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Post by Heather on Feb 20, 2012 21:04:27 GMT -5
Name: Tiffany HF Forum Username: Cierva4
1. Where did you first learn about natural diets for ferrets? This forum. I was doing some research about a better kibble diet ( ) and found myself first on the older forum and then on this one. After some research on other sites, I'm back here and ready to roll.
2. Please describe the type of diet you would like assistance in switching your ferret(s) to. Be sure to include if you are interested in feeding whole prey (live or frozen-thawed) and if you are wanting to FULLY switch to a natural diet or PARTIALLY. If you are unsure what kind of diet you want to put your ferrets on, please express that and we can help you find the best type of natural diet for your ferret. I want to switch to a completely raw diet. My boyfriend has pet rats, so I don't think I could handle whole prey just yet.
3. Why are you interested in switching your ferrets to a natural diet? I want them to be as happy and healthy as possible for the time that we have together. If all it takes is a little (well, a lot initially) more effort and attention on my part, why wouldn't I do it?
4. Do you understand that switching your ferret to a natural diet can be a lengthy, arduous process? Its not an overnight switch. It can be a commitment of several weeks or even months. Your HF Mentor will be more then happy to assist you in switchng your ferret(s) to a natural diet, but you need to be equally as commited. If you aren't willing to tough out a potentially lengthy switching process, or if you have major life changes approaching (baby on the way, moving, starting school, getting married/divorced, etc) then it might be a better idea to wait on switching your ferret's diet until you have more time. Are you willing to make the commitment? Yes!
5. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names? Ages? Genders? Do they have any health problems? Are they overweight? Underweight? How long have you had each ferret for? I've got 2 little fuzzballs.
Charlotte-- female, just over 1 year. She's about 1.5lbs, a little on the lighter side, but the vet gave her a clean bill of health. I've had her since 5/11.
Wheatley-- male, just under 1 year. He's about 3lbs. Other than the occasional hairball no health problems. I've had him since 7/11.
6. What diet do you currently feed your ferrets? (Please include all treats, supplements, etc) They're currently on Marshall Premium. *sigh* Up until a few weeks ago they were eating Bandits treats as well as FerretVite heart treats. They also get ferretone on their bellies when I do fuzzy grooming each week.
Recently I've been giving them chicken baby food on a plate in their cage, hoping that they'll get used to the chicken flavor/smell. They both like that, but definitely prefer the kibble.
7. Have you ever tried to switch your ferrets to a natural diet in the past? If yes, what happened? I've been trying the past couple of days to give them the raw chicken soup.... trying. >.> Charlotte played drama queen and gagged after she licked what I rubbed on her nose/mouth, and Wheatley will lick a little of what's on my finger if I mix ferretone in it, but that's about as far as we get.
8. What additional information about yourself or your ferrets would you like to share? I tend to work a 45+ hour week, and I'm usually out of the house 8a-8p more days than not M-F. The fuzzies get about an hour out each morning, and at least 2 at night, but during the day they're caged. On the weekends they get more like 5-6 hours out at least. I'm working on making a permanent playpen so I don't have to cage them all day, but for now that's the setup. I'm hoping to not have to leave kibble in the cage during the day, but it is a long time...
9. How often during the week do you have access to a computer? I work at a computer all day (where most of my posts will be done, most likely), and I have my laptop at home I can use to post pictures of the fuzzies.
10. Please post a picture of each of your ferrets (if possible).
Hi and welcome to the mentoring program. In a little while your mentor (Carpetshark) will introduce herself and you can get started on a new adventure in natural ferret care and diets. Please remember to post regularly (daily or as per arranged with your mentor) so that your mentor can assist you move along safely in this adventure. If you experience computer difficulties or are going to be away, please notify your mentor and most of all relax and have fun . Your mentor is here to help you on this journey. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2012 3:09:44 GMT -5
Hi Tiffany! My name is Steph and I will be your mentor for this switch! Before we get started, here's a little bit about me and my ferrets: ------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Stephanie (Steph) HF User Name: CarpetSharks37 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada About Me: I'm in my fourth year of University, currently transfering into a B.Sc. in Psychology (only my fourth degree switch ). I have to do an extra year of undergraduate and then I plan to take my Masters in Counselling online and hopefully specialize in Animal-Assisted Therapy (maybe even some "Ferrepy" with ferrets ;D). I work part-time at a veterinary hospital as receptionist and full-time at my "zoo" ;D, which currently consists of 5 ferrets, 3 dogs, 2 cats and a hedgehog. My favorite color is..... Purple. Everything from my ferret bedding to my glasses are purple. I love it. My favorite food is.... Snow crab legs (mmm Seafood ) and any sort of home-made baking. I have dietary restrictions so I have to make my own "junk" food. I specialize in chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies and caramel apple crumble pie; all milk/egg/nut-free! My favorite holiday is... CHRISTMAS! I’m a hardcore Christmas fan. I love christmas music, wrapping presents, giving presents, Christmas trees, Christmas baking, Christmas everything! My favorite hobby is... playing with my zoo! I also love reading, writing and attempting to play my guitar. I like to listen to... Taylor Swift! She's the best Otherwise I like alternative rock, country/pop (nothing too twangy!) and listening to unsigned youtube singers. I collect... Pets? or at least that’s what it’s starting to seem like. I used to collect Beanie babies, now I’d say I collect purple things, summer dresses and good books. Something about me you might be surprised to know... I’ve got a new perspective on life. Back in 2009 I was unfortunate enough to catch the H1N1 virus, got sick for a 4 months and am still suffering from the long-term effects of the immune system damaged it caused [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/.png"]-1.png[/IMG] The virus actually triggered the emergence of some genetic and chronic conditions and I now have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Gastric Reflux Disease, an upper repsiratory condition that makes me sensitive to cold air, perfumes, smoke, etc. as well as migraines and anxiety. What can I say? – I’ve got the whole set. These conditions have completely changed the way I am able to live my life from what I am able to eat (not much [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .png" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/.png"]-1.png[/IMG] ) to what I am able to take in school (it crushed my dreams of veterinary school [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/T_T.png"].png[/IMG] ). But it's also made me appreciate what's truly important in life and not sweat the small stuff. These are chronic conditions and won't ever go away but these days I'm doing 100 times better and am a happier and more fullfilled person because of what I've been through I became a mentor because... My two greatest passions in life are helping people and helping animals and as a mentor on here, I get to do both. I also love writing and teaching, which I also get to do as a mentor. Dealing with my own digestive conditions has also taught me that a natural diet and simple diet is the best medicine for humans, just as a natural and simple diet for ferrets is the best way to prevent health issues for them down the road. Being a science student and having majored in Biology and Zoology in the past it seems counter-intuitive to go against biology and evolution. You wouldn't feed a tiger in a zoo cat kibble, so why feed a ferret something it's not designed to eat? About My Ferrets: Sophie - a chocolate? (she keeps changing colors on me) RC/Hagen/"Holden" ferret (we're not sure which - basically a "Petland special" ) She was my first ferret, along with her sister Olivia and is now almost a year old! Boy do they grow fast [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/0_0.gif"].gif[/IMG] Sophie was always my sweet ferret, very cuddly and mellow but lately she's been getting quite bold. She has a terrible sock fetish too, so anyone who comes to visit her now has to wear shoes or slippers! Olivia - a champagne Petland special and Sophie's almost-year-old-month old "sister". Olivia was always my Diva ferret, the boss of everyone and a little bit evil ;D but she suffers from some sort of heart/lung condition, no vet can quite figure it out , and this has turned her into a total sweetie. She loves to sit in my lap, ride around in the hood of my sweater and lots of cuddles! Howie - my third ferret, rescued from FRES, the ferret rescue here. He is approximately 2 years old and a Sable mitt. He's my bigger boy and a total sweetheart, but he will climb up your pant leg or nip you on your tailbone (he seems to know there's the most nerve endings there ;D) if you don't pay enough attention. Howie is the ferret I will hand to people who want to hold one of my ferrets. He's a doll, but occasionally gets in these spunky moods where he gets pretty frisky ;D It's adorable. Bo and Nova - my two new additions These two were rescued from a petland, where they were both malnourished and incredibly sick and are known on this forum as the "petland rescue babies". Thanks to everyone's kind donations, we raised $330 for me to take them home and I talked Petland into paying for all of their medical bills. They are doing fantastic and recently met the other 3 ferrets and they all love each other! They are almost 4 months old, Bo is a sable male and Nova is a cinnamon female, and they are both crazy babies and turning into little chubsters! About My Natural Feeding Experience: Olivia and Sophie were my first ferrets and were off of kibble within a couple days of bringing them home. They were young and very easy to switch to a frankenprey diet, minus a few stumbles with getting them to eat their organs. Howie was a slower switch because I had to make sure he didn't have insulinoma. I had him off of kibble and on to raw soups within a few weeks and from there he basically switched right onto bone and chunks of meat. Such a little trooper Bo and Nova and still currently in the switching phase, so they will probably be switching right along with your ferrets which is kind of cool They were on freeze-dried raw but are now eating raw soup mixed with slivers of chicken meat and some commercial raw. All of my ferrets also get freeze-dried raw as a treat and for days when I'm too busy to prepare their regular food. I have used freeze-dried as a "stepping stone" in all of my ferret's switches as it eliminates the upset tummies that occur from mixing kibble with raw. Type of mentor: Frankenprey, Commercial Raw, Freeze-Dried Raw. Specialty: Ferrets who are stubborn about eating organs. ------------------------------------------------------- I look forward to helping you switch Charlotte and Wheatley!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2012 3:22:29 GMT -5
Before we get started, I just need a bit more info from you on Charlotte and Wheatley If I could get the following from you, that would be great! 1. Pictures of Charlotte and Wheatley from an "above" view so that I can clearly see their body types. Exactly like these ones: holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=switch&action=display&thread=4342 This will help me to know what they look like now and make sure they don't lose any weight during the switch 2. The following information for Charlotte and Wheatley:1. Ferret's name: 2. Ferret's current weight: 3. General activity level: 4. General stool consistency/shape: This is the report you will submit once a week (Sunday or Monday) as well as the ferret's weekly menu (which right now is kibble but will soon be raw ) 3. Do you currently have the following on hand? (if not you will need to get these things before we can start the switch)-A scale for weighing your ferret AND a scale for weighing the raw food -The following ingredients for making a raw soup: 1) raw chicken breast or other chicken meat (no bone) 2)raw chicken liver 3) raw chicken heart 4) egg shell powder (this you get by rinsing out eggshells, drying them, and then pulverizing them with either a mortar and pestle or a CLEAN coffee grinder) OR bone meal *you will also need either a food processor or a blender that you can use for making the raw soup* - Do you have any sort of oil on hand as well? Extra virgin olive oil, salmon/fish oil, or ferretone (but I'm not huge fan of this because of the BHT - it causes cancer). A tasty oil they like is GREAT bribery to get them to try raw food ;D
- Also do you have any plain canned pumpkin (100% pumpkin, no spices)? This is a great thing to pick up as well. You can get it in the baking aisle of the grocery store. It helps to keep their stools nice during the switch It is also an important part of their raw diet as it helps the food pass through their system better, prevents hairballs and provides fiber to keep the stool consistent
Don't worry if it seems overwhelming at first! ;D I will be here to guide you through every step of the switch!
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Post by cierva4 on Feb 21, 2012 13:11:10 GMT -5
I'm so excited! I'll be picking up a food/fert scale tonight, and I'll need a new blender (... I may or may not have broken mine making soupie this weekend...). I can post pictures/weights/etc tonight so it's all together. I made (and still have more ingredients for) soup this weekend. Last night I tried feeding them the soupie again after letting it sit at room temp for a while (was in the fridge). They were completely uninterested until I put a few spoonfulls of hot water on top and added a drop or two of ferretone. After that I got Charlotte to lick a little off my finger, but she was resisting every second. A bit later I put the plate with the soupie in the cage where their kibble bowl usually goes, and I caught her eating just a little bit on her own! Wheatley, on the other hand, seems to be warming to it. He licked at it for a few minutes when the plate was outside the cage and then a bit more when Charlotte was eating some. I left the plate in there over night, and this morning it was clean, except for a little chunk of skin. When I brought a new plate in this morning before work (also with a spoon or two of hot water and a tiny bit of ferretone), Wheatley went straight to it! I don't think he loves it yet, but he's definitely okay with it. Charlotte's always my stubborn one, but I have a feeling she'll catch up soon enough. I'll do the formal update with pics and numbers later, I just wanted to share my happy.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2012 19:13:56 GMT -5
Me too! I'll be picking up a food/fert scale tonight, and I'll need a new blender (... I may or may not have broken mine making soupie this weekend...). I can post pictures/weights/etc tonight so it's all together. ;D ;D ;D That's so funny, I'm on my second food processor (broke the first one making soupies) and this one's already broken too ;D I find food processors work better than blenders personally, but it's totally your call I made (and still have more ingredients for) soup this weekend. Last night I tried feeding them the soupie again after letting it sit at room temp for a while (was in the fridge). They were completely uninterested until I put a few spoonfulls of hot water on top and added a drop or two of ferretone. After that I got Charlotte to lick a little off my finger, but she was resisting every second. A bit later I put the plate with the soupie in the cage where their kibble bowl usually goes, and I caught her eating just a little bit on her own! Wheatley, on the other hand, seems to be warming to it. He licked at it for a few minutes when the plate was outside the cage and then a bit more when Charlotte was eating some. I left the plate in there over night, and this morning it was clean, except for a little chunk of skin. When I brought a new plate in this morning before work (also with a spoon or two of hot water and a tiny bit of ferretone), Wheatley went straight to it! I don't think he loves it yet, but he's definitely okay with it. Charlotte's always my stubborn one, but I have a feeling she'll catch up soon enough. That is actually a REALLY good start So give yourself a pat on the back! At this point the best method to getting them to try raw soup is the finger feeding method which basically entails what you are currently doing. The best strategy is to just keep getting them to taste it until they realize it's food. Sadly they get so used to the kibble cardboard crap that they don't recognize "real" food ;D Try rubbing the soup on the inside of their gums, most will eat it one it's in their mouths, it's just a matter of getting them to get the food INTO their mouths. ;D If that fails, you can do something call "scruff and stuff", which is outlined here: holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=switch&action=display&thread=4340With this method, you want to be firm but gentle. Don't do it to the point of stressing the ferrets out (if they pee themselves, get puffy tails, or just seem overly stressed out, you have gone too far!) but at the same time be persistent, don't let them learn that they can outsmart you I'll do the formal update with pics and numbers later, I just wanted to share my happy. Perfect I look forward to it! Sharing of happiness is totally allowed
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Post by cierva4 on Feb 21, 2012 22:07:44 GMT -5
^^^ Wheatley^^^ 1. Ferret's name: Wheatley 2. Ferret's current weight: 2lbs 14oz 3. General activity level: very high for about an hour at a time, then he plops. Rinse and repeat. 4. General stool consistency/shape: fairly large, smelly, kibble colored poo. ^^^Charlotte^^^ 1. Ferret's name: Charlotte 2. Ferret's current weight: 2lbs 2oz (she's grown so much since the last vet appt!) 3. General activity level: kind of average? She'll run when chased and wrestle with Wheatbutt or my hand, but she's much more of a cuddler. 4. General stool consistency/shape: smaller, smelly kibble turds. I've got everything else on hand-- even picked up a new food processor tonight. I use ferretone with them, which they love. Haven't tried EVOO or cod oil yet, I'll try to test that out this week. Also, instead of pumpkin I read you could use squash baby food, and that was all I could find at the store. Will that do? They've never had either before. Also, dinner tonight (more soupie) was a hit. Charlotte will only eat if it's in the cage where I normally keep the kibble bowl- I guess she feels safe there? And Wheatley eats for a minute or two, does a lap around the room, and then comes back for more. Either way, they each had about 1.5-2tbsp total? It's hard to measure. Is it okay to let them sort of free eat while I keep a close eye on them at this point? Or should I still be finger feeding some?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2012 18:20:16 GMT -5
Thanks! They are gorgeous ferrets and both of their body shapes look great! I'll have you post their weights weekly, and pictures of them every 2 weeks so that I can keep a close eye on them and make sure they are eating enough. I've got everything else on hand-- even picked up a new food processor tonight. I use ferretone with them, which they love. Haven't tried EVOO or cod oil yet, I'll try to test that out this week. Also, instead of pumpkin I read you could use squash baby food, and that was all I could find at the store. Will that do? They've never had either before. Perfect Ferretone honestly isn't very good for them. It contains BHT, which is a proven cancer-causing preservative (carcinogen). They removed it from most pet foods and replaced it with tocopherols years ago because of that,yet they still put it in certain pet products, even certain human foods [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/0_0.gif"].gif[/IMG] With how much at risk these guys are for cancer as it is, I just don't risk using it daily. Instead you can offer them Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and if they don't like it, mix 1/2 ferretone, 1/2 EVOO. At least that way you are cutting back on the BHT a bit. Do you mean cod liver oil? That shouldn't be used as they are already getting liver in their soup and would be getting too much. Instead a salmon oil or other fish oil is better. Fish oil should only be given 1-2 times a week though because it makes their poops real icky [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ .gif" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/.gif"].gif[/IMG] What I do is give no more than 1/2 tsp EVOO per ferret per day (or you can do 1/2-1 tsp per ferret every second day). Then once or twice a week, I give 1/2 tsp pure salmon oil (bought from a pet store) instead of the EVOO. Squash baby food works perfect As long as there's no spices/seasoning in it and it's pure squash. Let me know if they like it! You also want to aim for around 1/2 tsp per ferret per day of the squash. Also, dinner tonight (more soupie) was a hit. Charlotte will only eat if it's in the cage where I normally keep the kibble bowl- I guess she feels safe there? And Wheatley eats for a minute or two, does a lap around the room, and then comes back for more. Either way, they each had about 1.5-2tbsp total? It's hard to measure. Is it okay to let them sort of free eat while I keep a close eye on them at this point? Or should I still be finger feeding some? Excellent!!! Most ferrets prefer a dark, safe area for eating their food. Lots of owners even build them feeding "dens" to eat in. Here's a thread on them if you are interested: holisticferret60.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=questions&action=display&thread=4544I use brown paper baggies, they stash their meat in there and eat it ;D They can't really "stash" soup though so you don't need something like that quite yet. If they are eating off a plate on their own, then there's no need to finger feed anymore. You can finger feed to get them started, but then if they will eat on their own, then definitely let them! As for amounts, at this point they will eat A LOT. You want to let them eat as much as they want, whenever they want. So they should always have soup availible. Soup stays fresh for a good 8-12 hours, but starts to dry out after a while so you want to provide fresh soup maybe 2-3 times a day. Ferrets will self-regulate on raw food and eat what they need At first it will seem like a TON but the amounts will decrease as time goes on. Now.... are they still getting kibble? What is their current feeding schedule like? Raw soup during the day and kibble at night? Kibble (cooked) and soup (raw) digest at different rates, so you need to make sure you space 30 minutes between them eating kibble and the raw to prevent upset tummies. Since they are eating the soup on their own, I would say take the kibble away during the day and provide them with soup all day. Then replace the kibble at night (and take away the soup) - I assume they are caged at night? Once they are eating more soup on their own, we can pretty much remove the kibble all together! Keep up the great work!
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Post by cierva4 on Feb 22, 2012 18:50:49 GMT -5
I've got crazy work hours (I'm gone 10-12 hours during the day), so right now they're getting soup in the morning (take away the kibble when I first get up, shower, give them soup, don't replace kibble until right before I leave after they've both gotten some soup in them), and then a similar routine at night, replacing the kibble right before I go to bed. They are caged at night and while I'm at work. (They come out to play about 1-1.5 hours in the morning and 2-3 hours at night at least.) If necessary, I could get my boyfriend to come by my house to feed them in the afternoon. I'll ask him about it tonight.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2012 19:33:31 GMT -5
I've got crazy work hours (I'm gone 10-12 hours during the day), so right now they're getting soup in the morning (take away the kibble when I first get up, shower, give them soup, don't replace kibble until right before I leave after they've both gotten some soup in them), and then a similar routine at night, replacing the kibble right before I go to bed. They are caged at night and while I'm at work. (They come out to play about 1-1.5 hours in the morning and 2-3 hours at night at least.) If necessary, I could get my boyfriend to come by my house to feed them in the afternoon. I'll ask him about it tonight. Nope, no worries, we can totally work around your schedule! What you are doing sounds perfect for now! Let me know how the soup goes today. I assume you get some days off of work during the week. When is your next day off? On that day, you can replace the kibble with soup during the entire day and just keep an eye on them to make sure they are both eating the soup and enough of it. Then if that goes well, we can try replacing the kibble overnight one night and see how they do There's no rush though, and I'd rather do it when you are home in case they decide to be stubborn ferrets and not eat their soup, I don't want them going without food for too long! Though, just a heads up, when they eat raw, they don't need to eat as often as they do on kibble. So if they eat a fair amount of soup, they arent neccessarily going to be hungry an hour later like they are with kibble.
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Post by cierva4 on Feb 23, 2012 9:51:16 GMT -5
Last night the soup went great! Charlotte actually made off with a small bit of skin and I caught chewing on it behind the cage. I feel like she's eating less in terms of volume, but she seems to actually be eating the really small bits of meat/skin and not just the liquidy part. Wheatley likes the soup, but tends to avoid the chunky bits for the most part. They managed to finish off the plate pretty quickly, so I gave them a bit more in the cage before bed. This morning a little more was gone, but there was still a bit left.
I'm off weekends, so Saturday and Sunday. I'll definitely be around most of the day both days, so I'll whip up some more soup and keep that available all day.
Wheatley's poops are getting a bit smaller and runnier, I've noticed. Last night I tried the squash with them both; they didn't like it much but I scruff and stuffed a few times so they would taste it at least.
When I make the new batch (either Friday night or Saturday morning) should I keep slightly larger pieces chicken or hold off on that for now?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2012 13:52:55 GMT -5
That's great progress for sure! Smaller, runny poops are definitely normal with raw. As long as you are putting the egg shell in the soup, they should not get too runny, but let me know if they do and you can increase the amount of egg shell a tiny bit. With the squash, the best thing to do is to either mix it in the soup while you are making it in the food processor, or mix it in the already made soup right before you feed them. Teaching them to eat it plain isnt a bad idea either though because it comes in handy to give straight squash when you suspect they have a hair ball or a blockage. Try it with a bit of ferretone, that will probably do the trick. Sounds like a good plan for the weekend let me know how it goes during the day on Saturday and if they are doing well, I'll have you try them with soup instead of kibble Saturday night as well! For the next batch, try making the soup a little thicker (a little less water) and you can also cut little tiny crescent slivers of chicken (roughly the size and shape of the top of your fingernail) and add those in and see how they do with them! With Wheatley, you can try hand feeding him the little slivers (use some oil if needed) and see of that works. Charlotte has already caught on, smart girl!
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Post by cierva4 on Feb 23, 2012 22:30:03 GMT -5
^^Charlotte ^^Wheatley You'll see on the side of the plate a little bit of the plain squash. I also mixed some into the soup. Wheatley licked the squash plain! I guess he likes it after all. Charlotte's still not eating as much as Wheatley, but she's at least getting some in her for now. Breakfast and dinner went well tonight. Wheatley ate like half the plate!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2012 23:46:44 GMT -5
That's what I like to see! Good ferrets! That soup looks nice and thick! Definitely add some tiny chunks in and see how they do! How much per day is Charlotte eating and how much is Wheatley eating? (roughly) Boys do eat more than girls Let me know how some tiny chunks of meat go!
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Post by cierva4 on Feb 24, 2012 23:18:51 GMT -5
So Josh and I made new soup this morning (little slivers of the meat, still mostly pureed the hearts and livers, some water and squash mixed in), with very little success at breakfast. Wheatley and Charlotte both licked at the soupy bits, but even Charlotte mostly ignored the chunks. This evening though, dinner went really well! They both ate a bit and spent some time chewing real meaty pieces. I'd say at breakfast they each *maybe* had a tablespoon of the soupy part? At dinner Wheatley ate 2+ (maybe 3?) tablespoons, and Charlotte probably had about 2 herself. It's a little harder to gauge the amounts with the pieces, but it's a rough estimate. As I'm writing though, they're both back at the plate looking ready to snack some more. Tomorrow I'll be removing kibble just before breakfast and hopefully won't be giving it back until I go to bed. If they eat a decent amount during the day, is it safe for me to leave them for 4ish hours in the evening without kibble? Or should I give it back then?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2012 23:36:23 GMT -5
It sounds like it took them a meal to accept the chunks but that they did at dinner time so that's awesome! Don't worrying about exact amounts, it's hard to gage and every ferret is different. As long as they are eating the soup without hesitation, which they are, they will eat enough to get their fill Healthy ferrets can definitely go 4 hours without food. However, rather than making them go 4 hours and then giving them kibble (which they will hungrily munch down at that point), can you adjust the schedule so that they are going 4 hours before getting raw food? The four hours will make them hungry and they will fill up on soup and not need as much kibble that way. It seems almost going backwards to make them hungry and then give them kibble! Does that work for you?
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