Post by cloudtickler on Sept 9, 2008 2:35:46 GMT -5
1. How many ferrets do you currently have? What are their names, ages, genders, and do they have any health problems (this is VERY important)?-Khadgar is 1yo, male, no health issues.
-Arthas is .. unknown. I was told 2 when I adopted him a month ago. And until yesterday I believed that. But now I think closer to 4 due to dental health.. He's male, and he's having hydration probs, weight changes, and green poo. He's been into the vet and tests are normal thus far. I'm keeping a VERY close eye on him.
-Jaina. 1yo, female, no health issues.
-Onyxia. 3+ yo female, poo is currently *very* soft but hydration and food intake is normal. Activity level is normal.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
Khad and Jaina came to me eating 8-1 Basic. Nyx and Arthas were eating cat food. I switched them slowly over to a 2part zupreem and 1 part 8-1 ultimate mix. This took awhile, as they had imprinted on their food as far as I can tell. For treats they *occasionally* get nutri-cal watered down. I've offered various form of duk soup and they don't care. Ferretone was introduced and today was the FIRST day they showed any interest in it, ever. For treats I simply use a piece of their regular kibble. I make it seem like the nummiest thing ever and that's working just fine.
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
I'd love to get to f/t prey eventually, but my BF has politely requested that we go raw for awhile. (I know it's easier to move to prey from raw too, so that's fine.)
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
The thought of less poo is highly appealing to me. We want to increase our business in the future and I'm already slightly overwhelmed at the amount of poo a troop of 4 can produce in one day, on a kibble diet. I also have researched a lot on the health benefits of raw/prey. I'm a vet tech and thus feel I should do everything I can to make sure they eat as naturally as possible.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
A co-worker, and several members on the ferret.com forums.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
Please don't get mad, but I only have two weights right now.
Arthas (my sicky right now) is 2.31 lbs. As of an hour ago. He needs more muscle and less tummy pudge. (But so do I lol)
Onyxia is 1.5 lbs as of 4 hours ago, and she's tiiiiny so she's not horribly underweight for her proportions. She could prob gain another 1/3 of a lb and be fine though.
If I had to guess I'd say Jaina is 2.5lb, and Khadgar is close to 4. They are both in good tone, but I wouldn't be distraught if Khad went down to 3.7 or so. He is twice as long as onyxia lol. He's HUGE for a fert, IMO.
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
Arthas: he has one chipped canine that happened before I got him. Tarter is a 2+ (on my clinics scale of 0-4. 0 being angelic-like white.) Gingiva is 1. I tried for the photo but it wasn't happening this evening. He's an unhappy fuzzy right now.
Onyxia: Tarter: 2+, Gingiva 1
Khad and Jaina have perfect pearly whites and nice healthy gums.
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Jaina is my silky one. The other three are medium gaurd coat, with soft undercoat. Arthas and Jaina are sables and Arthas has some yellowing of his base coat.. Khad does as well. Onyxia is solid blacks/whites/greys.
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
Approx 3-4 hrs. So, 7-8 times a day. Per ferret. (We have two xl high-back pans, and I change em daily.)
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Arthas' poo could kill someone. No overly bad urine smells for anyone, and I can smell Onyxia's poo but not Khad or Jaina. (I have a poor sense of smell prob cause of my ex-job at the zoo.)
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
Khad and Arthas are very musky. (6 out of 10 maybe?) The girls are more like a 3. But I expected that. Also Arthas is ticked off at Khad right now, will that make him over-make oils? They are all descented but I wasn't sure about their other scent gland..
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
Arthas: 1-2. He's never EVER been above a 3.
Jaina: 4. Onyxia: 4-5. Khadgar: 10. 9 if I can get his attention..)
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
They are free fed.. And their food is never empty because they have three crocs. (The boys are grumpy with each other sharing bowls. So we fixed this prob.)
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
Yes. Well, I *started* the process in that I tried to supplement treats of meat etc.
-I've dusted meat with zupreem crumbs.
-I've made many many forms of duk soup. (Though till today they didn't care about ferretone so that may have been part of my probs...)
-I've introduced meat during playtime.
-I've tried turkey baby foods. Warmed or cold. Syringe, spoon, on my finger, on the tip of their noses.. etc.
-I've tried taking the kibble out for 4 hrs before so that they were hungry. (This, amusingly, led to them THROWING the meat at me. My dog was pleased as punch!)
At Giuli's suggestion, I really am wanting to try again. I was SO frustrated that I was ready to go back to kibble full time but .. I just can't do that to them.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
-Arthas has NO interest in playing with the other three ferts. His past-time is lounging on my shoulder like a parrot, while I do household chores. He also isn't interested in games like chase-the-towel, etc. The ONLY thing he likes is having his belly tickled.
-Onyxia is like a few of my charges at the Zoo. She wont take a treat from me if she's out of the cage. If she's in the cage, and I hold my fingers inside of the bars, she will take it. But the bars have to be between her an I. It doesn't matter if the cage is closed or open. (So I could hold her on one side of the door while it's open, and pass treats from the other side.)
-Arthas and Onyxia have lived together their whole lives. They came from a troop of 9 that were seperated out in groups. Khad has lived with Jaina for 7 months. He was returned to the pet store three times before being adopted by the person who rehomed them to me. So they are bonded now, but haven't always been that way. Khad is learning about why I'm alpha ferret. He's not quite been able to grasp why I want to trim his nails.
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
In order: Onyxia, Arthas, Khadgar, Jaina.
17.
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?**
I will do my absolute best to post every other day. There might be a few times where it hits every third day and I apologize in advance for this. But I do try to keep up on my forum duties as much as I can.
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 (via private message) with your assigned mentor, so that we can monitor your progress and ensure your ferret's saftey during the switch?
Yes.
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.
As stated, I'm a vet tech. I'm *scheduled* to work 4 ten hour days a week. I typically work a lot more than that, sadly. We're a HUGE clinic, with literally hundreds of long-term-inpatient, fragile-immune animals and only 8 vet techs. Needless to say there are emergencies, and unpredictable schedule shifts.. I am able to hop on the boards sometimes during a lunch hour but not for significant amounts of time.
***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.
Agreed. Though this will not be an issue because there will not be any point in time during this process that I will go for a week without posting. It's not in my nature to abandon a project like this.
-Arthas is .. unknown. I was told 2 when I adopted him a month ago. And until yesterday I believed that. But now I think closer to 4 due to dental health.. He's male, and he's having hydration probs, weight changes, and green poo. He's been into the vet and tests are normal thus far. I'm keeping a VERY close eye on him.
-Jaina. 1yo, female, no health issues.
-Onyxia. 3+ yo female, poo is currently *very* soft but hydration and food intake is normal. Activity level is normal.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
Khad and Jaina came to me eating 8-1 Basic. Nyx and Arthas were eating cat food. I switched them slowly over to a 2part zupreem and 1 part 8-1 ultimate mix. This took awhile, as they had imprinted on their food as far as I can tell. For treats they *occasionally* get nutri-cal watered down. I've offered various form of duk soup and they don't care. Ferretone was introduced and today was the FIRST day they showed any interest in it, ever. For treats I simply use a piece of their regular kibble. I make it seem like the nummiest thing ever and that's working just fine.
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
I'd love to get to f/t prey eventually, but my BF has politely requested that we go raw for awhile. (I know it's easier to move to prey from raw too, so that's fine.)
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
The thought of less poo is highly appealing to me. We want to increase our business in the future and I'm already slightly overwhelmed at the amount of poo a troop of 4 can produce in one day, on a kibble diet. I also have researched a lot on the health benefits of raw/prey. I'm a vet tech and thus feel I should do everything I can to make sure they eat as naturally as possible.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
A co-worker, and several members on the ferret.com forums.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
Please don't get mad, but I only have two weights right now.
Arthas (my sicky right now) is 2.31 lbs. As of an hour ago. He needs more muscle and less tummy pudge. (But so do I lol)
Onyxia is 1.5 lbs as of 4 hours ago, and she's tiiiiny so she's not horribly underweight for her proportions. She could prob gain another 1/3 of a lb and be fine though.
If I had to guess I'd say Jaina is 2.5lb, and Khadgar is close to 4. They are both in good tone, but I wouldn't be distraught if Khad went down to 3.7 or so. He is twice as long as onyxia lol. He's HUGE for a fert, IMO.
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
Arthas: he has one chipped canine that happened before I got him. Tarter is a 2+ (on my clinics scale of 0-4. 0 being angelic-like white.) Gingiva is 1. I tried for the photo but it wasn't happening this evening. He's an unhappy fuzzy right now.
Onyxia: Tarter: 2+, Gingiva 1
Khad and Jaina have perfect pearly whites and nice healthy gums.
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Jaina is my silky one. The other three are medium gaurd coat, with soft undercoat. Arthas and Jaina are sables and Arthas has some yellowing of his base coat.. Khad does as well. Onyxia is solid blacks/whites/greys.
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
Approx 3-4 hrs. So, 7-8 times a day. Per ferret. (We have two xl high-back pans, and I change em daily.)
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Arthas' poo could kill someone. No overly bad urine smells for anyone, and I can smell Onyxia's poo but not Khad or Jaina. (I have a poor sense of smell prob cause of my ex-job at the zoo.)
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
Khad and Arthas are very musky. (6 out of 10 maybe?) The girls are more like a 3. But I expected that. Also Arthas is ticked off at Khad right now, will that make him over-make oils? They are all descented but I wasn't sure about their other scent gland..
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
Arthas: 1-2. He's never EVER been above a 3.
Jaina: 4. Onyxia: 4-5. Khadgar: 10. 9 if I can get his attention..)
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
They are free fed.. And their food is never empty because they have three crocs. (The boys are grumpy with each other sharing bowls. So we fixed this prob.)
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
Yes. Well, I *started* the process in that I tried to supplement treats of meat etc.
-I've dusted meat with zupreem crumbs.
-I've made many many forms of duk soup. (Though till today they didn't care about ferretone so that may have been part of my probs...)
-I've introduced meat during playtime.
-I've tried turkey baby foods. Warmed or cold. Syringe, spoon, on my finger, on the tip of their noses.. etc.
-I've tried taking the kibble out for 4 hrs before so that they were hungry. (This, amusingly, led to them THROWING the meat at me. My dog was pleased as punch!)
At Giuli's suggestion, I really am wanting to try again. I was SO frustrated that I was ready to go back to kibble full time but .. I just can't do that to them.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
-Arthas has NO interest in playing with the other three ferts. His past-time is lounging on my shoulder like a parrot, while I do household chores. He also isn't interested in games like chase-the-towel, etc. The ONLY thing he likes is having his belly tickled.
-Onyxia is like a few of my charges at the Zoo. She wont take a treat from me if she's out of the cage. If she's in the cage, and I hold my fingers inside of the bars, she will take it. But the bars have to be between her an I. It doesn't matter if the cage is closed or open. (So I could hold her on one side of the door while it's open, and pass treats from the other side.)
-Arthas and Onyxia have lived together their whole lives. They came from a troop of 9 that were seperated out in groups. Khad has lived with Jaina for 7 months. He was returned to the pet store three times before being adopted by the person who rehomed them to me. So they are bonded now, but haven't always been that way. Khad is learning about why I'm alpha ferret. He's not quite been able to grasp why I want to trim his nails.
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
In order: Onyxia, Arthas, Khadgar, Jaina.
17.
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?**
I will do my absolute best to post every other day. There might be a few times where it hits every third day and I apologize in advance for this. But I do try to keep up on my forum duties as much as I can.
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 (via private message) with your assigned mentor, so that we can monitor your progress and ensure your ferret's saftey during the switch?
Yes.
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.
As stated, I'm a vet tech. I'm *scheduled* to work 4 ten hour days a week. I typically work a lot more than that, sadly. We're a HUGE clinic, with literally hundreds of long-term-inpatient, fragile-immune animals and only 8 vet techs. Needless to say there are emergencies, and unpredictable schedule shifts.. I am able to hop on the boards sometimes during a lunch hour but not for significant amounts of time.
***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.
Agreed. Though this will not be an issue because there will not be any point in time during this process that I will go for a week without posting. It's not in my nature to abandon a project like this.
If you go to fast you'll get rebellions 
Just go nice and easy. IF you can only add literally ONE drop of water one day and work up by one drop a day, then so be it. This isnt a race, its about being sneaky 
Okay so I love my ferts.. Really, I do. But sometimes, they are a little smart 
My bf will continue with their feedings needs while I'm gone. Though he's not an internet-board sort of person so I doubt he will update this thread. More like he will write notes for me so I can update here later..