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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2011 12:26:58 GMT -5
So now flower has been vet checked, is about 4 yrs old, very skinny and fed bad food by her previous owners. She is chowing down on the EVO ferret food. I am kind of going back and forth between feeding her raw or keeping her on the EVO. First I live with my parents and am limited with what I can keep in the freezer. And second she is so skinny (only 1.19lbs) should I not make an attempt to switch her til she gains more weight?
If I do feed her raw I would probably go with the Bravo raw food... Roughly how much do they eat and what else would I be getting myself into if I make the switch?
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Post by Heather on Nov 5, 2011 12:48:13 GMT -5
I'm a strong raw proponent but that being said....it's a commitment, it's not a whim of the moment, it's a lifestyle (sound familiar for those of you that have tried diets ;D). Your wee girl would reap huge benefits but a lot of those benefits are up to you. Soooo....I suggest that you start with some reading material. Check out the mentoring threads, the nutritional section read, see what you might be getting yourself into. You can't post to the mentoring threads, they belong to the person who is working their switch, but it should give you ideas and questions. Ask them. I wouldn't feed any other way but I know that it can be and is a lot of work. I've also seen it save the life of many of my little sickies, but as a mentor I've seen a lot of people who start out with good intentions, find themselves against a wall and can't get over it. Start this armed....read, ask questions. Unfortunately, our commercial raw guru, Jennifer is out right now. I do feed some commercial, I believe so does Sherry. For one ferret it shouldn't be a problem, expense wise. My only complaint with ground raw is that it doesn't give the jaws and neck muscles a good work out and it doesn't clean teeth as well as whole meats. Good luck, I hope that you make the leap, the results are well worth the work ciao
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Post by miamiferret2 on Nov 5, 2011 13:21:45 GMT -5
I feed alot of commercial raw. The bravo frozen chubs are good. I also use rehydrated freeze dried & dry freeze dried in their bowls. I like to incorporate fresh grocery store meats as well. Chicken wings help clean their teeth. I also add hearts & livers once or twice a week. It is more work & weird at first. You have to get the hang of it. But it is worth it. I use wysong ferret archetypal 1 , Stella & chewys (both canine & feline formulas) and Vital Essentials beef and chicken freeze dried nibblets. You can find all these on WWW.caseyshiddenpantry.com
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Post by Sherry on Nov 5, 2011 14:09:46 GMT -5
I feed commercial raw in the morning, and RMB'S in the evening. The commerical raw I feed is JUST meat/bone/organ. I will never feed kibble again, no matter how good it's touted to be. I agree you need to go into this with your eyes open as it IS a commitment. Both to your ferret, and yourself. Until you get the hang of it it's a lot of work. But once there, it's the easiest thing to do, especially if you have to moderate The diet for any reason!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 11:29:58 GMT -5
I guess I am mainly worried about spending all the money to buy the food and her not even eating it. I got these freeze dried chicken dog treats, 100% chicken. And she won't even try it. I soaked them in warm water and tried them dry... How do I get her to try new stuff?
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Post by Sherry on Nov 6, 2011 11:54:52 GMT -5
With some it can take quite a while just to get them to try it. Don't forget- they imprint on their food. To them, anything else could quite literally cause their death, since it's an unknown, it could well be poison. It took me about 4 weeks of consistently dabbing it on Boris nose/lips/gums to even get him to take it from my finger. It was another two weeks before he went to spoon, then bowl, then small chunks. We can get her there, I've no doubt whatsoever. But the biggest obstacle is the owner's frame of mind. You have to be absolutely CONVINCED that they ARE going to eat this new food, and do what is necessary for as long as is needed to convince HER it's actually food
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 15:54:03 GMT -5
Also, I don't know if this is a silly question or not, but will feeding her raw increase her prey drive? Because I have a lot of small animals in my room. I don't know if she does have a prey drive yet because she is staying at the house I am dogsitting at with me so I can quarentine her...
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Post by Sherry on Nov 6, 2011 15:56:35 GMT -5
No, it won't That's another one of those "myths". Either a prey drive exists, or it doesn't. That said- ferrets are natural hunters. Even kibble fed ferrets will frequently go after small animals if they get the chance. Fear and movement are what trigger a prey drive
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Post by miamiferret2 on Nov 6, 2011 16:48:17 GMT -5
No it won't. Feeding raw will not give them a new instinct. They are born with hunter instincts. FYI I used to feed my previous ferrets kibble and they have ALL slaughtered and devoured lizards! If anything feeding raw I think makes them.sweeter and they bite less!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 17:11:55 GMT -5
Also it's not just the Bravo. You have to have supplements as well, taurine, organs, bones to chew on, pumpkin, salmon oil.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 17:29:08 GMT -5
Yeah, I know they need all that other stuff, but approximatly how often a week do they get those supplements?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 17:51:28 GMT -5
That will depend on what the commercial raw meats contain. If you're feeding a food that has no organ, heart, bone, etc, then you'll need to feed a single meal of organ meat a week. This includes 1/2 liver and 1/2 another organ. Then you should have 1-2 meals of pure heart a week. Bone should be fed 8-9 times a week. This is all based on a twice a day feeding schedule.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 17:52:15 GMT -5
Also, you could always apply for a mentor when you're ready to switch!
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Post by miamiferret2 on Nov 6, 2011 18:07:48 GMT -5
The bravo chub that I bought contained bones & organs. The natures variety instinct that I have in my freezer now is venison, lamb heart, lamb liver, raw ground lamb bone. 5% veg matter 95% meat bones & organs. My dog loves it. The ferret likes the bravo more.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2011 20:55:07 GMT -5
I am definetaly interested in switching ( I have seen raw do miracles for my friends Ferrets) that is why I am trying to look at this from all angles lol I don't want to waste anyone's time by applying for a mentor if I can't really make the switch. I just wish flower would grab a hunk of meat out of my hands and say " Mommy I wanna eat meat!!" Lol
Ok so now if the frozen raw has orgeons listed in its ingredients I don't have to supplement that part? And heart is not considered an orgeon?
And are eggs a supplement for bones? Because I have button quails and they lay boat loads of eggs but never sit on them so I just throw them away...
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