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Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 27, 2008 1:12:13 GMT -5
WOW!!!!  GO KIWI!!!  That's great news!!! You just never know what a ferret might eat!!! That's why I alwys say it never hurts to offer something "as is" before diluting it in kibble or some other familiar foods!!! If both kids are eating a reasonableamount both morning and evening, you can proabaly cut back on the amount of kibble ofered. This will help them be hungry at breakfast and dinner tie for the bigger meals! -jennifer |
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Post by pear2apple on Aug 29, 2008 11:30:10 GMT -5
This is the same thing I stuck in Apple's thread. This is just for reference here.
1. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names, ages, genders, and do they have any health problems?
Apple, male, PVF ferret, 1.5 years old, sable mitt, IBS: allergic to chicken, don't know about other poultry or eggs
Kiwi, female, Marshall ferret, 3-4 years old, DEW, deaf, medical history unknown
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? What Kind of diet do you want to switch to?
Very little Evo Small Meat bites, Stella & Chewy's freeze dried steaks (beef and lamb), Nature's Variety (lamb and rabbit, soon venison and beef too), POgOs mouse (maybe rabbit soon), Foamy Fries (beef and possibly molasses?), and Whole Life dehydrated treats (venison, lamb, salmon), Salmon Oil, live mice-fuzzies or pinkies
I want to add RMBs, Ziwipeak , try the PP Red again, dehydrated meat strips, adult mice.
3. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
Apple is about 2lbs, belly fat but I think its from his first owner feeding him ice cream, good muscle tone in his legs though
Kiwi is right about 1lb, maybe a little over, I think she is underweight, I can feel her ribcage, but she is a great climber and very slim, the whippet style ferret
4. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
Apple's teeth are bright white, clean, pink gums, I can't see any plaque
Kiwi's teeth are yellowish, no black stuff though, her gums are pinkish, a little lighter
5. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Apple is a big fluff, his coat is incredibly soft and thick, a little longer too. His undercoat is creamy buttery color, he has a whitish bib, mostly brown all over though.
Kiwi isn't puffy fluffy, but she is much softer now that she is off cat kibble and no longer rolling around in newspaper. Her color is mostly white, small stripe of grey on tail, used to be yellowish, but that is gone. Her fur is pretty short too.
6. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
I think they both go about 4-5 times a day, on average. Kiwi usually has smaller poops than Apple.
7. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Apple's poop smells really bad, often seedy as well, he also might be a little gassy during pooping (possibly caused by IBS or kibble?). Poops do not smell fishy, so I don't think its the salmon oil. Often looks greenish with the stomach lining (?) possibly in his poop.
Kiwi's don't have a strong smell unless she tries something new. I can't smell the urine.
8. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
I smell nothing when I smell them. They smell slightly like ferrets, but most of the time they have absolutely no odor.
9. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
Apple is usually 6-8, 6 when he's tired or its hot, and 8 when playing with Kiwi. He's been slightly off since his IBS problem back in July.
Kiwi is almost always an 8-9. She is jumpy, bouncy, climbs everything, attacks Apple, goes nuts during playtime.
10. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
Kibble not so much. But as a treat it was working well to get them excited. However, Apple is super excited by the S&C freeze dried steaks, and Kiwi is starting to sniff them more now. She loves the Whole Life treats, stashes and eats those.
11. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
Apple ate raw chicken back in March/April and since then we do not offer it AT ALL in this house because of the possibility of Apple stealing it from Kiwi. That is prevalent in this house! Apple knows how to eat raw, started to eat the bones, but we didn't get past that before heading straight to the NV. Kiwi was the first to try the raw rabbit and even start chewing the bones! I have high hopes for her to kill mice and start eating a great new RMB diet.
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 2, 2008 22:05:44 GMT -5
Hi!
How are things going for Kiwi wit the raw??? last I heard, she was eating the raw rabbit!!! when you get a chance, please prode a update on what your're feeding these days...what's working for kiwi, and what's not.
I'm hoping both of your kids are accepting the variety of freeze-dried itemas as well as the wet raw. sounds like things are going pretty well.
How is Kiwi doing with the NV rabbit? lamb? venison?
-jennifer
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Post by pear2apple on Sept 7, 2008 10:50:37 GMT -5
Kiwi loves the raw, but I don't think she's eating the freeze dried. She smells it but doesn't really care. I made it up into a soup for her with some KMR, she liked it that way, but I don't think she really knows how to eat it.
So when I give freeze dried, I try to also include the NV or some raw for her. However this weekend will be weird since I am going out of town, my friend will need to feed mostly freeze dried, and I might be able to convince her to feed some raw.
How many times a day should I be feeding? I don't measure anything, I just grab a few pieces and stick them on a plate, then add the taurine and eggshells if theres no bones.
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 7, 2008 21:06:49 GMT -5
If your ferrets readily eat the wet raw meals,I reccommend two wet raw meals per day (about 1.5 - 2 ounces per adult ferret per day) along with aprox 1/8-1/4 cup per ferret per day assuming you provide some kibble as well. If you don't' know if Kiwi eas freeze-dried raw, provide free access to kibble. How long will you be gone?  I've letout entire bags of freeze-dried for oer a week, and it does not spoil in that timeframe - at least not in a Colorado's dry climate. If you leave out lots of kibble too, your kids will have plenty to eat. The water is actually more critical....this is wy I require my brats to drnk from water bottles. I put out way more than they could possibly drink - this way, if a bottle fails, they still have more than enough for the time you're gone. I leave out enough food/water so that the sitters can play with them and check food/water. I have let my brats unattended for 5 days at a time - when necessary. -jennifer |
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Post by pear2apple on Sept 17, 2008 21:07:36 GMT -5
Because I am trying some new things with Apple, these are also being applied to Kiw. Her poops are not constantly seedy, but they are sometimes.
I have just ordered Ziwipeak and Stella & Chewy's freeze dried steaks. I plan to feed that during the day, perhaps adding a few pieces of Evo Red Meat bites to the mix for his "bulk" and then 2 meals of the NV frozen raw. I still have some rabbit and other raw meats left over, I plan to mix those up into the NV and feed them that way. Someone on another site recommended that I try out canned Evo 95% meats, that they have helped with her IBD ferrets. I think I will give that a try as well.
Kiwi is also sleeping a lot more than she used to. Also, she has started peeing in weird places in the cage. I haven't decided if this is worth a vet trip or not. I mean, she's always been spot on in the cage, and now all of a sudden she pees and poops on the floor in front of the litter box! And also, she peed right by her food and water last week. It was weird. I think she did it again today. I'm not sure if its because I clean the litter box once a day, or if something could possibly be wrong. I think I will repost this in the Medical section.
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 17, 2008 23:11:32 GMT -5
Sounds good. Kiwi may be stressing out - ferts know when you're stressed, and I think you were were just "out of town" with the kids too. The suggestion of canned may be a good one - give it a try. If it helps, the canned is probably healthier than the kibble - lets see how this goes. The main thing you need to do is get a consistent feeding schedule and see how Kiwi and Apple do on this.
Give Kiwi a couple of days to settle down if you've had them traveling. Watch her input/output, make sure she's hydrated. Give her lots of attention. Kep me posted on how she's doing.
-jennifer
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Post by pear2apple on Sept 19, 2008 7:52:42 GMT -5
a.) Do you understand that by starting this thread you commit to posting updates on the progress of your ferret(s) diet switch atleast every other day?**
Understood, however it may be closer to every week because so little is changing with their diets and I am emailing/PMing with Jennifer on the side.
b.) Do you understand that if you will be away from your computer for an extended period of time you will need to exchange phone numbers (or email addresses if you don't feel comfortable exchanging numbers) via private message with your assigned mentor, so that we can monitor your progress and ensure your ferret's saftey during the switch? (Please post below letting us know that you and your mentor have exchanged phone numbers or emails)
Yes, Jennifer has my cell and email for when she needs to contact me, and we frequently email each other for information.
c.) Do you understand that any threads that have not been updated in for more then a week (with no explaination as to why you are absent) will result in the deletion of the thread?***
Yes.
**Note 1: If you are unable to make it to a computer (such as on weekends) please indicate below so we know whether you just dont have computer access or if you have gone MIA.
***Note 2: If you would like to try the switch again and you are committed to making regular updates you ARE welcome to restart your thread. Failure to provide regular updates will result in the deletion of your thread.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 19, 2008 14:09:27 GMT -5
Perfect. Sounds good to me. Thanks for posting  |
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Post by pear2apple on Sept 24, 2008 13:03:49 GMT -5
I am now feeding the NV raw frozen and the Evo 95% canned together at feeding time. I supplement with egg shells and crushed taurine pills. I bought Nupro and made a soup last night with KMR, baby food, and PP Red and they loved it.
Kiwi is still super thin and I am buying whipping cream tonight to start adding to her food or to the Nupro soups to help her put on some weight for the winter.
She still won't touch the freeze dried foods. But she's eating the Evo Red Meat bites during the day. I'm going to sneak some into her mouth tonight maybe. She's eaten it wet, so maybe she just doesn't understand the texture.
It seems its not Kiwi who is peeing/pooping in front of the litter box. However, she does pee small amounts only, always. So we'll see whats up with that.
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 25, 2008 0:14:43 GMT -5
If Kiwi is eating the Evo Red bites, you can try crumbling some of the freeze dried food in with the red bites. If it's crumbled small enough, she can't really pick around the freeze-dried, and she'll get used to it. Moistening it will be good as well if she eats it that way.
Some ferrets are naturally thinner than others. Apple looks like a "chunkster". Kiwi look more like "whippet"-styled ferret, so if she's eating well and is active, she's probably not as underweight as you think. In fact, Bob Church stated that after seeing the New Zealand feral ferrets, he feels that we keep our ferrets too heavy.
If Apple is eating more with the change in seasons, there may be more poop in the potty box - and he may think it's just too dirty to use..My Tonto poops in front of the potty box f he thinks it's dirty!!! It's also possible that if Kiwi's urine is strong, he may not want to use the potty box! Keep a very close eye on them. Separate kiwi, if necessary, so you can monitor her moew closely.
-jennifer
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Post by pear2apple on Oct 6, 2008 9:07:48 GMT -5
Some ferrets are naturally thinner than others. Apple looks like a "chunkster". Kiwi look more like "whippet"-styled ferret, so if she's eating well and is active, she's probably not as underweight as you think. In fact, Bob Church stated that after seeing the New Zealand feral ferrets, he feels that we keep our ferrets too heavy. If Apple is eating more with the change in seasons, there may be more poop in the potty box - and he may think it's just too dirty to use..My Tonto poops in front of the potty box f he thinks it's dirty!!! It's also possible that if Kiwi's urine is strong, he may not want to use the potty box! Keep a very close eye on them. Separate kiwi, if necessary, so you can monitor her moew closely. OK, Kiwi isn't eating the freeze-dried still. I think she is more interested in it then before, and I crumble it with the kibble, but still she won't eat it. I think I will crush up the freeze-dried and store it with some Evo and hopefully that will help. I would prefer if she at least liked the S&C, but I'm almost positive the Ziwipeak is a little too strong smelling for her (and who could blame her? The stuff reeks!). I agree Kiwi is def whippet style, its just I can feel her ribs and that really bothers me. I can't help but think she is chilly sometimes, she always cuddles up alone in her cuddle cup, Apple prefers the hammocks. And it just bothers me because she sleeps in the closet non-stop when out of the cage and thats dark and away from the window. Perhaps its the darkness she wants...I'll have to look into something to make the cage darker. Theres an igloo, but Apple sleeps on top of it a lot. So this is normal that theres more sleeping and eating happening? Theres no shedding yet...its October, shouldn't it have started? Its still 70s during the day, but 50s at night. And I keep one window open by them all the time. Still pooping outside the litter box. Maybe I just need to overhaul the whole thing. I could really use like 2 hours to do an even thorough cleaning of the whole cage. I spot clean all the time, but (and I should have known this when I bought the tile) its a lot harder to clean poop off of then I thought. And my Nature's Miracle doesn't really help much. Perhaps tonight will call for vinegar/water cleaning! I no longer think anything is wrong with Kiwi, pee-wise. There's no longer any pee on the floor of the cage, and outside on the puppy pads the pee doesn't smell strong. I think it was just the switch to eating kibble again that did it. She's acting fine and no longer hopping around looking for somewhere to pee. I am thinking I might try using newspaper in the bottom of the litter boxes. I think it may be easier to clean. Or at least help with odors some? |
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Post by mustelidmusk on Oct 7, 2008 0:48:30 GMT -5
If your brats don't snorkle in the potty box like my boys do after it's cleaned, you can sprinlke some baking soda under he lietter and in the areas that get the dirtiest. What type of litter are you using? ? Some people use the feline pine, but ferrets can be sensitive to it. I use yesterdays news. If I'm going awayfor a ew days, I mix in a little elne pine in the areas that get hit the hardest...it does help with the oddor. Have you tried moistening the ziwipeak or the STella's a bit for kiwi??? a few drops of ferretone or salmon oil on it??? Ferrets shed more because of the light patterns than because of the temperature. My brats haven't done much shedding yet either. Shaman is just starting to shed. I can't even begin to guess what my kids will be doing to their fur form one season to the next  My Tonto is also snoozing in the dens a lot --- he's up before the crak of dawn thrashing everything he can get into, then he snoozes quite a bit during the rest of the day. All are eating like PIGS!!!! If Kiwi gets cold at night, she'll snuggle with Apple. I start leaving the windows cracked at night to let the cool air in - my brats like it chilly in the room. One night it got down to 37, and all the brats were crammed into one sleeping sack that was about to burst at the seems -they were all snug and warm together, but they definitely needed to snuggle together!!! They were so incredibly frisky that morning too. I'm glad things are going well. As always, please let me know if you have any more questions! -jennifer |
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Post by pear2apple on Oct 7, 2008 7:50:42 GMT -5
I use Cell-Sorb litter, recycled newspaper just like Yesterdays News. Perhaps cheaper, not too sure, I bought it a long time ago, and have finished using the cat litter I also bought. I used the cat litter before I knew what Cell-Sorb was. No worries, I won't be going back to cat litter!!
I haven't tried getting the Ziwipeak wet, but I do put the S&C in their soups with the Nupro so she eats it like that. But I hate to do that since Apple loves it so much. Maybe thats why she doesn't eat it, he fights her for it!
I just wish they'd start shedding already! I want to see how much fluffier Kiwi will get! I hope she becomes a big puff! And Apple is quite fat, eating like everything he can get his hands on. Kiwi's intake has only slightly increased. I'm still adding a little whipping cream to their soup, but I don't think its fattening her up at all.
Hopefully Kiwi does cuddle up with Apple, but he loves sleeping on top of the igloo, and she prefers in it. We'll see, I'm sure once it gets chillier they will sleep together more.
Also, almost positive within a month or so I will be in a 2bedroom and they will have their own room! I cannot wait! The apartment is actually smaller in size than what I have now, but its under $500 still so definitely in my budget, and things will be easier if I can let them out to play all day!
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Post by mustelidmusk on Oct 7, 2008 8:56:16 GMT -5
Kiwi doesn't look thin in her picture...I suspect she's actually a good weight - Bob Church says that we Amercans tend to let our ferrets get a littl overweight !!! My Kachina s a blimp right now, and Tonto is pudgy. Tomichi and Shaman are at good weights for winter, but they're not fat like the other too - and their mom  . Tonto is a virtual fluff ball - soft like a bunny. He's followed by Kachina (same litter) in fluffiness. Tomichi has a short sleek coat - very shiny, and she's the softest of all!!! Now Shaman has a shiney thick coat that's longer with thick furs....so he doesn't puff out - He has a high percentage of New Zealand in him. He's more sliky that soft and fluffy. It's just how he is - his coat is very healthy,just different! When you get the new room for your brats, they'll be thrilled with it! The one thing you'll need to do is either block access to any electrical cords or if you have a celing light, you may not need other lights in the room! -jennifer |
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