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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 20, 2008 21:45:38 GMT -5
No worries. Everything you've said sounds like a plan: the liver, the necks, cutting the wings into three pices, etc. Its important to kind of be strict with him. NO kibble, straight back to raw (giving him kibble and raw ill only make it take longer to get him back to 100% raw). He's got to get back on raw. Since he ate it before, he knows its edible and he'll eat it again. I like chicken necks. My cat WILL NOT eat any other bone BUT chicken necks, so hopefully you'll have some luck with these I understand being crazy busy. Just try and pop by every now and then and update us. We worry about the ferrets we help to switch, especially if we dont hear an update on them in a while. God Im such a "mother hen"!
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Post by molson901 on Jul 21, 2008 10:49:05 GMT -5
lol speaking of cats..i think mine is getting jealous of all the good food my ferret is getting lol. since shes a family cat what we feed her isnt all my decision and my mom doezsnt wanna feed her natural....so its kibbles only for her lol
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Post by molson901 on Jul 21, 2008 10:51:00 GMT -5
forgot to mention...my brothers fish and turtles however do get a natural diet lol he feeds them live prays and other fish lol
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Post by mustelidmusk on Jul 26, 2008 9:41:41 GMT -5
No apologies necessary! Plus, setbacks are NORMAL in the switch process as ferrets are creatures of habit. When you feed them bone, offer smaller amounts initially. If you have chicken backs, you can actually use a sharp knife to cut them up. I've been able to slice the backs. I have a reasonalbly sharp-but-crappy knife I use for this. Backs have very soft bones since they are non-load-bearing (legs, thighs, parts of the wing etc.) have long shafts that are more dense and harder to chew. When you fee them, cut some flesh off the bone and offer themsmall amounts of the boney (less meaty) stuff first - when they're still hungry. Otherwise, they'll eat the "good stuff" first and loe interest in the bones. After they eat the bones (finger crossed here!) You can give them the boneless meat! Also, remember that this is not a race, let your ferrets set the pace. SOmetmes they need a couple of days to get comfortable with something new. As long as they're eating enough, a couple of ays to let them adjust and learn to like the new stuff helps them build confience with the new diet! If you need to step bac to bring them forward again, it's OK Have fun enriching them with all this wonderful meat you just stocked up on!! You're doing extremely well withthe switch, so be proud of your ferrets and yourself too! Keep us posted when you have th time! -jennifer
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Post by molson901 on Jul 26, 2008 10:22:48 GMT -5
MOLSONS EATING BONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol that lil brat didnt even let me know...lol first he ate 1.5 chicken necks (which your right i can cut up) 2days ago, yesterday he had somebeef cubes and gizzards. and then today i was sitting in front of his cage on the ground trying to cut into a chicken wing (the bone didnt cut though lol) and molson just jumped up and started pulling on it and gnawing at it and i was feeding him by hand and saw him bitting hard into bone trying to get it lol. it was so cute lol. one of the smaller bones finally broke and he was working on that when i left him alone lol. im so proud
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Post by mustelidmusk on Jul 27, 2008 11:03:52 GMT -5
GO MOLSON WooooHoooooo!!!!!! This is awesome news!!! Keep up the outstanding work Remember, Molson will need to be eating organ meats and variety too. Give him a a few days to work on those raw meaty bones while you tart figuring out which meat and organ otions will work for your feeding program. You don't need to push change every day. -jennifer
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Post by molson901 on Jul 27, 2008 13:34:34 GMT -5
i dont just feed him the meaty bones. i have had the same schedule for a while. so he still gets a liver every week and beef or pork chunks on other days.
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Post by mustelidmusk on Jul 27, 2008 13:43:47 GMT -5
Great!!!! My apologies since I got Molson confused with another little fert whose working on bones but needs a little more variety too I'm just so thrilled that Molson is starting to eat bone...he's getting close to "graduating" - This is so exciting - I love to see ferets doing so well with their diet change! -jennifer
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Post by molson901 on Jul 27, 2008 21:28:58 GMT -5
lol well molson is pretty much eating everything.how does he graduate?lol some people have mentors or soemthing i never got one so i i dont blame you for confusing ferrets lol.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 28, 2008 12:23:31 GMT -5
I've kind been your mentor Well to "graduate" basically we ask to see what a weekly "feeding schedule" for molson would look like. Like Monday: Tuesday:, etc Then we'll look over the schedule and say "okay feed more bone, feed less bone, feed more meat variety, etc." Basically we will make sure that everything "looks good" and that you are getting him nice balance and variety Then from there your "switching thread" is moved to the "archive" and you "graduate" to the "raw" and "whole prey" sections of the nutrition area. You post your questions there and we answer them You are also now permitted to come into the newbie section and offer suggestions if you think you can help someone (IMO teaching is a GREAT way to learn ) but you arent obligated to So post your "weekly feeding schedule" (its okay if you feed differently each week, in fact, thats a GOOD thing, but just let me know what Molson is eating THIS WEEK and we can review that and go from there )
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Post by molson901 on Jul 28, 2008 14:27:22 GMT -5
ok so sunday;chicken necks monday;pork chunks and beef chunks( i made portions that are too small so now i give him one of each) tuesday;chicken wing wednesday;chicken liver thursday;chicken necks friday:beef and pork chucnks saturday;chicken wings
i know i give a lot of chicken stuff, its just the easiest thing to find.
im worried right now though cause im going on vaccation next week and my bf is supposed to take molson if his dad lets him.and if he doesd i know hell feed molson right.but if my boyfriend cant take him then my mom will take care of molson,but she wont give him raw meat;shell give him kibbles! kibbles for 10 days!!! taht cant be good ....
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Post by mustelidmusk on Jul 28, 2008 23:25:47 GMT -5
Well, Kibble for 10 days won't kill Molson...but there are freeze dried meats sch as the Wysong's Archetypal ! the Stella ans Chewy's steak patties, and Ziwipeak. These products are complete dets and they're more like jerky. Your mom might be willing to feed the dried meats instead of or along with the kibble.
I don't know if you have tme to hunt down or order the freeze-drie food for this trip, but It doesn't hurt to use these foods as treats here and there so you know Molson will eat then the next time you have to travel.
Just another option for you to think about for the future. -jennifer
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Post by molson901 on Jul 29, 2008 19:53:52 GMT -5
i have no idea where to get those!!! lol i cant order them from online cause they cant ship to canada since its food and well im going to the states next week bu in california...since theyre illigal there i doupt theyll have ferret stuff! lol
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Post by mustelidmusk on Jul 29, 2008 22:21:42 GMT -5
GUESS WHAT.....Wysong has recently started shipping to CANADA Dook, Dook, Dance, Dance the wysong web page is www.wysong.netNow, they are not yet shipping the Archetypal I freeze-dried ferret diet. BUT, they are shipping the Archetype for cats and dogs. Here is the link: www.wysong.net/page/WOTTPWS/CTGY/FDWhat's the difference between the two??? NOT MUCH. I agree with Stink Weasel that there seems to be more chicken in cat/dog version than in the ferret version. Every ferret person that uses the archetypal I feels there's hardly and difference between the two diets....they were going to stop producing the archetypal I ferret diet because it's so similar....but some of us griped about it, sp they kept it. The Archetype (for cats/dogs) has the same ingrediets and analysis (protien, fat, etc.) I just think they switched the atios a bit. My brats love bothe the ferret and non ferret versions. I'd get ome and introduce it to your kids...what if you an your boyfriend want to go somewhere together? I've left enough archetype/archetypal I with 6 huge (64-ounce bottles) water bottles for over a week at a tme.... I have somebody check on them very few days. the cage door is left open in their room, and I have a web cam so I can watch them.No worries about food spoilage, ad they have food and lots of water left over when we get home. And, I don't even have to throw out the extra wysongs - it wil disappear (I do live in a dry climate, so humidity may affect the freshness of the food. ) But, hey, I'm sure your mom would not mind putting some dry food into a bowl! Stinkwesels sells the stella and chewy's , the wysongs, and some other freeze-dried fods. He's on this forum, and with a small busines, he may be willing to work with ou on shipping to Canada. I've bought ebay stuff from Canada. So, You probably have more options than you think! Even if Molson has to eat kibble for 10d ays, he'll be happy to see the raw when you get back. So even if you can't get the freeze-dried in ime for ths trip, you can be ready for the next one. You have to mke sure Molson eats the freeze-dried raw before you leave him with freeze-dried as his only option. Alternatively you can leave him with the freeze-dried and kibble - just in case he goes on strike. You want to make your ferret sitter's job easy and pleasant so they'll be happy to help you out i the future -jennifer
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 30, 2008 19:22:30 GMT -5
Okay well Im going to comment on the schedule: Looks good for the most part. Im going to compare your current schedule with a revised schedule (that includes my recommendations) Your Current Schedule:sunday;chicken necks monday;pork chunks and beef chunks( i made portions that are too small so now i give him one of each) tuesday;chicken wing wednesday;chicken liver thursday;chicken necks friday:beef and pork chucnks saturday;chicken wings Revised Schedule: Sunday: Instead of chicken necks try a chicken thigh or a chicken leg (they are meatier and contain more taurine) Monday: Pork Chunks and/or Beef Chunks (same as your schedule. Feel free to add crushed eggshell if you want...optional, not necessary. If you opt to add eggshell, its 1tsp per 1 cup of meat) Tuesday: Chicken wing Wednesday: Chicken liver (and also feed a chicken neck on this day. Its a small raw meaty bone and the fiber from the bone will help to keep his stools firm, even though the liver is rich and can cause the runs) Thurday: Instead of feeding a chicken neck feed a chicken leg or thigh (whichever you DIDNT feed earlier in the week. So like if you fed him a leg on monday, feed him a thigh today. Make sense?) Friday: Beef Chunks and/or Pork Chunks (again you can add egghshell if you want, but you dont have to Saturday: Chicken wings Its okay if most of the diet is made up of poultry. Dont worry. Just be sure to vary the parts you feed (wings, legs, thighs, necks) Necks are pretty boney and dont have much meat on them. I consider them snacks/chew toys but IMO a chicken wing/leg/thigh is better. Necks are perfect for feeding on organ day, to keep poop firm (from the fiber in the bone). Always keep your eyes peeled for deals or sales on other meats. You are feeding 3 types of meat, and we recommend that people feed atleast 3 types of meat (ideally more) so you are "good to go". I just found oxtails on sale at the grocery store (my kids have never had them before) so now they get to try a new treat (because the ox tails were on sale for super cheap). Just take advantage of sales for extra variety is what Im saying I guess As for the 10 day vaycay, Im hope it all works out. Worst case scenario he'll have to eat kibble for the 10 days and then when you get back he'll need a little coaxing to get back onto raw. Dont panic. You took a break from raw and then came back and he was eating bone! So things should work out fine. Once you get back from vaycay you can set up a plan for what Molson will eat the NEXT time you have to go out of town. The foods mustelidmusk recommeded are great, and like she said they are now shipping to Canada So when you get back from vaycay and you get Molson eating raw again you can implement the suggested changes (above) to his feeding schedule, and then you'll be ready to graduate Im really proud of how dedicated you've been and how far you've come!
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