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Post by sherrylynne on Jul 15, 2008 7:26:02 GMT -5
I started the fuzzies on the slightly moistened kibble 3 days ago, and they show no hesitation in eating it. How soon should I start adding more water to the kibble?
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 15, 2008 10:35:32 GMT -5
Now would be a good time If they dive into a food, give them a half a day to a day and then try and progress a bit further. If they balk, take a step back. If they dont, keep working on progressing
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Post by sherrylynne on Jul 16, 2008 9:26:28 GMT -5
Thanks! This is a whole new area for me, so I'm a bit unsure.=)
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 16, 2008 16:31:06 GMT -5
No worries, we were all beginners once. If you have a question, please dont ever hesitate to ask.
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Post by sherrylynne on Jul 16, 2008 19:53:37 GMT -5
Quick question, maybe silly, maybe not. How long can kibble fed ferrets go without eating, without doing damage to themselves? I was under the impression that kibble fed ferts have to eat every 3-4 hours. With cats(the only species I am familiar with on this aspect), after 2-3 days, they start to develop liver and kidney problems. My concern is with ferrets quick metabolism, damage could occur faster. Is this a concern?
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Post by buzzonesbirdie on Jul 16, 2008 20:05:59 GMT -5
HI everything i have ever been told or read says that a healthy adult ferret can go upto but no more then 24 hours without eating without any problems. I know some people fast their ferrets one day a week and they seem to have no ill effects.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 16, 2008 20:20:48 GMT -5
Quick question, maybe silly, maybe not. How long can kibble fed ferrets go without eating, without doing damage to themselves? I was under the impression that kibble fed ferts have to eat every 3-4 hours. With cats(the only species I am familiar with on this aspect), after 2-3 days, they start to develop liver and kidney problems. My concern is with ferrets quick metabolism, damage could occur faster. Is this a concern? Kibble fed ferrets need to eat frequently because they just arent getting enough nutrition from their food. They have to eat and eat and eat just to get the bare minimum to survive. In the wild a Polecat (the ferret's closest wild relative) does not eat every few hours. Heck, if they dont have a good day of hunting they might not even eat every day! A ferret on a natural diet can go up to 24 hours without eating. During the switch you can fast your ferret to encourage eating, BUT if your ferret is older, sick, or insulinomic then I dont advise this method. You never want to fast for more then 24 hours. Are your ferrets not eating? If so, take a step back with the diet switch and then SLOWLY progress forward. If this didnt answer your question, just let me know and I can try this again
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Post by sherrylynne on Jul 16, 2008 22:19:34 GMT -5
Thanks! It did. My ferrets are 2- 8 month old brothers, and a 2 year old little girl. The one brother, Vincent, isn't quite as picky as his brother, Boris. Sinnead seems to go back and forth. I like it, I don't, I like it, I don't. I will have to step back in the morning, and not put quite as much liquid in, then try again in a couple of days.
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