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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2012 21:07:49 GMT -5
So, tonight's supper-time soupies were a step forward for Marley -- I nixed the freezedried, I had been adding such a negligible amount. I am very proud of him! He ate a good 90% of his soups solo. Ran off with pieces of skin under the bed a few times But each time was under there for awhile so I think he ate it.....I hope.... Soxx's soupies are now thicker, so there isn't any real distinct liquid to it. He needed encouragement to eat supper (I held him and he ate about 90%) but as long as I was holding him he was happy to eat. Freya was a bit of a challenge tonight, didn't want to let me get anywhere near her with a spoon and wouldn't just start eating. I wound up having to scruff her to get her to try the soupies...once she got a taste of she did chow down until she came in contact with a piece of skin, which she then wanted to run off with (I was feeding her in my lap) so I put her in the cage in the corner where she normally eats...she put it down, licked at it for a little bit, then decided she was done with both the skin & soups, even after I picked her up again Hopefully Freya won't do that to me in the morning...I was almost late for work this morning
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Post by Heather on Feb 8, 2012 21:43:03 GMT -5
Freya is such a little Minx.....it's got to be her way or the highway, she's going to give you trouble all the way...brat . Congratulations with the boys though. I think that given a bit Mr Soxx will come around. I just ran into the same thing with Atreyu this morning....he only wanted to eat the liquid (he's still at the spoon feeding stage), so this afternoon he got a thickened soupy. After the initial curled up nose, he ate a couple of spoonfuls. He's got to be hungry because he's not eating anything (kibbles) on his own (he's missing him momma how do you explain to a little fert that his momma's never coming back ) Hopefully, Freya won't be such a little drama queen tomorrow. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2012 22:11:35 GMT -5
She takes after her momma, thats for sure, Im sure there will be more Drama Queen tomorrow...lucky me (my mom says it is PAYBACK for everything *I* did to *her* ) HOWEVER she did eat almost all of her bedtime soupies solo (I gave in -- I hate touching their soups -- and dipped my finger in and let her lick some off my finger instead of chasing after her with the spoon. Seemed to work very well...no hesitation at all.) Same with Soxx, who had a decrease in his FD. Marley ate some of his, then curled up to go to sleep. Since I just fed them an hour ago I didn't push him. Poor lil Atreyu What's his story if you don't mind my asking (I know...a wee bit off-topic here >.>) I have to keep myself away from craigslist, petstores, rescues, etc...I have a huuuge heart but a limited wallet & I think my parents said when I got the boys that I wasn't allowed more than 3
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2012 22:12:54 GMT -5
Oh -- and I'm going to the pet store tomorrow to see if the S&C I ordered came in. I'm also going to check out their skin/coat supplements...Soxx has started itching like mad again.
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Post by Heather on Feb 8, 2012 22:20:58 GMT -5
If you want a skin/coat supplement .... just go to your nearest health food store or drug store. A marine fish oil or salmon oil would help his itchies. The raw diet will also help put moisture into his skin and fur. Atreyu came from a broken home...this has been in the planning for months. His momma was in a bad relationship, really bad. She needed to run but not have to worry about her wee boy. She loved him tremendously. All the arrangements were made along for the excuses that were needed regarding a disappearing pet. I just hope she got away ok. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2012 13:35:14 GMT -5
Poor baby, & his momma too Thats so sad..I hope she is okay too. Im glad you were there to care for Atreyu. My heart goes out to both of them The kids are still needing encouragement to eat their soupies. Soxx will eat a tiny bit on his own, then give up and wander off. Same with Marley (who has been eating his skin chunks more frequently, good boy!). With Soxx though he will eat some (while I hold him) and then try to scamper off...if I pull him back to the bowl he will eat again for a few minutes, then try to run off again. We go through this a few times before he finally finishes his bowl. Freya goes back and forth from licking her bowl 100% to snubbing her nose at it. I will check for some oil...are capsules fine (poke a hole in them & squirt it out?)? How much should I give and how often?
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Post by Heather on Feb 9, 2012 21:50:01 GMT -5
You've got 3 fuzzbutts? I would split a capsule between the three every other day and see how it goes. You could probably give it daily without issue but you can try every other day and see what happens. One of the things to remember when you're first starting the switch is most ferrets are used to eating a bit then walking off, returning again in 15 to 20 minutes. Your wee ones may be doing this?? ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2012 21:51:52 GMT -5
So, I visited a local vitamin store today. The only one marine fishy oil that didn't have rosemary or another herb in it was one with krill. "Other Ingredients...Fish Body Oil, Soybean Oil, Gelatin, Glycerine, Enteric Coating (Cellulose, Sodium Alginate, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Oleic & Stearic Acids)" Underneath that it says: "CONTAINS: Crustaceans (Krill)" The human directions are 2 capsules daily with food. Is this okay? (I can return it Monday if it's not.) If yes...how much do I give, how often? Also...I am going to have to pick up a taurine supplement. The hearts went bad And I can't find hearts almost anywhere, I checked a few grocery stores today while I was off at my doctor's appointment What would you suggest for dosing directions with that?
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Post by Heather on Feb 9, 2012 22:17:44 GMT -5
The oil is great. I would still try one capsule divided between them every other day. See what you get. Supplemental taurine....hmm. I'm not sure what the dosage should be. Give me a bit and I will see if I can find out. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2012 23:01:44 GMT -5
Sorry...I loaded the page and then came back a few hours later and typed up the bit about the oil I found without refreshing the page, thus missing your first post w/dosing instructions. Sorry I will post more tomorrow after I check out the taurine supplements at the pet store (I am 99.9999% sure they have that there). I discovered the lack of hearts @ the supermarket AFTER I was at the vitamin store I have been finding Marley sleeping in weird spots Out in the open (usually on top of a shirt, as there are plenty laying around >.>) instead of tucked inside previously favored sleeping boxes, or inside the shirt...Next to his favorite mini pet-tent in the cage...or if he goes in a hammock he leaves his face sticking out. He is now eating all raw, no FD!! And he licked his bowl clean SOLO a few minutes ago After a slow start Freya just licked her bowl clean too! The only real change I can think of for Marley over the past few days are 1. the ceasing of all FD in his soups and 2. the biggie, i have gone back to work and as a result they are in the cage a lot more often, which breaks my heart, but i just don't have the space for a dedicated "ferret room" that they could be out in unsupervised for any amount of time...they have a FN 182 and I have done my best to make it comfy I am thinking about putting in a big water container & placing some of his hard plastic teething rings in it, something he enjoys outside of the cage so bring the fun inside! Do you think he could be depressed & that is why he is sleeping in weird spots? Poor thing.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2012 23:03:40 GMT -5
(when I say "big water container" I mean a tupperware container that is no more than 2.5 or 3 inches deep..IF he were to go wading it would hardly hit his belly.)
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Post by Heather on Feb 10, 2012 3:40:07 GMT -5
I've heard of using a water container to amuse them...but I know what type of mess they can create with water....do you really want to put that in their cage. You're going to be coming home to a swimming pool and that water will not be in the container that you left it in. Ferrets believe that water should be liberated...set free so to speak I don't find Marley's sleeping habits that weird. I have a number of fuzzes who sleep "out in the open". I just found Atreyu sleeping on the top hammy without any blankies....belly up. Boris was downstairs laying in the tent totally without guile too. I look at it that they're truly relaxed in their surroundings that they trust to be in the open and defenceless....the ultimate trust. If you're concerned keep an eye on him and see if other habits have changed too. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2012 8:01:27 GMT -5
Very true about the water going EVERYWHERE....I am just trying to think of ways to help keep them occupied in their cage. They don't really eat anything right now that could go in a foraging cup, I though about purchasing one or two of those... Hopefully you are right and he is just sleeping out in the open cos he feels safe. It just seemed like a rather abrupt change in behavior which is what concerned me. He hasn't really changed any other behaviors, though. (Although he did have 2.5 servings of soups this morning! Freya and Soxx both had 1.5 servings!)
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Post by Heather on Feb 10, 2012 11:56:09 GMT -5
Hey your little ones are really tucking into their soupies. That's great. Now, is everyone off the freeze dried stuff yet? or are they still getting bits? I don't know and this might sound absurd because I've only had rescues and so there's always a "turning around time" where they suddenly realize that they're safe and no one's going to beat them or starve them. All but 2 of my wee ones came in here eating kibbles. Once their bodies got into the raw, really started, not just dabbling (eating both kibbles and raw) there was mental change too. They weren't so edgy, jumpy. I wonder if the carbs puts them on edge mentally They're just not really comfortable because they're constantly on edge. The only reason I suggest this is because I don't eat a lot of sugar and carbs either (at least as grains and such) and I'm jumpy if I eat stuff I'm not supposed to. I wonder if ferrets coming off kibbles have the same type of issues, where they're suddenly ....relaxed..for the first time. There's no foundation to my theory, it's all hypothetical. The changes I have observed might only be that they've now realized no one's going to hurt them anymore and have nothing to do with the kibbles and grains at all.....it's just a theory. ciao
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Post by Heather on Feb 10, 2012 18:50:50 GMT -5
Sherry just got back to me regarding the taurine. One 500mg capsule per day divided up between the fuzzes. ciao
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