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Post by luci on Dec 12, 2010 20:29:57 GMT -5
I wanted to talk to the other mentors about Trixie to make sure that my instinct about this is correct. They agreed that it sounds like she's getting to the end stages of lymphoma. Feed her whatever she wants whenever she wants it. You may want to try cooking up some meat and pureeing it for her. Her system might be getting too compromised to deal with the raw efficiently. I fed Ghia cooked chicken puree toward the end and it seemed to make her happy. Her poops did get quite stinky. That's the body not processing the food well.
Do whatever makes her happy and comfy. You're being a great mom and she knows it and appreciates it.
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 13, 2010 11:08:52 GMT -5
Ok I have some I made up, ill make more and keep her on that. I was giving her abut of raw liver every day to help balance sugar level, which has been good since then. Should I cook that?
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Post by luci on Dec 13, 2010 22:31:59 GMT -5
Hmm. Maybe try it both ways and see what works better for her?
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 14, 2010 8:27:10 GMT -5
Ok so had left liver out yesterday, and poops ok, gave her a bit last night, and poop all over cage this morning( so unlike her, even in her most comatose state she insisted on making it to a litter box HERSELF lol you put her in one, she'd come out walk around then go back in lol) she even managed to poop down the side on to the bottom cage (let me tell you the other 3 freaked when they saw this lol)
So going to try cooking a bit for her today.
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 14, 2010 22:10:44 GMT -5
I also wanted to ask... what else can i expect as she continues to decline? I know it's hard to predict but are there common this that may/will happen? There have been two incedents over the last month where I thought she may not recover from her down times. Yet she proves me wrong each time, and comes back swinging. She's a tough stubborn old girl, who is soaking up all the love she can here. However i know her time is coming, and feel some need to be prepared (not that we ever truely are).
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 15, 2010 20:48:35 GMT -5
I've been sneaking some small chunks of stewing beef (real small like ferret one bite size lol) mixed in the food. Zeke ate these real well. He has even been seen chewing on the bone from the turkey neck, though i dont think he ate any but at least he did try chewing on it for a bit. Neka eats anything and everything I give him LOL Sadie goes threw spurts where she eats lots then eats next to nothing. SHould i push her more or trust she is getting enough? She's been more playful the last few days, actually doing the war dance etc, which she has always been very conservative about LOL
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Post by luci on Dec 15, 2010 23:49:48 GMT -5
If Sadie seems okay I'd leave her be. My girls eat lots for a couple of days and then next to nothing the next day. Some ferrents actually fast their ferts one day a week. So as long as she's healthy I'd say she's fine.
Trixie. I can only speak from my experience with Ghia and that was lymphoma only. A lot of flat ferreting, she liked to find cool places to put her belly. She always seemed uncomfortable. Lots of unproductive trips to the litter box. Stinky poops when they happened. No interest in food or toys or play. Always wanted to be somewhere dark and quiet.
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 16, 2010 10:56:08 GMT -5
Ok that`s pretty much how trix has been since we first got her. (mid october) She wonders a lot when she`s feeling good, and will donk at the others when they come near. Climbing over or nudging the others is as close as i`ve ever seen her play. She doesn`t do the flat ferret, but i think it`s cause thats uncomfortable for her, when she sleeps it`s always upside down, no other position.
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 17, 2010 15:00:15 GMT -5
Everyone doing well, little soup left in the food, though Neka eats it either way, the other two still prefer soup in the mix.I throw extra soup in for things they are not as fond of like salmon and spleen lol. The bison was a hit.
Everyones energy has been up recently. Sadie especially, more playful, more dances lol. Even trix has had a spurt of energy. Not sure why lol
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Post by luci on Dec 18, 2010 21:11:42 GMT -5
Seems like ferrets do everything in spurts.
I think I need you to write out a week's menu so I can see all in one place where we're at. Is that okay?
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 19, 2010 14:40:18 GMT -5
Okay trix is getting baby food with a little bit of liver every other day. She is loosing weight though. she's at 1.9lbs from 1.12. in the last 2-3weeks The others get about 4 oz of meat twice aday. I cut back a bit from 2oz each per serving as lots was going to waste. I find there is usually some left over for in between 'snacks' with this amount, this is mixed with an ice cube size of pumpkin (just in the morning) and a cube of soup. It's rare for them to finish everything in the bowl. This is the list i have on my fridge, though I'm out of pork and lamb so they get either veal or bison as thats what i have on hand. Everything is ground except for the spleen, kidney and stewing beef, which are cut into every small one bite pieces. Mon - ground chicken w/bone and liver Tue - turkey neck and kidney (bone meal added) wed- ground duck w/bone and lamb/and beef chunks Thurs - chicken w/ bone and beef heart Fri- goat and liver (bone meal added)beef chunks sat- ground chicken and spleen (bone meal added) sun- pork and kidney(bone meal added) I have a bit of salmon, but they are not overly fond of it, so i throw a tiny bit into the mix every now and again. Sadie had a yucky green poop on Friday night and again this morning, but was fine in between. Should i be concerned with, this and her lowered appetite. Her energy is good, like i said better then normal for her.
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Post by luci on Dec 19, 2010 19:21:18 GMT -5
That all sounds good. It's expected that Trix is going to lose weight. Just do the best you can and keep her happy and comfy.
Two green poops in three days isn't much to be concerned about. Keep an eye on it. Make note of what she ate last before the green poo and we may find a food sensitivity. My Fierra gets green, smelly poops from rabbit, so I've had to cut that from her diet. Or it could be just one of those things that seems to come and go with these little guys.
You're doing a great job! Where do you want to go next? Larger pieces?
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 20, 2010 14:42:48 GMT -5
I knew to expect some weight loss, it just makes me sad. It was so nice watching her put on weigh as she was so skinny and bony. hmmm where to go. At this point I'm hoping to move towards something that is a bit easier and less time consuming. HA HA HA I know Right now I'm still hand feeding Sadie always, or she wont eat. the boys half the time they eat on their own. It takes 30 mins in the morning and in the evening, cause when they are not eating it I have to do one at a time, cause Neka creates total chaos otherwise! (is there ritalin for ferrets? ? ) so I'm debating between bigger chunks or Independence. I'm thinking the indecency may wain every time i change something in the diet, ie size of pieces etc. SO again not the time to work on that. Increasing the pieces? hmm not sure they are ready.. or at least Sadie is not. She's only eating about 10% of the chunks. the boys no issue. Neka actually stole a chicken wing from one of the dogs today and ate about 1/3 of it, SO he's good to go! lol so umm ya don't know where i want to go next with this. LOL
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Post by 3kaw on Dec 21, 2010 20:05:23 GMT -5
The little brats dont eat as well for anyone but me. I had to work 12hrs today so my partner was in charge of feedings. They ate next to nothing all day. I came home and fed them the same stuff out of the same bowl and they ate it up. so much for making things easier Trix, she's had two good weeks, no wild sugar highs or lows, no seizures. Only thing new was the adding of regular liver to her diet. After supper tonight I came to the cage to let them out and she had her head pushed between the water bowl (movable) and the cage. She's very disoriented yet restless. She did this behaviour before right after a seizure, so I'm assuming she had one while we were eating. She's refusing to eat/drink again. Poor sweet girl.
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Post by luci on Dec 21, 2010 23:00:56 GMT -5
We can stay where we are until after the holidays and you have more time.
It's fine if the healthy brats miss a meal. They'll learn soon enough to eat when it's available. Are you leaving some big pieces for them to attempt in between their regular meals? Maybe a wing smashed up with the meat slashed so it's hanging in strips that they can hold onto. It may turn into a tug of war game and then oops! They're accidentally eating it.
Trixie... I ache for you. I know it's so hard, but she's hanging on because it's not her time yet. You'll know when it is.
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