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Post by Sherry on Jul 7, 2011 22:21:15 GMT -5
Ok, let's start with Iris, and we'll get Anya moving when she gets home That's great that Iris is licking it off her nose. Keep doing that several times a day, and try to work her to licking it willingly from your finger! Let me know how it goes
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Post by ferretfreke on Jul 10, 2011 13:11:35 GMT -5
Now that the insanity of the Ferret show is over I will do that several times with Iris.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 10, 2011 15:11:43 GMT -5
Sound good! So- did you enjoy the show?
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Post by ferretfreke on Jul 10, 2011 17:40:51 GMT -5
Yes and no. I always enjoy a show, but I was so nervous that it would go well that I didn't sleep at all the night before and I was already running low on sleep. So I was quite miserable from being so tired. It's quite overwhelming and exhausting running the show too. I was always being pulled in one direction or another. On the plus side my ferrets came home with some trophies. My female, Alitasha, has gotten Best in Opposite several times before and she did again yesterday, but she actually got a first for the first time in the championship. She also got first in shelter jills. Unagi placed first in shelter hobs and third in invitational. That was really cool cus he was running against late alters and placed higher than all but two! And Invitational is the best against the best! Your ferret has to have had gotten a Best in Show to be in that ring. Sorry have to brag about that one He also has reached his platinum title now. Unagi and Alitasha got lots of praise for how well muscled, etc. they were for their age and being pet store ferrets throughout the day. They did better than many ferrets much younger than them. That felt great! I brought Anya home and definitely need to post pictures of her. She is adorable and has even longer hair than Bezoar. They both didn't do well at the show, but that's not surprising with East coast judges. One judge had never even seen an angora before. Thanks for asking.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 10, 2011 18:18:45 GMT -5
Wow, sounds like they cleaned up on the ribbons really well Congrats- and you SHOULD be proud
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Post by ferretfreke on Jul 11, 2011 20:47:01 GMT -5
Yesterday went very well with Iris. She took turkey baby food from my finger very well. So I learned I was using the wrong kind of baby food for her. She prefers turkey over chicken. Then she really surprised me. I had some chicken trimmings on a plate on the floor next to me. I had offered them to Anya to see what she would do (she just walked away from it). I was working with Anya with some baby food and I look over and Iris was licking the chicken! There was a little ferretone on it, but she accidentally ate a few chunks of fat in the process. I say accidentally because it was stuck to her tongue and she had to chew some of it to get it off. I put the chicken chunks in the cage with her and added some turkey baby food to the plate. She didn't eat the chicken but I think she actually ate around a tablespoon (half) of the baby food on her own! Finally some progress. I really needed that. Helps me to keep going.
Should I completely take kibble away from her yet? Maybe I should wait til Anya will eat it on her own. I only did some small introductions with them yesterday and they did some hissing at each other and that was it. I have them out together right now and they are basically ignoring one another. I didn't want Anya to decide this was her territory too much before having them out together. Angoras can tend to be very nasty over territory so I'm moving fairly quickly with the two. They haven't viciously attacked each other and that's different for me. That's what I am used to. So I think they will do well.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 11, 2011 21:09:47 GMT -5
Great news on both the baby food, and the intros I'd purée up some raw meat(turkey since it seems to go over better), and just mix a dab in with the baby food. Not enough for her to refuse it, but just enough to think "is this different? Nah!" let me know how they do with that.
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Post by ferretfreke on Jul 14, 2011 21:57:41 GMT -5
Should I use some blended up turkey breast or will pureeing some ground turkey work, do you think? I have some ground turkey, but if you think I should do turkey breast it'll have to wait til payday. Iris is doing so well with the turkey baby food now. She will eat a whole jar from the plate each day now. I still have to feed Anya from my finger, but she takes it readily. It's firming up Iris' stools too, which I find interesting. I was going to mention to you that she has always had loose stools since I've had her unless it was a pumpkin poop. I think that has taken it's toll on her coat. It's very coarse and dull. She did go adrenal several months ago, but is responding well to her implant and has a full coat in again, but it just looks crappy.
Anya is not cooperating on me getting her pic. I really want to show her off. She's adorable and she's trouble. Her and Iris are starting to aknowledge one another a bit more, but are by no means friends yet.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 14, 2011 23:25:38 GMT -5
If you've already got the ground, go with that It's just to get her accustomed to the slowly changing taste of the raw in the baby food. If at some point she starts to refuse it even with finger feeding, step back to what she was just taking, and start moving ahead more slowly. Sometimes these little brats have to be tricked into it ;D As for her stools- just for curiosity's sake, what's the meat ingredient in the food she's been eating? I'm thinking she might have a sensitivity to whatever it is. For Anya, can you try starting her from the spoon on your lap? See if she'll go for it. You might have to give her a taste first. And hey- at least they are acknowledging each other is alive without a ton of fighting ;D That's progress!!!
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Post by ferretfreke on Jul 15, 2011 14:17:35 GMT -5
Iris is on EVO chicken and turkey formula. I've been worried that she does have a sensitivity and I am hoping that maybe she wont to the raw since the proteins are not altered. She has never vomited so if she does have a sensitivity I don't thinks its severe yet. I've had ferrets with confirmed IBD before and they always had vomiting and much worse stools than Iris has. Really foul smelling stools too, which Iris doesnt have.
I'll get the ground turkey thawing and try adding some tonight. Oh I have some freeze dried I can try with her too. The pheasant formula.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 15, 2011 16:09:17 GMT -5
IBD gives off foul smelling stools with the vomiting. Sensitivities usually don't Before developing IBD, Boris was simply sensitive to too much chicken, and had the accompanying yellow seedy, sometimes liquidy stools.
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Post by ferretfreke on Jul 15, 2011 19:37:56 GMT -5
Ferrets crack me up. Today I offered Iris and Anya their baby food straight from the jar as opposed to putting it on a plate for them. Anya was all over it that way. Eating it all on her own. Geez, offer it in a different container and it's suddenly yummy...weirdos . Iris' stools have not been seedy or watery, just not really formed. They aren't quite like pudding, but close. Maybe it's the chicken since offering the turkey has firmed them up. I just want to wait and see what happens while switching her. It will be easier to determine what the sensitivity is to then.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 15, 2011 21:18:25 GMT -5
Silly ferrets ;D Boris has to be hand fed his soupies (yeah- I know!), but will only take it when it's fed from certain dishes. Any other type, and he'll fight against it As to the possible sensitivity, I guess you'll find out the first time you offer chicken!
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Post by ferretfreke on Jul 21, 2011 17:26:51 GMT -5
I ordered Anya and Iris Stella and Chewey's Duck Duck Goose freeze dried cus the Wysong's Dream Treats went over really well with them and it has pumpkin seeds in it. So I can't give that to them can I? I swear I ordered the cat formula, but I ended up with the dog. My dog will love it if I cant give it to the ferrets.
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Post by Sherry on Jul 21, 2011 18:41:03 GMT -5
The pumpkin seeds are a danger if they are in chunks, or especially if they are whole. Ground up isn't a problem. And freeze dried may just be the way in for them transitioning to raw, but keep up with soupies as well. Sort of a two pronged attack Once they'll eat straight freeze dried, just start adding a bit of moisture til it's rehydrated entirely, then start mixing in raw puree.
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