Animalfarm2006's Switching Thread

[AnimalFarm2006]

Also! I was wondering if I can still give lelloo and jack jack peto the same way as monster? They both started grinding their teeth when ever i scruff, or when I do something to them they don't like ( opening mouth, checking teeth, etc. )

[Heather]

That's an interesting concept I've never had a whole group of ferrets start grinding their teeth if they don't like their treatment.....scruffing and other care. I wouldn't want to get into the habit of using pepto for everyone unless it's because of gastric pain. You have to remember that the pepto is only going to help with digestive issues, not anything else. Have you had your guys in to see the vet recently? Let me know specifically when they grind their teeth and is it all of your little ones?
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

It has only been thoes two so far. I am not sure whats going on with them. They are normal, eating, drinking, tearing my room apart ferrets.

They have not hone recently, but recent enough for them to not need a checkup for a while.

I fed everyone mice last night. Lelloo and jack ended up ruining theirs by draging it through the litter box. My little ripply finaly ate some of a pinky for herself!

[Heather]

Don't worry about the litter box thing, it's disgusting but they will eat it . My guys store their mousies and their rats and a few other choice foods in their litter boxes. I only start pulling things when they either stay there for a long time or they poop on them. I went downstairs this morning and found 4 freshly killed mice in the litter box, but when I went down to get change the laundry they were gone and Thor was treating himself to mousie snacks in bed in the sleep box....that means I will have to change their bedding though messy little pup.
You should take them in if the tooth grinding thing keeps up. Watch for lethargy, black poops or refusing food. Also, note when exactly do they grind their teeth. After eating, only when scruffed, after drinking water. These might offer clues as to what the problem might be.
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

It will have to wait for my next paycheck.

So Someone has weird poops. Part black sticky stuff, and part normal poops. Not sure who..

Jack grinds his teeth when he eats, and lelloo does it I think sometimes when i scruff and try to get her to do something she doesn't like.

Monster realy does not do it anymore! He use to do it when ever I scruffed, but eve since the pepto he's been rather normal.

I was checking everyones teeth and Monster, and Ripply both have like haft of their teeth a lighter white than the rest of the teeth. I am not sure if thats what you mean by the teeth changing colors. Rips old owner said she had her for about a year and was realy small when she got it so she thought she was like maybe one when she got her but the age is not known for sure.

[Heather]

Try the pepto on Jack and see if that helps him. It sounds to me that your guys may have some stomach issues. It may be stress caused by being forced fed but I would be concerned as it is a sign of either severe stress or pain.
If you look at their teeth you will see that the bottom half (the half that ends in the point) will have a clear piece at the bottom (this is the large upper teeth, the one on either corner of their mouth). Depending on how high up on the tooth that clear part goes gives you a rough gauge as to how old your ferret is. I never trust what people tell me about how old a ferret is when they surrender them I've been lied to all too often . Sometimes, people are honest (usually if the ferrets are younger) but often they don't think that you will take them in if they're older ferts. I take them anyway, old, young they all deserve to be loved and know that they're loved .
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

The only owners so far that aren't the most "into" the ferret history was monsters old owner. He had been tossed around so much in his past life..idk what his age is. Lelloo and Jack came with ceriticats so it makes life a little eaiser.

Could the stress come from me not letting them out too much anymore? I went through this chaos phase where I was trying to get things straight with college, life, and home. I ended up remodeling my room, putting this and that different places which helped me just settle down and get back into the swing of things. The kids are aloud out atleast once a day for like..haft the day or more at a time. Once in a while they won't get out for a day because of school and work etc.

I don't realy force feed anymore. My three, the three with the issues, already eat mice on their own. I also have been taking my time with Rip and Dakota. I allow them to sniff, and get use to the mice. If they want to try, they can try one. If not, There is always the next feeding time.

What can cause ulcers? The way I came up with is that monster had them before from not being let out at his home etc but they started acting up with my moment of chaos. monster, Lello, and Jack are the only three that came from someone that realy didn't care for them. The other two came from people who loved them, but had to give them up due to moving, jobs, etc.

Lelloo keeps draging the mice into the litter box so I was wondering if it would be smart to make a kind of..outdoor potty. The litter box box that people talk about and such? Or the feed room.

Also! I fed them pinkies today, but yesterday i offed the last of my sub adults. They basicaly ripped him into peices, and than monster left him in the food bowl. My question now is...WHERE did he go? I still have to do a realy good search, but from my usual cleaning today for thanksgiving I did not find the mouse.

I hope they finaly ate the mousie! This would be their first sub adult that has been eaten full. If not, I will find it somewhere. Hopefull NOT under my bed, or IN my bed. Lelloo is terrible at hidding food.

[AnimalFarm2006]

HappyThanksGiving!

[Heather]

Less time out of the cage would indeed cause them to stress. There could be other factors as well that you and I wouldn't even know that was stressing them. With Loki it was a physical stressor, his kidneys were failing and he just couldn't cope with it, so he got ulcers. He's been better since he's been on meds for his failing kidneys. You being stressed will cause them to stress. They're very attached to you, they care...so when you're upset it upsets them.
You could try giving them a feeding den, even a cardboard box will work and then you can throw it out when it gets messed up. I have feeding dens set up through out the house, but mice still seem to find their ways into the litter box in the basement. I noticed one there this morning, it had to come from last nights dinner...it was gone by lunch time though, so somebody ate it
Hey, maybe they ate the whole mouse. It sounds to me that they might just have eaten the mouse. That is fantastic. It often just takes time and leaving them to their own devices with the mice. Yes, sometimes they wind up in the litter boxes but for the most part they get eaten eventually even if they do get eaten in the litter box. I know that when I put my guys to bed, that everyone gets a couple of mice. The newbies get a mouse that they can sniff and play with until morning when everyone gets out...usually then one of the old timers will steal the mouse and eat it. Just by leaving the food there with them sometimes gives them the idea. It's a passive method but they're usually curious as to why it's in their food bowl. I tried this method with Captain Jack and Calypso. They were getting a raw soupy during the day, but at night I would give them the same thing that everyone else was getting....chicken leg, gibblets, a couple of mice. At the beginning they just left them, but after awhile they started paying attention to what was being left. At first it was only stashed, then there were nibbles taken out of it....then there were no mice left. Just like you've discovered today.
Good luck, keep me posted
Happy Thanksgiving....enjoy
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

I checked the cage. No mice. I looked under the Dresser. No mice. I looked under the bed, almost had a hard attack. No, not the mice, but apparently they had ussed the wall as a new litter box. Monster than walked under my bed and stood their to take a pee right infront of me.

My medication plan goes like this. Monster gets his three times a day as perscribed untill next Thursday, than he will have pepto once a day untill it has been a month. Jack will have it for once a day for untill monster is also done with the medicine.

Did you get anything for Chrismas yet? I ordered the 20ft clear tube for the ferrets, and Chrismas Hat type thing from ferret.com. I also got a couple hay balls for the bunny and Gp's. You can't realy beat the thanks giving savings.

Back to the acual topic.

I was thinking that now that I have three guys that eat mice I can back down at that and start back up on feeding raw. I also have a job so getting meat is easier.

How should I start back up? Lee, Jack, And Monster all eat soup and they do take small bits of meat. ALL hate liver. The other two I am trying the method you had described. Kind of the lazy method but so far Ripply has started eating, and trying new things.

[Heather]

Are they taking the small bits of meat in their soupy?? or just eating it. If they're eating it in their soupy, start out by adding a few more pieces and keep increasing it as they get more comfortable eating it. Most of my guys aren't fond of liver either, so I mix it up in a ground mixture for them. They like it that way. If you throw liver in a food processor it becomes a liquid you then just add it to whatever ground or soupy mix that you have. Just make sure you don't add too much....the resulting poopies aren't pleasant to clean up All of my guys like it mixed in with stuff, they just don't like plain liver. You could also try the same method that you're trying with the other two and see if that works.
No, I haven't really got into the Christmas presents yet for the guys, though I suppose bringing in the Chrismas tree is just as good as any toy I always bring in the tree for the guys to play in for a couple of weeks before putting the decorations on it. That way they're basically bored with it by the time the decorations go on. Of course never entirely


ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

That is so cute! Me and dad are acualy thinking on building a "ferret" tree specialized just for them. Short steps, etc. I would realy like to get like a ledge type thing going so they can climb up a few steps, get on the ledge and race around onto my bed etc.

Also, for people that make the potty sytems outside the ferretnation. Did they make one for each level or was one tub good enough for a 142? I may just make a thread but i figured i would ask here first. My guys get mad and poop outside their litter box. I know it's my fault, but I can't clean it more than twice a day! I ended up putting two on each part of the cage.

Feeding- I will eventualy get some food. XD I have mice, but have been too busy to pick up some meet. What are some good starter foods? Should I get gizards or something or stick with chicken tender peices?

I had fed them peices out of the soup in my hand. They will eat that. I just feed the meat in the soup because I wanted to introduce it to them after not giving them meat.

I will go n head and feed them bits of chicken and than tell you how it went. So I can see how far they realy are and such.

[Heather]

I'd start with the chicken, especially if they're already comfortable with it. Try getting some necks or wings, smash them with the hammer and cut them into smaller pieces and see if your little ones will take to that either. If they're comfortable eating it in their soupy then let them. Little steps that's what it's all about.
Let me know how it goes
ciao

[AnimalFarm2006]

I got little bits of beef on sale. My first couple peices my dog ate. The second dish I left in the ferret room after trying to get them to eat some.

They didn't realy eat any meat by itself so I will back up a step and try squashing it and putting just a little yum yum on it.

[Heather]

Sounds like an idea. It's really strange when you think about it. They will happily crunch away on kibble but try and get them to chew a piece of meat and even more difficult get them to eat bone
Good luck .
ciao