs by multiplying the total oz they eat in a week by 0.05. If a ferret eats 3 oz a day, thats 21 oz a week.
21 oz * 0.05 = 1.05 oz a week. If that ferret only gets liver as organ meat, up can up that to 2 oz.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2011 14:02:50 GMT -5
Is gizzard not a organ? I do supplement with taurine weekly should I do it more often? I found cow tung and can get unbleached tripe should I buy it? Should I get a food scale? It is really really heard for me to find more then liver gizzard and some times longs when its in a roasting bird. they almost never put heart in the birds at all. I may get one heart out of every 3 birds I buy and that's maybe.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2011 10:52:03 GMT -5
Is gizzard not a organ? I do supplement with taurine weekly should I do it more often? Nope, gizzard is a muscle meat just like chicken breast, beef, etc. I'll check on how much taurine they'll need weekly I cannot remember off hand. I found cow tung and can get unbleached tripe should I buy it? Cow tongue would be another muscle meat. It would be some nice variety but wouldn't count as an organ or another. However, the unbleached tripe WOULD count as a organ meat. The issue would be getting them to try it. I've heard it is very stinky and most ferrets turn their noses up at it. But it would definitely help with getting enough organ. Maybe try blending it with some other tummy foods? Should I get a food scale? I find they're helpful, but not 100% necessary. 1 chicken liver weighs approximately 1-2 oz. So you can measure it that way Between my 3 I feed approximately 5-7 oz of liver a week. So that would be about 3-4 chicken livers weekly. If you could get them eating the tripe that would be awesome. It would be your other organ and completely everything I'll get back to you ASAP with how much taurine they'll need daily or weekly. You cannot overdose the taurine, more just waste it. But I want to make sure they're getting enough
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2011 10:56:24 GMT -5
Dosing for taurine supplement:
1/4 capsule per ferret every other day (500 mg per capsule) = 125 mg per ferret every other day.
It would be best to space it out rather than give it in one large dose.
I would probably give 500 mg per ferret a week, and split it up into 3-4 doses.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2011 12:27:33 GMT -5
I have loose powder taurine. I put about a table spoon in soup and boneless meat chunks 2 to three times a week. I don't know what 500mg looks like but I am guessing Its less then a table spoon. So I will cut back on the dos of taurine. I think I will buy the tripe and put it in the soup. As for the Cow tongue I know its a muscle I was thinking it would be a good source of taurine. You said the more a muscle is used the more taurine it has. Could I use tongue In place of heart?
This week they had
Mon. bone in chicken Tue. Cornish hen Bone in Wed. Cornish hen bone in Thur. beef with taurine Fri. Pork with taurine Sat. chicken wings and beef Sun. pork soup with liver, 2 eggs, gizzard and taurine
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2011 12:28:27 GMT -5
plus everyday they had oil and squash
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2011 22:44:43 GMT -5
I think the tongue would definitely be rich in taurine (the darker the meat, the more taurine) so it would be a great addition to the feeding schedule. However, I would keep the powdered taurine in just to be safe. I'll be passing your menu along to Heather for approval, and once that's done, you'll be graduated!!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2011 21:50:27 GMT -5
yay that's great Thanks Jackie!
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Post by Heather on Oct 27, 2011 11:54:51 GMT -5
Congratulations. you've graduated and you're ready to walk this path alone, now. You have the foundation to help you feed your fuzzes in a more natural and healthy manner. Please remember that your learning never stops, and dietary needs change from ferret to ferret and throughout each their lives. I would also like you to be aware that though you now have the capability and the knowledge to create your little ones diets you are never alone and that your mentor (you need only pm) is always available to you. The list is also a very good resource and you should always be aware that it's available to answer any questions you may have either about diet or care. Good luck, in a few days either Sherry or I will lock down this thread but be aware that you can always look through it as a reference tool but you just will not be able to post to it. Your mentor will be in to congratulate you shortly . ciao
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Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2011 12:56:59 GMT -5
Congrats! Im so happy to have made this journey with you and your fuzz you've done a great job and if you ever have any questions, feel free to PM me Again, congrats and hope to see you around the forum
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