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Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 8, 2008 23:22:15 GMT -5
Most ferrets are pretty forgiving - they get scruffed, have their ears cleaned, etc. and they keep coming back for more. I suspect that making Boris take a taste won't sour him on food. I really think he'll do better with the freeze-dried foods (Wysong) mixed with the kibble.
Another approach you can try is start with a small bowl of water and add a small amount of chicken or turkey baby food. Starting with flavored water sometimes works as well. Some ferrets like a couple of drops of salmon or fish oil. so that's a possibility as well.
Sounds like Sinnead and Vincent are into it! Again, putting a few very smll minced bits of raw meat in with crumbed kibble may help as well.
Sounds like the herb garden is perfect for smell enrichment - sneezing is accetable since Boris is interested in it! Keep him playing with his food. This will take a while, so just enjoy the playtime with Boris while he learns that its a big world full of all kinds of interesting things!
If you haven't read Toby's thread, you may find it interesting. Boris is not as stubborn as Toby, but, thread demonstrates that even very stubborn little guys can learn to change.
Keep up the good work!!! You're actually making very god progress, and Boris will just take a lttle longer to get going.
-jennifer
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Post by sherrylynne on Aug 10, 2008 0:00:52 GMT -5
I don't know what happened, but it almost looks like it's back to puree blend with both Sinnead and Vincent. Since I need to keep some kibble in the cage for Boris, Vincent and Sinnead both started snacking again, and now they will only eat a small amount of the raw. Just when we were getting to the small chunks of meat!!! I feed them almost as soon as I get up, and again in the evening, but they've been eating less and less than usual. When I see them snacking on the kibble in the cage, I try to redirect them to the raw with minimal success. I didn't really notice that they were eating less of the raw in the cage until I changed the bedding in the sleeping nook today. They stashed what was missing from the dish in the bedding! Tomorrow morning, I'm going to blend and hand feed again, to get them going on the raw again. I can't wait til the Wysong's gets here, and I can finally get rid of the kibble. I know not all at once, but it will happen!
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Post by Forum Administrator on Aug 10, 2008 3:04:30 GMT -5
Just wanted to pop in real quick and say hang in there! You are doing great, and you have a wonderful mentor that won't steer you wrong  Keep up the great work, sometimes you back track a little during the inital stages of the switch. Its okay and totally normal (although understandably frustrating) Dont worry, once they are full blown raw eaters you'll look back on all this and laugh  Sounds like you have found a switching method that you are comfortable with. Good luck with the Wysong, I have never used it myself but I have heard great things about it. |
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Post by sherrylynne on Aug 10, 2008 11:32:01 GMT -5
You are not going to believe this ! I went back to the puree blend this morning. I mixed about 4 oz. ground beef, salt free beef broth, and about 1/2 cube duck soup. THEY ALL ATE IT! Every one of them, including Boris! Now, Boris would only take it on my lap, from a spoon, but he ate about 1 1/2 tsp. of the RAW blend, willingly! The other two ate their usual amount. After all the frustrations, I can't believe this! I just hope it continues!!! |
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Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 10, 2008 14:38:00 GMT -5
YAY!!!! Even Boris was into the the beef!!!! That's great news!!!
I know this seems wierd, but, all this frustrating stuff is NORMAL. One day they eat something like they're staving to death, the next day they won't touch it. And when tou try something new, and they MIGHT eat it, or they may treat t lke poison.
Your kids may have welcomed the beef as a change in pace. When I tell people it's OK to go back to kibble for a couple of days - they're sometimes shocked to see their ferrets welcome the soup after having a couple of days off as though they're starving! Even though they may reject something new today, they may eat it next week!
I've found that ferrets LIKE variety. This is why I recommend a couple drops of this, a dab of that, etc. Yhe same goes for enrichment through smells - It enables you to help your ferrets develop an "appetite" for change. So....the fact that your kids rejected the chicken and gobbled down the new meat is a VERY GOOD sign!!!! If they have the beef for a day or two, they'll proabably welcome the chicken again!
Good news, the Wysong's has a lot of beef in it. Serving the Wysong's (or any other balanced freeze-died diet), will reduce the stress with switching since your kids wil still be making progress while eating the dry food. Plus you don't have to feel like Boris will starve himself to death on days when you just don't have time to fuss with him.
Also, remember that polecats in the wild may skip a day of eating here and there. My ferrets are most hungry in the morning. Ferrets are crepuscular, which means they're most active at dusk and dawn. This i swhen their prey would be most active. If I miss these time of day, my ferrets are less interested in the food. SO, my ferrets eat more in the morning (work forces me to adhere to a more consistent morning schedule). My evening hours are more erratic, so they eat less at night. I think this is because I usually don't get around to feeding until later in the evening. When I do hit the dusk timeframe, they eat more at night than ususal.
I've also noticed that if my kids eat a big meal in the morning, they usually want a little less in the evening. My smallest girl will even be less hungry the follwing day.
SO, inconsistency is the norm. With inconsistency as the norm, feed a bit les than "the max" with the fresh raw and the Freeze-dried raw is there to fill in any hunger gaps. All in all, my ferrets eat mostly fresh/wet raw, to the cost of the Wysong is tolerable.
You ferrets' eating habbit will become more consistent over time, but this will take time.
Keep playing with food & keep those kids actively smelling new things! Your kids are moving forward. Remember, as longas theyy're active an not losing weight, it's OK to let they get a little hungry before meal time.
-jennifer
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Post by sherrylynne on Aug 10, 2008 14:50:38 GMT -5
I don't have a kitchen scale to weigh them, but going by feel, Sinnead seems to stay pretty consistant with weight, Boris seems to be leaning out a bit, but not dangerously so, and the vet referred to Vincent as a "squishy" anyway, and he is leaning down, and becoming much more active for longer periods of time, so that's one area where I'm not overly concerned right now. What would you suggest for a scale to keep up on their actual weight, though?
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Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 10, 2008 15:44:44 GMT -5
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Post by sherrylynne on Aug 11, 2008 18:23:09 GMT -5
Just to play with my mind, Boris also ate a good bit of the puree chicken today! And by the way, what is the best way to switch a 3m old kit? Yes, I did it again =). She's a DEW, and her name is Lucrezia! I'm assuming the puree for her as well, but do I need to add anything extra for her?
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Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 11, 2008 22:28:35 GMT -5
WooooHooooo!!!!!!!   Since Lucrezia is new to your house, she should be allowed access to her regular kibble for several days since it will be stressful for her entering a house that smells like a bunch of ferrets she does not know. You can offer soup and meats, and put a little on her nose, but I'd give her a little time to settle in and make sure she has access to her regular kibble. Do you have a separate cage you can keep her in? If not, can you set her up in the bathroom (with everything off the floor and the toilet lid CLOSED - yes, I have a "potty monster" who will drive into the toilet at every opportunity ) You'll want to introduce her to your other ferrets under supervision until you're sure they will be no serious fighting. Lucrezia will probably accept the soup more easily since she's a baby. As far as adding anything extra for her... well. let's put it this way...Boris seems to do better with a little vareity...I'd start adding a little minced liver one day, heart the next, gizzard, etc. The beef was a good change as well. And Boris accepted the chicken after he had gotten a break from it This is SO WONDERFUL!!!!! Just start increasing the nutritional value of the soup. Add some pulerized eggshell too. If Lucrezia will require this for proper development. I would also try offereing the pointed end of the chieckin wing. Vincent and Sinnead are ready to give this a try, and it would be great if Lucretzia would get into this as well. When the Wysong comes in, add some to all their kibble. In the evening, leave the wysong out by itself (no kibble). You'll want Lucrezia eating muscle meat, organs an bone for proper development, SInce kibble is "balanced" she should have access to it - better yet, the Wysong's will be really good for her. Please let me know if you have any questions - I'll be watching your thread very closely in case you have wuestions! Keep up the AWSOME worrk - you're kids are getting there - even Boris -jennifer |
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Post by sherrylynne on Aug 12, 2008 17:54:52 GMT -5
Just to let you know, Lucrezia loves the wing tips! Part of it may be because of teething, but she wanted that over the kibble! So here's hoping the switch won't be very difficult with her!
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Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 12, 2008 20:48:02 GMT -5
HOORAY!!!!! This is your reward for being so patient with Boris ad not giving up on him . I figured there'd be a good chance Lucrezia would go for the wing. Offer lucrezia, Sinnead and Vincent as much variety as you can, including the wings (even if it's one wing segment only. Sometimes a bit of competition for the "prize" can be a good thing! The reason why I want you to start focusing on variety a bit more is because they're all pretty much past the idea that wet food is poison. and Lucretzia may incent the others to focus more on the raw. Also, if lucrezia is eating wing sections, you may want to put out a few small chunks of meat (a little larger than kibble.) Don't offer many - maybe 4 pieces or a chicken heart choped up. We don't want Lucrezia developing a taste for one thing only. And we also want to see if her accptance of raw food will influence the others. How are the others doing with the wing tip? the soup? And Boris?  ? This is all very exciting  Let me know how it goes...I'm hoping we're entering phase where we'll see a jump in progress!!! -jennifer |
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Post by sherrylynne on Aug 13, 2008 8:04:25 GMT -5
Vincent and Sinnead both stash them, but don't eat them unless they are in the cage, and then I'm not sure who's nibbling on them! But Sinnead does eat kibble-sized chunks of meat. Vincent is still so-so about it. He prefers to be held whil eating the mix. Oh, and I've changed the mix. I've eliminated the duck soup. Now, it's just meat pureed with some broth, and a pinch of the eggshell. They all actually seem to prefer it. And Boris will still only take it when I hold him. Then he eats it off a spoon! But he will not eat it from the dish. I went through this when I introduced him to duck soup as well. It took a while, but he finally started eating the duck soup from the dish with the others. So he will this, too.
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Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 13, 2008 19:50:23 GMT -5
You know what? You are actually making this switch happen . I know you were so discouraged for a while doubting that they'd ever switch...but look at them go....WooooHoooo!!!! The funny part is that they'd be really annoyed if the raw went away!!! Remember, keep that kibbe bowl half empty so ther's nothing left by dinner time. We want these guys to be hungry (but not starving). And twhen the Wysong's comes in, I'm hoping they'll eat it without having to put it in the kibble. It would not surprise me if they did. Keep those "stinky enrichments" coming - get out those stinky socks and gym clothes...keep those little noses working on high-speed. It makes your ferrets more curious and willing to try new things. Great Work on your part...I'm extremely proud of all of you  -jennifer |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Aug 13, 2008 21:31:46 GMT -5
Oh I am so proud! Look at this progress! Rock on!!! |
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Post by sherrylynne on Aug 13, 2008 23:38:40 GMT -5
I must have missed something somewhere. Jennifer, you were talking about increasing nutritional value of the meals. I'm not sure what you meant. Also, just to let you know, Lucrezia LOVES the meat mush! I gave her some this morning. She just devoured it!
A couple of other questions. How about frozen smelts? I gave them some dried herring strips tonight, and all but Boris ate them. Also, I've heard lots about Nbones, for chewing. I've looked, but can't find them here. With the shipping costs as they are to Canada from stores, how about pure rawhide twists? Or would that cause some problems?
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