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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2011 16:35:43 GMT -5
No I tried that. any other ideas?
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Post by Sherry on Oct 24, 2011 20:35:04 GMT -5
Stubborn brat Ok, for Lil Bit, take a step back to what he WILL eat for a day or so. I know you were making the soup thicker, but can you get some ground meat, and mash that with a fork with some water? Sort of a thick soup, but with some texture. You can step Max back to the same thing if you like, or just keep pushing him a wee bit with the slivers of meat. Make sure they've no access to the kibble for about 2-3 hours before offering their soup. You may also want to start adding some powdered eggshell to the mix if you haven't been already(sorry, can't remember ). Leave off the pumpkin and EVOO for now, since they are really having a problem with it. Truth tell, the only way I got mine onto it was using ferretone I mixed up some pumpkin with a wee bit of water, and put some tone on top. Same with the oil. I used tone at first, then some fish oil squirted over the top of it ;D
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2011 9:26:12 GMT -5
Agh sorry for the really late response. I've been busy taking midterms and writing papers for school, and then changing my major and stuff elated to that. I have been using the eggshell powder. They like it thicker and still eat it without adding water. They took to it with red meat well, so I also tries to add even smaller slivers of chicken meat and they ate it (it was really small though)
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Post by Sherry on Oct 28, 2011 10:06:27 GMT -5
Hey, small is fine!!! They ate it, that's what counts Do that for a couple of days, and start adding in a few bits just a smidgen larger. What we want to do is get them used to feeling textures in their mouths. Texture is a big thing with ferrets. Change it up, and they can balk. Which is the reason for going so slow. You want to almost "trick" them into eating larger and larger bits.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2011 16:56:38 GMT -5
If I use the ferretone to trick them into eating bigger pieces will they recognize it and eat it when their isn't any fetteone on it?
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Post by Sherry on Oct 28, 2011 19:02:12 GMT -5
Again, it's getting them used to the courser texture and larger size. You can start adding less and less ferretone over time. Alternately, you can start cutting the tone with something like olive oil more and more, and then start reducing that til it's gone. It's all a matter of degrees.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2011 13:12:05 GMT -5
Just an update everything seems to be going well. They eat the smaller chicken slivers so I'll try increasing the size. Should I not give them kibble when I put them away for night? That way when they wake up thell eat the raw? They wake up really early so I'm still asleep when their eating so I cant give them raw as soon as their ready to eat but I can when I wake up, which is about an hour later. I bought ground meat, should I also try and feed them chunks of meat? What kind should I get?
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Post by Sherry on Nov 1, 2011 13:32:25 GMT -5
I'm really hesitant about leaving Lilbit without food for that length of time, just in case there are any hidden issues. We've now had two ferrets crash on the forum because the mentors had no idea the ferret where not eating as much as they should be, and insulinoma was triggered. One ferret passed because the owner was told the hindend weakness was normal by the previous owner In most cases going 12 hours without food is fine for a healthy ferret, but you haven't had Lilbit for very long. How much is each ferret eating at a meal now? What you CAN try doing is give them about half their normal amount of kibble when you put them up for the night, and try to make sure they've had a full feeding of raw before they go in.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2011 19:07:00 GMT -5
Oh that's so awful! I really don't want that to happen. Lil Bit is the one to resort to kibble the most. He generally eats a cube and then hes full. Should he be eating more? Is there any way to tell if he has insulinoma?
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Post by Sherry on Nov 1, 2011 20:22:40 GMT -5
As for the insulinoma, not until symptoms start showing up unfortunately. You can have blood sugars tested to see if he's low though. It's a simple test the vet can do next time you are in. They(at my vet) simply clip the nail a bit short while they are having some tone and check it. Since the nose is in the ferretone, they generally don't even notice it ;D As for enough, how much do the cubes weigh? Mine will usually eat about an ounce in one sitting, then go back through the day to nibble. In total, they'll eat anywhere between 2 oz to 6 oz per day, depending on which one it is.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2011 16:10:14 GMT -5
Yeah their about an ounce each and they eat one for lunch and dinner but they munch on the kibble in between.
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Post by Sherry on Nov 2, 2011 18:14:04 GMT -5
Alright. When you can, remove the kibble for a couple hours and offer slightly larger slivers mixed in with the soup. I know it's a pain not leaving it out overnight. That's what I did with mine, but I'd had them for a while, and they were all young. Depending on how long it is between his lunch and dinner(max of 6-7 hours), try leaving the kibble out between those two. The raw will hold him over better than kibble anyway
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2011 10:28:46 GMT -5
Okay sounds good. Also I need to make more, should I make both chicken and meat and just alternate? (Like giving one flavor in the morning, and the other flavor at night)
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Post by Sherry on Nov 5, 2011 11:59:46 GMT -5
Certainly give it a shot. If they refuse to eat the alternate meat, you can always mix the two if needed, and phase it in that way.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2011 13:44:15 GMT -5
Just a though about commercial raw, what do you think of it? It seems a lot more convenient for me, especially sense next semester I'm going to be loaded with difficult classes. I was looking at the Primal Raw. But there's three different choices, the formula, mix and grind.(http://www.primalpetfoods.com/phpkbv2/question.php?ID=7) If i do happen to go with this what kind should i use, and what flavors?
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