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Post by theslave on Jun 13, 2008 4:15:41 GMT -5
The babies are freaking garbage disposals!!! Too true, when my brother took Teddy for a walk when he was a kit somebody asked him what he was and he said "He's Teddy - part weasel, part dustbin"  Good luck Jaycee looks like your getting closer to raw by the day =] |
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Post by Jaycee on Jun 13, 2008 6:21:36 GMT -5
Well, the only reason I used broth was because I have been softening their kibble for quite a while with it. I will have to try the water, though. For the most part, I am still having to spoon feed them. This morning, only Jax would eat on her own. The other 6 had to be started on the spoon and only a few of those transitioned from the spoon to the bowl. (I can't remember which ones...too many to keep track of!)
I am just worried I might slowly starve one of mine without knowing. I feel guilty sometimes that I am doing this to them even though I know it is better for them in the long run. I have to get ready for work now. It is up to my husband to work with them until I get home. I'll let you all know how it goes!
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Post by quill on Jun 13, 2008 8:09:34 GMT -5
Well, the only reason I used broth was because I have been softening their kibble for quite a while with it. Oh! If they are already used to it then I certainly wouldn't change it!  I can only imagine how hard it is to keep track of who is eating what! Just keep following Giuli's advice, she's won't let you harm your babies. But I know what you mean. I am very protective of Chaos, too. I'm just lucky that he took to the soup. Yours will too I'm sure of it! |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 13, 2008 15:09:02 GMT -5
I am just worried I might slowly starve one of mine without knowing. I feel guilty sometimes that I am doing this to them even though I know it is better for them in the long run. I have to get ready for work now. It is up to my husband to work with them until I get home. I'll let you all know how it goes! It can certainly be stressful during the beginning stages of the switch. However, all the guilt right now is NOTHING compared to the guilt you experience years down the road when you look at the damage kibble has reaked on your babies.  Sams, my second oldest ferret is 6 years old. His gums are blood red, puffy, and his teeth are black (from kibble  ) He's got such dry, nasty fur, and he's skin and bones. I feel aweful that I didnt get him on raw sooner. I got him about 1.5 years ago, and I tried to put him on raw but I "gave up" because it was too hard and he wasnt an easy switcher. He went to live with my ex-b/f for the last year (after my ex and I broke up). I just got samson back and I am kicking myself for not sticking with it and putting him on raw. I feel like I've neglected my poor baby! His teeth and gums look like they hurt badly! I recently got him back from my ex and I took one look at his teeth and said "no! This time we are doing raw for real." After some REALLY pathetic stares from Samson, I got him eating chunks of boneless beef. He's progressing really well and that soft meat as got to be alot easier on his sensitive gums. I am hoping that the raw meat will help reduce his gum disease, but if not i will have to take him to the vet for some dental work . When I see what kibble does to ferrets (and cats and dogs) I get SO angry Now you ARE switching alot of kids and that can make things stressful. Do you have any extra cages at home? or a playpen, or something? I was thinking maybe if you broke your kids up into two groups that it would be easier to moniter them. As long as you keep an eye on everyone and feel their bodies every day and moniter poop output, your kids should be fine. If anyone starts to feel a little boney, you know they arent eating. Try and see if you can catch each of your furkids eating the soup. As long as you see everyone eating the soup, its safe to bet that they are eating when you arent around too. Stay on this step for a bit if you have to. Make sure they are all comfortable with the soup. You put kibble into the soup mix, so they are getting the nutrients they need and if you need to stay on this stage for a week or two then it will be okay. Hang in there, its gotta be tough switching 7 at once! But I really think you can do it. |
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Post by Jaycee on Jun 13, 2008 15:47:15 GMT -5
I would break them up into smaller groups, but my house is a small one, and really isn't possible. Especially since they free roam all day long. I wouldn't want to cage them until they switch over to raw. My husband just told me they haven't eaten too much of the soupie today while I was at work....and I certainly can't spoon feed them forever. I am sort of at a loss at the moment. I need to go try to feed them the soupie again (I dont't think my husband made it soupy enough, I had to add more broth. He tried though!) I'll let you know how it goes!  |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 13, 2008 15:53:41 GMT -5
Hang in there!
If things REALLY get hard for you, you can always take some steps back. You can give them their kibble (so you know they arent starving) and you can get them accustomed to the soupie as a supplement to their diet. Once you see they all really enjoy the soupie, you can remove the kibble and go from there. Does this make sense?
Sometimes in the diet switch you have to take a step back to go a few steps forward. I know its frustrating, I know its nervewracking, and with 7 kids I'll be honest, I cant even imagine what that would be like! But all in all if you think this diet switch is worth it, you CAN go at a slightly slower pace, and give them their kibble as they adjust to the raw soupie. Many ferrets will eat both kibble and "duck soup" so the kibble being there shouldnt hinder them getting adjusted to the sou p.
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Post by Jaycee on Jun 13, 2008 16:00:51 GMT -5
Thanks for the encouragement....lord knows I need it. I know this is best, and in the long run it will be the cheaper route if my ferrets are healthier for longer. I just hate the idea of having to take a step back, but this may be what I have to do. Now, it seems to me Jax is liking the soupie pretty well, and Piper is kind of on the fence. Jax is eating out of the bowl as I speak. I don't like the idea of her being forced back a step, and if the kibble is in the cage she may go back to it. I wish I had decided on this switch a few months ago before I added 5 to the gang! Hind sight is 20/20 right?  |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 13, 2008 16:10:49 GMT -5
I get what you mean about wishing you switched them sooner, but there is no point in regretting now, ya now? Nothing you can do about it. If you dont want to take a step back, you dont have to. Try adding more kibble to the soupie. This might encourage them to eat it some more. Everyday take like 15 minutes to try and get your kids to eat from a spoon. As they lick from the spoon, slowly lower the spoon down towards the bowl of soup until they are eating off of the spoon as it sits in the soup bowl (make sense)? You can also put a dollop of soup on their nose to get them to lick it off. Do whatever little tricks you can think of to get them eating the soupie, whether its spoon feeding, syringe feeding (yes I know you hate it), finger feeding, bribing them to eat from the bowl, etc. Write your fuzzies names on a piece of paper. When you see them sitting and actually licking at the soupie, put a check mark by their name, you know that they are eating. At the end of the day, if you have a fuzzy that doesnt have a check mark by their name, work with that fuzzy one on one with trying the soup. We'll get through this, I promise  |
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Post by Jaycee on Jun 13, 2008 17:11:12 GMT -5
I have been trying the spoon to bowl trick. It works for Riven, 'Topher, and sometimes Sassy. They all will eat from the spoon....with a lot of time and persuasion. It is worse than trying to get a child to eat their veggies! I have never seen animals be so stubborn with change...kicking their hind legs out, twisting their heads away, and basically turning themselves inside out to get away from the crazy lady with the strange food. Maybe I have been adding to much change to their daily lives. 5 of my guys have been added to my original two from May 1st until May 27th. Those 5 have been transitioned from the cat/dog food they were being fed, to Marshalls, to Zupreem and then to Zupreem softened with broth. They have really had a tough month with me! I hope they'll forgive me in the near future! |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 13, 2008 17:18:44 GMT -5
Honestly once they get used to the new food, you will be SHOCKED at how much they turn around! They will go from acting like you are poisioning them to acting like little monsters (haha well only during feeding time). Once a ferret gets used to meat they will usually go bonkers trying to hide it from you so that you dont steal it (Its like "why the h*ll would I want your slimey raw meat, ferret?"). I know it sounds hard to believe, but you'll get to that point eventually, I promise.
Okay, so for my notes on your kids (so I can keep organized and up-to-date on their progress) do me a favor and tell me how each of your kids is eating their soup: eg. "Eating soup out of spoon only, Eating soup out of bowl and spoon, Eating soup out of bowl," etc)
Piper:
Jax:
Angel:
'Topher:
Sassy:
Harley:
Riven:
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Post by Jaycee on Jun 13, 2008 18:14:02 GMT -5
Piper: Bowl mostly....and spoon
Jax: bowl
Angel: spoon
'Topher: spoon and bowl
Sassy: spoon and bowl
Harley: spoon and bowl
Riven: spoon and bowl
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 13, 2008 18:20:23 GMT -5
Well this is good progress! Work with angel and get her used to eating from the bowl.
Another thing you can do to entice them to eat the soup is to heat it every so slightly (but dont actually cook it). Have you tried this yet?
So my suggestions for you are:
1. Add a little bit more kibble to the soup mix
2. Heat the soup slightly
This is actually better then I thought it was, I didnt realize that almost all your kids were eating from the bowl.
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Post by Jaycee on Jun 13, 2008 18:46:39 GMT -5
Well, the majority I still have to start them with the spoon, and then lower it into the bowl to get them to eat from the bowl. Only Jax and Piper I have seen go straight to the bowl, without the spoon. I'm still trying, though. Really, my main concer is if they get enough to eat. Harley has lost 3 oz since last friday, but I don't know if it is because of season change, the fact he is getting more active, or because of the food situation. I haven't yet weighed any of my others. They are all sleeping....or hiding.  |
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jun 13, 2008 19:00:24 GMT -5
The weightloss is probably a combination of all the things you mentioned: seasonal weightloss, diet change, increased activity.
If you add more kibble to the soupie you can make it more calorically dense. That way they will get more calories out of the soup when they eat, even if they dont eat a ton.
Keep working with your kiddos on getting them to eat from the bowl. I wouldnt worry so much about exact weight numbers, but if you start to feel prominant ribs or hipbones on your previously "healthy weight" ferrets, then you know that its time to start offering kibble again and give the soup as a supplement until they get more "gung-ho" about the soup (at which point you can give them JUST the soup, because you know they will eat enough of it to stay healthy).
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Post by Jaycee on Jun 13, 2008 20:56:43 GMT -5
Hey, Guili,
Update your sticky notes....Riven is eating soupie ALL BY HIMSELF!!! No spoon required, and he went to the bowl independently!!! Yea Riven!!
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