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Post by hazelrah on Aug 4, 2011 22:29:29 GMT -5
Oddly enough, he's actually even less enthusiastic about the kibble mix than about the the way it is now He went off kibble (except for treats) really fast, but just didn't seem to switch his appetite over to the chicken. I took him to the vet and had a physical and blood work the same week I brought him home and, at that point at least, she found nothing out of the usual (which has made me feel slightly better), but what sort of things could be triggered or should I watch out for? He has been eating 1/2 spoonful to 1 spoonful every four hours when I'm awake (if I HAD to average it, it differs) for a couple days now. It seems to fit into a cycle where he wakes up, eats as much as he wants and then as much more as I can convince him too, then he plays for a bit, goes back to sleep, and repeats. Today was the first day I did have to go back and heat a little more after the first spoon, which pleased me, but it was only one time out of the several I tried to get him to eat. I'm SUPER glad that I'm in a position where I'm home all day right now so I can try to catch him every single time he gets up or he'd be eating even less. Again, out of a mix of concern and curiosity, I have offered him kibble + meat and even plain kibble to see if he'd go for it, and he would barely even touch that at all, which I don't understand
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2011 22:36:57 GMT -5
Mostly, that kind of fasting can trigger an insulinomic attack (early signs include a dazed look, drool, uncoordinated movements which precede seizures and coma). That'd be checked by take his bg. Generally, fasting an animal with an unknown history or a rescue that you've had less than a year isn't recommended if the bg hasn't been monitored to see where he falls.
Overall, though, he seems active and healthy? What size are the spoons (tsp or tbsp?)? Also, have you noticed any drastic weightloss and does he have access to your other guys' food?
Okay, here are a few more questions for you, as well: how are his poos? I've been talking with other mentors, and there are a few possible answers.
1) delayed shelter shock. Have you tried him on rescue remedy to help settle him down? He might be anxious/depressed enough that he's not focusing on eating.
2) chicken sensitivities. It's possible that the chicken is just not agreeing with him, and we need to switch to another protein. Obviously, his poos would be a good indication. IF they're loose, mucusy, or are "bird seed" - like, those are pretty good indications (you might also hear stomach gurglings, him passing gas or noxious burps).
3) the potential lack of bone in the diet. Since he's not eating kibble and he's not eating bone, he'll need either bone meal powder or powdered eggshell in his diet (I thought I'd mentioned this before, but if not I'm so sorry!). 1/2 tsp per 8 oz of meat.
Also, it's possible that those treats you said he likes might do the trick. Have you tried breaking those up and sprinkling that into the mix he eats (since that's what seems to get his attention)? It's worth a shot, at this point.
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Post by hazelrah on Aug 5, 2011 12:44:36 GMT -5
In terms of overall health, he seems quite good. He's not as energetic as the kits, but he definitely likes his playtime and is very comfortable sleeping on my lap at this point. The spoons are tbsp (sorry for not clarifying that!! ). His coat is shiny and has been getting progressively softer, just like I remembered the other guy's doing. It's a bit harder for me to judge his weight fluctuation as his coat is getting bigger at the same time In terms of weight, he's definitely thinner than my other guys and has lost weight since coming here. However, even being paranoid, I would not classify the weight loss as drastic at this point, though I'm sure it will get there if I don't sort this out He does have access to the other guy's food; there is fresh meat out all the time, always with some sort of oil as well for Oryx. I wouldn't be surprised if he was licking the extra bits off that I add to tempt Oryx to get excited. His poos are formed, but seedy looking. I had kind of written it off as just switching in general, gah! What should I try as an alternative to chicken? I can pick that up today. You have definitely mentioned the eggshell powder. I do put it in Oryx's food, but haven't been in Taz's. I'll go ahead and try mixing in treats next time I feed him and report back shortly!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2011 21:44:42 GMT -5
You can try cornish game hens, turkey, pork, lamb, rabbit (all of these are pretty great for sensitive stomachs). Other meats include beef (tends to be rich, and either a love it/hate it meat), goose/duck (usually a bit harder to find, I know), even light fishes (tilapia) and then, of course, salmon.
Probably trying him with the cgh, turkey and pork (and rabbit, if you can get it, if not, no biggie) is best. Those three are pretty light and don't tend to induce a bad reaction.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2011 21:47:12 GMT -5
Also, it's possible that the weightloss isn't as dramatic as you'd expect, and the reason why he's still got energy is because he may well be eating at least a tiny bit of Oryx and Falcor's meat when you're not looking.
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Post by hazelrah on Aug 6, 2011 0:55:05 GMT -5
I picked up some CGH today and it went really well!!!! He still didn't eat as much as I'd like to see, but I had to go back for seconds TWICE today which was super exciting. He is definitely liking it better than the chicken. I also tried again with the mixing treat crumbs in and I think that it helped as well. I also started waking him up every two hours if he hadn't gotten up already and offering food, which actually seemed to work really well. ANd he just pooped and it was so much less seedy looking! Hooray! I know it's not fixed by any means, but this is the fist time I've felt actively hopeful all week, which is awesome.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2011 20:49:04 GMT -5
I'm SO glad to hear he's doing at least a little better! A probiotic, like beneback, can also help regulate his tummy, too (1/2 of a 1 g tube, wait three days, and give the other 1/2).
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Post by hazelrah on Aug 7, 2011 23:47:29 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2011 12:54:32 GMT -5
Well, that's something, at least he's eating :\ Yeah, we can do it either way - rework the soup angle + offer kibble in the beginning so he doesn't go into a tailspin. We can use the recipe Sherry posted (it does call for a blender): 8oz chicken meat (or cgh/turkey/pork for Taz, since he seems to not like chicken all that much) 1-2 chicken hearts 1 liver 1/4 tsp powdered eggshell Enough water, or homemade chicken broth(straight chicken, no spices, veg, etc) to make a soupy texture. Puree all the ingredients together, portion into ice trays and freeze. Then, an hour or so before you go to feed, remove Taz's kibble, put down the unthawed (and slightly warmed up, I wouldn't serve cold unless it's very, very hot inside your home during this weather ). Let him have 30 min. - 1 hour with it, then you can remove and put down kibble. You can always drop a few kibble pieces into the soup to get his attention, as well. We can try this way, because I feel uncomfortable with fasting him over the 1 to 2 hour mark if we don't know where he is, bg-wise.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2011 12:57:08 GMT -5
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Post by hazelrah on Aug 8, 2011 23:35:46 GMT -5
Ok, sounds good, I think I can locate a blender. I've sill been offering the same meat mix I was along with the kibble and he will take a couple bites, so he doesn't hate it at least. I'm just so relieved now that he's eating that it all seems much less daunting.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2011 10:05:44 GMT -5
I don't blame you - it's not a pleasant thing at all. Hopefully this'll work out and he'll be able to switch over less traumatically!
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Post by hazelrah on Aug 10, 2011 11:45:05 GMT -5
I hope so! I'm also super glad that the presence of kibble doesn't seem to be affecting the desire of my other two to eat meat, oddly enough As long as I have food set of for them next to the kibble, they will choose it nearly every time, which makes me extremely happy. And I totally caught Taz licking their chicken this morning Probably just to get the oil off, but still makes me happy
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2011 11:50:29 GMT -5
That's great!
So, *are* you doing soup sessions with him still? If so, what ingredients have you decided to use and what amounts has he eaten?
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Post by hazelrah on Aug 11, 2011 21:56:16 GMT -5
At the moment, I am offering him soup a couple of times a day, but am pretty much relying on kibble until I get his weight up (and my anxiety down ) I am also having some car issues, so I haven't been able to pick up chicken liver or heart yet, which is slowing the process for the moment. I have to say, the other two are getting more interested in the kibble the longer it hangs around, don't know how to feel about that In terms of what is in the soup: Game hen bits Ground kibble Water Powdered egggshell Oil I've been putting the CGH through a hand grinder and then trying to get the mixture as fine as possible, lol. He will eat some if I hold it in front of him, but, besides licking the edges of the bowls, I haven't seen him eat it of his own accord.
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