So they've switched to raw... Now what?

[katt]

[quote author=vertigofm board=food thread=6962 post=96242 time=
ciao[/quote]
Considering their age it is going to be very difficult to move to whole prey... I'm not sure what Frankenprey is
[/quote]

You keep saying this, but it's simply not true. Older ferrets have been switched to whole prey, why not yours? Look at how easy they switched from kibble to commercial raw! It may be more difficult than switching a younger ferret, but it is certainly NOT impossible. It's one thing if you aren't comfortable with whole prey, think it's out of your budget, or something along those lines but if your only reason for not trying it is that they are too old, you are doing your ferrets a big disservice IMO. Same thing for frankenprey and other meats. They need variety and their age is no reason to not try new things. They've surprised you once, who says they won't continue?

Congrats on the switch!

[Heather]

Just to add to what Katt has mentioned. I switched an oldster...she was 9 when she came into my house. She was basically an old bag of bones that her person dumped off because she was dying (got to love those types ). Babushka was my old lady. She was a difficult switch, I had to admit at times a 2 am I seriously wondered what I thought I was doing fighting with this little old thing who neither wanted to live nor eat. It took me 4 or 5 months to get her switched over. Her cagemate Pooka also a senior (I suppose, though she never acted like it, she was 7 or 8) switched easily and was eating prey. Well the 2 old girls would get into some awful tiffs at just about anything...my hammy, my blanky, my space...ooops my mouse. It was that easy. I have to admit her favourite part of the mouse was the least nutritious...the tail but she would eat the whole thing. In the end she would eat rat, mice and quail....why because I'm positive it was to annoy Pooka. Oh, just to add to that she lived another 18 months after being dumped here. Pooka lived to be about 11 and finally passed on after an extended battle with adrenal
ciao

[Deleted]

You've got a good point. I'm going to try it, it's going to take me a few weeks- but I'll order all the stuff and when the new one arrives, hopefully her eating whole prey will help convince them.

Where should I order from? I was thinking quail to start (because I can mix the primal raw quail in first and get them used to it)

[Heather]

All my guys love quail. Rabbit is another easy one to get accepted too
ciao