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Post by joseph09 on Aug 2, 2009 20:55:52 GMT -5
Hi and thanks for being my mentor.She has acces to kibble 24/7.so far chicken is all she will try I tryed alittle of the following all of which she hated buffalo,duck,beef,fish and deer.Since posting yesterday I have gotten another ferret his name is Caspian he was found in a trash can outside a store by a friend of mine and he brought him to me I dont know much about him right now I take him to the vet wednesday
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Post by luci on Aug 2, 2009 21:33:46 GMT -5
Wow! I'm so happy little Caspian found you! Do you have the ferrets separated in case Caspian is carrying something that he could pass on to Peach? Is he eating kibble? He is likely very stressed, so do your best to read his signals and keep him as comfortable as possible. He'll likely want lots of hiding places so he can feel secure, so offer a variety of dens and sacks for him to retreat to. Poor little guy!
I was going to suggest that you should stop free feeding kibble and start setting mealtimes for Peach. She will be much more likely to try new meats if she's at least a little hungry. If the kibble is always there she has no incentive to try something new. Did you say if you have a soup for her? A good way to get things on the right track is to take away the kibble and offer meats or soup during the day and only give back the kibble at night if she hasn't eaten enough during the day. What is her lifestyle like? Is she caged or free roam? How much out of cage time does she get?
It seems to me that if she's willing to try chicken that she will be pretty open to raw once she's allowed to feel hungry. Patience is key and ferrets can be very stubborn, but that's why this forum is here. We'll help every step of the way. There is an awful lot of experience here and I think that amongst us we can work through any situation.
If you have time, update your first post to include Caspian.
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Post by joseph09 on Aug 2, 2009 21:53:00 GMT -5
They are separated.He is eating kibble.I dont have a soup for her.She get 2 hours out in the morining 1 in the afternoon and 3 at night so she is out 6hours a day.Ill update about caspian once I go to the vet and see his weight and try to estimate his age and check his health
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Post by joseph09 on Aug 4, 2009 18:00:51 GMT -5
I gave peach alittle of a soup I made from a recipe I found on here and she ate half of it
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Post by luci on Aug 4, 2009 18:12:55 GMT -5
Excellent! That's very encouraging. I would suggest offering her the soup daily. Which recipe did you use? Heather's?
What are you doing with her kibble?
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Post by joseph09 on Aug 4, 2009 20:02:33 GMT -5
yes I used Heathers.Caspian is eating it he wouldnt touch the soup I go to the vet with him tomorow so maybe ill know more about him then.
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Post by luci on Aug 4, 2009 21:10:25 GMT -5
Is Peach still eating kibble?
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Post by joseph09 on Aug 4, 2009 21:53:57 GMT -5
yes just no acces 24/7 anymore
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Post by luci on Aug 4, 2009 23:45:04 GMT -5
Awesome. Be aware that her poops may get weird textured and colored during the switch. She may also forget her litterbox manners a bit too. Just wanted to warn you so you don't panic and think you're doing something wrong.
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Post by joseph09 on Aug 5, 2009 22:46:38 GMT -5
The vet wonts to keep caspian for a few days.When I start the whole feeding raw will I have to worry about getting sick from her licking me or anything after she has had raw meat
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Post by luci on Aug 5, 2009 23:18:40 GMT -5
Not really. Use common sense. Always wash your hands before and after handling meat and after handling the ferrets. Clean all preparation surfaces thoroughly using hot soapy water. Many of us use a 50/50 mix of cheap white vinegar and water for regular daily cleaning. I keep it in a spray bottle and spray down my countertops and then wipe with a hot dishrag. I also use this for cleaning cages, litterboxes, toys... any hard surface. And, of course, don't touch your mouth, eyes, nose, etc. until you've washed your hands.
Many vets are skeptical of a "layperson's" ability to feed a balanced raw diet and oftentimes will tell you that you that you'll give your pets or yourself salmonella poisoning. That's just not true. If you are capable of preparing meat for your own consumption then you are qualified enough to use proper cleaning methods when preparing a pet's raw diet.
All that being said, my ferrets have licked me on the face and even on the lips shortly after eating and I'm still here without any illnesses.
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Post by joseph09 on Aug 10, 2009 2:47:06 GMT -5
ok peach has now eaten the following livers:chicken,turkey wings:turkey and chicken none of which she finished all the way she has had alittle bit of beef as well.is it ok to still feed treats like bandits to her
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Post by luci on Aug 11, 2009 23:10:46 GMT -5
Way to go Peach! My ferrets aren't all that fond of liver. I make their liver into a soup with egg and meat baby food and then they think it's great.
Ohhhhh.... you know as an advocate of a natural raw diet I'm not very fond of treats like Bandits. There are a lot of very undesirable ingredients in there like corn syrup , molasses, salt and propylene glycol (antifreeze). Look for other treats like dehydrated or jerkied meats, poultry and fish. The less ingredients the better.
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