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Treats
Nov 8, 2011 22:34:07 GMT -5
Post by pixiecocobandit on Nov 8, 2011 22:34:07 GMT -5
I want to try to switch away from the Marshal's Bandit's treats I have currently because I've heard they're bad, well I started off trying dehydrated chicken and this has not gone so well.
Does anyone have any tips to make dehydrated chicken more appealing to my fuzzies? Even my boy Bandit who will eat pretty much anything sniffs and walks away. I tried soaking it in some warm water to soften it up and that didn't work, then I tried putting a little olive oil on it and they just licked that off. Is there anything else I could try?
If not what else can I look into for treats? My girl Coco is extremely picky and the only treat she will eat are the Bandit's. We've tried N Bones (Bandit loves those but Coco doesn't) and the sticks I beleve Zupreem makes (in the white and green package) Coco will not eat those either.
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Post by Sherry on Nov 8, 2011 23:22:15 GMT -5
If you really want them to take it, you'll have to go through a similar transition as to a raw diet Get it wet, mash it up as best you can, and just keep dabbing it on the nose/lips. Move from there to offering it from your finger. Once they are taking it like that, you can try offering it dry as a treat
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Treats
Nov 9, 2011 11:41:17 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2011 11:41:17 GMT -5
Kudos to you for ditching the Bandit! Besides being made from who knows what, they have artificial sweeteners and propylene glycol (similar to ethylene glycol in antifreeze) When offering treats are you expecting them to take it right away and eat it? If yes, try treating with bits of raw meat or dabs of unsalted butter or mayo. If not, just leave the dried meat with them they'll eventually get curious and start chewing.
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Treats
Nov 9, 2011 14:28:53 GMT -5
Post by pixiecocobandit on Nov 9, 2011 14:28:53 GMT -5
Thanks. Well I have a plate on my kitchen floor they all know as the treat plate. Originally I put it on the plate and watched them sniff it. Bandit loves raw chicken fat but Coco still won't eat it so I figured out of both of them at least Bandit would eat it but he won't. I've tried leaving just a piece in the cage but they won't accept that either. I'll try dabbing it on their lips and seeing if they'll take it then. I've been trying to transition over to raw, Bandit is okay with it but Coco is not. I thought maybe dehydrated meat would appeal to her a little more but no luck so far.
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Treats
Nov 9, 2011 18:21:38 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Nov 9, 2011 18:21:38 GMT -5
If you are currently feeding kibble, you can switch the to raw by crumbling the freeze-dried raw foods in with the kibble. Start out with a VERY SMALL amount of the freeze-dried treats crumble into the kibble. If they still resist, LIGHTLY crush the kibble to make it smaller....this will make it more difficult for the brats to pick around the freeze-dried raw. If they still continue to resist, store a small amount of the freeze dried crumbles and a small amount of partially crushed kibble TOGETHER in a zip-lock bag. The two foods will start to smell the same, so this will make it even harder to the ferrets to pick out what they want. If you're not achieving any success, crumble the freeze-dried raw into smaller bits and make changes SLOWLY giving your ferrets time to adjust to the changes before making additional change. I have found that this is the most effective way to get the pickiest of ferrets willing to accept raw diets.
-jennifer
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