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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 13, 2008 11:52:06 GMT -5
If fang's behavior is changing, and if she's being aggressive, this could be a sign of adrenal disease (especially if she's older, but ferrets can get adrenal disease at a couple years of as as well).
If Fang continues to be aggressive, you may want to take her to a ferret vet. Sign of adrenal disease include: * bilateral hair loss (typically starting at the base of the tail progressing up the rump to the back) * thin fur around the shoulders/shoulder blades. * aggressive and/or sexual behavior * territorial behavior ( peeing and pooping in odd places) * swollen vulva in females * Itchy shin that looks tihn - like older skhin that gets kind of dry and crinkly looking from too much sun in younger years (my skin!!!) * thin fur on the tops of the feet * loss of weight/muscle tone with a pot belly (pear shaped body)
It is getting to be shedding season. Sometimes seasonal hormone fluctuations can temporarily cause stress. But id Fang has been settled into a family for a while now, and there's no reason for additional stress, you may want to alk to your vet if her behavioral issue doesn't revert back to mormal is a month or two.
-jennifer
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Post by desertram on Sept 13, 2008 21:31:41 GMT -5
yea she is only about 10-11 months and she really hasnt been using the litter pan ever she uses them to sleep in she has always been nuts/crazy/mean and with these 2 new ones she just lost it and went nuts she still trys to bite us all the time. i have found a place that will take her (crosses fingers) she seems happy to be by herself but wants to bite makes me sad that she is this crazy/mean i know it was a batch of ferrets that were inbreed cause my vendor said that whole group was mean he gave or sold them really cheap to ppl and fang was to old to sell it was give her to us or put her down. i cant see putting down a ferret cause the breeder was not doing there job not a marshall's eaither. as for the sexual now ollie does that with Kat he will get on her and bite her neck alot he is about 1-2 years old the vet said he was healthy might need a check up or he just wants Kat thats his girl
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 14, 2008 9:56:55 GMT -5
Every once in a while, youll find a ferret that doesn't fit into a group very well. Souds like Fang is a fear biter. Such ferrets can typically be turned around, but it takes A LOT of time and patience. Sometimes they'll prefer one person only. I know of an aggressive ferret that finally settled down with some people after 3 years, but she never got along with other ferrets very well.
I also know of another extreme case - the little guy would attack people when they came into the room. He eventually would let his mom hold him, but he'd shred anybody else who got near him.
It's rare, but sometimes there are just some ferrets that have some bad quirks.
How are the kids doing with the raw??? Any progress with the slow kids?
-jennifer
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Post by desertram on Sept 14, 2008 22:47:48 GMT -5
yea she is mean and nasty wow i cant get over how the older she gets the naster she gets. well today i made a ground trukey duck soup mix and feed it smokey was eatting it but at the same time tryed to run off it was funny but he did eat raw and bandit just dove in but after a min she did the same thing and i put some on Kats tounge and she didnt like it at all it was funny to watch her with it omg oso wanted play the rest ate it up like it was going out of style the slow group ate it good but kat was off playing she stayed away from the bowl i think we are getting there with them tomorrow id beef nite wooohooo
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 15, 2008 9:27:56 GMT -5
It's good that you got some soup on Kat's tongue - I know all about the faces ferrets can make - not to mention some ferrets become quite accomplished at spitting It's great that the "slowbies" are coming along. Keep up the good work! -jennifer
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Post by desertram on Sept 15, 2008 21:02:19 GMT -5
thanks it was funny to watch her my god it was like feeding a baby new foods she still loves me she gave me a kiss. u should see wolf now my god what a hog!!! he is a big boy he loves his raw food and it shows geeze lol thanks for the help
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 16, 2008 8:17:43 GMT -5
Keep up the good work with Kat...ferrets are very forgiving even though Kat know you're trying to "poison" her I posted the following discussion below on Wienercat's thread. I thought that you might find some of this beneficial since Wienercat also has a stubborn baby (Raspy). It's kind of a summary of how I deal with the stubborn ones - at least most of them Please ask any question! -jennifer There are a couple of things that seem to help (at least I've had good luck with these approaches, which have helped some stubborn ferrets on this forum switch as well).... ENRICHMENT: ----------------- 1.get protein/ meat on Raspy's tongue every day - even if you have to stuff it between her teeth on the side of her mouth! I've always done this - plus Bob Church just said (at the Buckeye Bash) that ferrets have a taste bud for protein, so getting meat on the tongue is essential to override the imprinting. 2. Play with Raspy when you're feeding her. Show her nose all kinds of stinky things - from socks to spices to stinky cheese and flowers. Get her curious about all kinds of stuff as often s possible- especially smelly things - she'll start **expecting** enrichments from you. Play with her, and stuff some meat on her tongue during play time. Do this repeatedly throughout the play session - but make MOST of the session fun for her - and you too. This will be an important bonding exercise that will help reinforce her trust in you. Also, play tug-of-war with her. Once she's into the game, swap in a strip of meat to her to tug on. HOW TO FEED... ------------------------ his section ill help you feed in a fashion hat will keep then fed - but it will help them b hungy when meat is offered. 1. It sounds to me like Ana and Sarsippy will eat meat, and Raspy won't touch the stuff. So, the wet kibble has already served its purpose for 2 of your kids, and it's not going to be a stepping stone for Raspy. I recommend that you stop wetting down the kibble since, at this point, it's doing more to waste food than than it is helping with the switch. 2. In the evening, offer the raw food. You can offer less than you have been - put out a small amount at a time to see how much they eat. If they finish what you give them, you can offer a little more. Don't leave the raw out. When they're done. leave only a SMALL amount of kibble - just enough for a snack during the night. 3. In the morning, offer a small amount of raw. If they gobble it down, offer a little more. Make Raspy eat a few small bites. When they're done. provide a bowl of kibble. This should be more than just a midnight snack, but the bowl should ideally be empty by the evening. If there's still a bit of kibble in the bowl by evening, cut back! 4. When evening comes, off raw meat. Make sure Raspy get some on her tongue. (Play with her if you have time. Again, leave out the midnight snack As long as all your kids are healthy and not losing a bunch of weight, this approach should help A LOT. It has worked well for switching "mixed groups that have some ferrets eating raw and some ferrets refusing. Another Option...... Add the following to your program....crumble up some Wysong Archetypal I (or stella and chewie's,or ziwipeak complete diet) into the kibble - Raspy will not be able to pick around the dry eat crumbs - more protein on the tongue. Use complete/balanced diet for the freeze-dried stuff. Start with a small amount. Over time, replace the kibble with freeze-dried foodif you can afford it. The freeze-dried is not cheap, but it can be temporary, and een if you use only a small amount sparingly, it will still get meat on that stubborn little tongue, and it will not go to waste!(Plus, you won;'t be wasting meat and kibble.) Caching ad eating behind the couch!!!! Offer a feeding den (a cardoard box inside a cage will work if you have a larger cage. If not, the cardboard box can e ued outsie the cage....make small ferret-sized opening inhe box and direct yur couch feeder into the dark box with the the wing. (guar the door to make ure the wing does not find its way behind the couch when you're not looking. most ferrets can easily be trained to eat in dens sic is a natural behavior.
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Post by desertram on Sept 16, 2008 22:42:41 GMT -5
tyvm thats alot of awesome info in there i will be tryin that now and will keep u updated
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 17, 2008 23:38:55 GMT -5
Just adopt the things you can as we go along. I's not ll that much info. It mostly outlines the way we'll break down Kat's reistance . I usually takes a little "hunger persuasion" coupled with enrichment!!! Let me know what you're trying, and how it's going, and we'll ake adjustments as needed! -jennfer
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Post by desertram on Sept 21, 2008 22:31:10 GMT -5
ok will do sorry was gone this weekend went up to page AZ to see the condors and do a study about lead in game animals we hunt the kids are doing good the slow group is doing good on turkey ground soup going to add some small chunks of chicken in it as for kat its still a no for her she still fights me all the way on it she is a total stuck up lol
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 23, 2008 11:45:28 GMT -5
Have you been able to get any meat on Kat's tongue??? The best way to go with her may be starting out with freeze-dried raw, such as the Achetypal I or Stella and Chewies steak - or ZiwiPeak.
The most stubborn of the stubborn lcan learn to like meat through the freeze-dried foods. You usually don't have to switch to these foods permanently, and you can still feed kibble as follows: Ofer a small amount od the freeze-dried diet in kibble. Crumble it up into small bits so it's difficult/impossible for Kat to avoid it when she eats the kibble. Over time replace some of the kibble with the freeze-dried foods. Once she's eating 25% freeze-dried food, try moistening a small amount of the freeze-dried raw with water.
Also continue putting meat on the tongue as well!
-jennifer
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Post by desertram on Sept 23, 2008 22:05:42 GMT -5
no we havent tryed that i have to order some and right now i have been so busy with studing for another title at work "dog trainer" its a 6 week class but i will have to do it in 4 10 hour days so its going to be very hard work now they are still getting there raw/mix but till i get this done its going to be a very hard time now so hope that u all will work with me though this time thanks
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 24, 2008 8:29:05 GMT -5
There's no rush here, so we'll work through this as you find the time. It's not easy to find the best source for some of the foods,and their are choices to be made as well. For example, Stella and chewies provides a complete diet lamb steack, whic can be a great way to introduce lamb or provide it in the diet if it's difficult to find in grocery stores! When you do get the time, remember that the play time is important for both your ferret and you - it will be a great way for you to take a break from your studies (which sound fun but intense!) and help you relax so your mind will stay sharper!!! And his will give you the chance to cram some me into Kat's mouth!!! Keep up the good work, we'll get Kat eating meat - t's just going to take her a lttle more time! -jennifer
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Post by desertram on Sept 24, 2008 20:39:09 GMT -5
thanks play time is fun i was moppong the floor today and they all went nuts it was funny watching them with the mop. omg i havent tryed any lamb yet i will have to get some and see how it works with them
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Post by mustelidmusk on Sept 24, 2008 21:00:48 GMT -5
My kids love the lamb. Initially, I have one brat that liked it immediately - the other 3 thought it sucked SO I started mixing some lamb in with chicken - now all three just LOVE it. Iv'e heard of quite a few ferrets liking lamb. You can introduce them to it through the Gerber second stage baby food to get them used to the taste....mix a small amount in with some of the other meat you're feeding if you want to give them a slower intro before buying a bunch of meat - lamb is not all that cheap! I used baby foods in small quantities to get the kids used to things tasting different. I also used a few drops of fish oil one day, a few drops of olive oil the next, a dab of lamb baby food, a little egg yolk, etc. That helped me get them more receptive to things smelling nd tasting different. Have you been able to get any meat on Kat's tongue? I don't think she'll try anything new on her own. Wienercat's little girl Raspy is another stubborn little fert, but she's now chewing meat foe 3 seconds before spitting it out - this is major progress for the little girl. I think Kat wil be the same way - you need to stuff that meat into the side of her mouth daily. Also, ferrets that think wet food is poison accept meat more quickly through the freeze-dried approach. Relax and don't feel pressured. I switched my kids very slowly,and they'll still eat kibble if I need them to do so. So, there are some benefits to super-slow-switching too! -jennifer
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