|
|
Post by Heather on Oct 22, 2008 0:11:40 GMT -5
Don't you just love them  They can be such little sh*** They will sometimes eat more sometimes less...I know where you're coming from. For the months of Sept and most of October my guys were eating me out of house and home. They've now started to back off a little. Good thing too, their little legs were not going to be long enough for those big winter bellies  I really wish that your 3 furbabies would take the initiative and just eat Not half as much as you do though I'll bet  I will guess that you didn't take the food all the way back but are using smaller pieces, not ground pieces. Feed a couple of days at the size that is best accepted and then move forward every so slightly. Use a size that is only a tiny bit bigger and lets see if we can fool your furbabies into eating larger sizes Is everyone putting on good weight? Winter coats looking thick and full? I will check in with you tomorrow and see how things are going. ciao |
|
|
|
Post by ferretpalooza on Oct 22, 2008 15:49:18 GMT -5
Everyone is looking good. they eat the ground and soup quite well, but it took months to get there. I cut the meat up smaller, they ate most of it but there are some pieces left in there. Im leaving it for a couple more hours while I go to the chiropractor. Maybe Ill have some takers. Im back to trying something new again so I just have to be patient. Considering I have 7 at such different ages, I gueess we have done well getting them to eat a raw grind and raw soup in 3-4 months with a 3 week severe distraction in the middle.....LOL Killa is putting on weight. His coat is kind of raggedy but Im hoping he;s just a little later since he had some kind of issue. Bubba is so fat and gorgeous with soft thick fur!!!!! Man, I almost cant put him down when I get a hold of him. I have noticed more of the poos firming up lately. Maybe the increased jerky/meat pieces?  ? We're hanging in there and of course my babies are staying as spoiled as they can force me to let them be..........which........I believe they are winning that one!!!!!! ha ha ha ha ha |
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Oct 22, 2008 23:23:38 GMT -5
Hey, I think you're doing fantastic. The most I've ever switched at one time was 4, you're trying to do 7!! You are amazing  Give yourself a pat on the back. Not only are you switching 7 furbabies of various ages, but you also took your babies to safety and still tried to keep on top of it. No...you're doing great. I mentioned to Giuli that I actually use my furguys to help switch over my newbies (peer pressure is an amazing thing ) I rarely have to do anything except with my little old ladies who were a real pain You've done this from scratch. Keep up the great work, get better and I will check in with you later ciao |
|
|
|
Post by ferretpalooza on Oct 23, 2008 10:12:17 GMT -5
I made a new batch of soup last night. The last soup still had a few cooked thighs in it to transition them to the raw soup. This time is is all raw. I didnt liquify it this time so there is some substance. A chunk or meat or skin here and there. I will just use this and ground for now instead of cutting meats. They picked up on the difference immediately this morning..........they are such picky soup eaters. I did put pumpkin in it.....its like crack for mine. They really didnt want to eat the new soup but couldnt resist the pumpkin so they all had a few bites. Ill see it the texture in the soup is easier to get used to and possibly start cutting little meat pieces again this weekend.
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Oct 23, 2008 13:08:08 GMT -5
Sounds good. Let me know how they take to the new soupie. Are they eating your ground stuff ok?
Talk at you later.
ciao
|
|
|
|
Post by ferretpalooza on Oct 29, 2008 21:23:41 GMT -5
Hmmmmmm, they are so iffy about everything. I swear, I just wish they would all start eating something. It looks like Bubba is hitting the jerky hard now. He is almost 4 pounds so his weight is not an issue. What I worry about is if some of them are just eating jerky or not getting enough of the soup to provide calcium and taurine. Im stumped and frustrated. They eat the chopped pork off and on. They eat the raw soup off and on. They eat the ground off and on. Most wont touch the kibble so need to make sure there is something in there they eat. Any suggestions?
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Oct 29, 2008 23:33:50 GMT -5
You were making your own jerky am I right? Frozen? If you are how about keeping it for shorter times in the freezer...so it's less dried, making it more and more raw....just a thought. Ok....You're grinding your own, let's start working at eliminating the soupy. Either start adding ground to the soupy (start thickening it up) or make the ground more liquid (making it more like the soupy)....either way consider getting rid of one fo the mixes. You've got so many choices that your guys are running you ragged being a short order cook. So let's get working at getting rid of the Ferty Dinner and getting them eating more to what's available. I'm thinking if everyone is putting on weight, and being reasonably healthy we can start making some changes and getting these guys to eating on the same page (to try and make your life easier ) So get back to me about the jerky, if you've been using a purchased jerky then we will have to think of something else. Jerky should be in the end a treat not a main meal...so we will work on this. I think as far as the soupy we should try and get all of that in the same bowl and try and get them to look at it as a meal. That way then you can consider starting to add a few larger pieces in the bowl and see if you can get takers on the more whole meats route. I will check back with you tomorrow. Just think about it and think of any problems you might have and we will bash this around and see if we can get a solution for these little sods ciao |
|
|
|
Post by ferretpalooza on Nov 3, 2008 23:46:48 GMT -5
The jerky they are eating is the Loving pets store bought. It is a good product. Yes, I did put some new freeze dried in the freezer. They are not taking yet but I put some fresh in every couple of days to see if they will eventually. I have been adding ground to the soup. Just not getting a consistant eating pattern since I made the soup completely raw. I ran out so I made a new batch 1/2 raw and 1/2 cooked. I dont know how much further these guys are gonna go. They fight everything tooth and nail and I really want to get them all eating something the same. I am making more ground this weekend. I will add more bone, or pure bone meal for fiber/calcium and more gizzards, livers ect. So they will have a good ground mix and 1/2 raw soup poured over it. They will not touch the ground plain. They are starting to eat a little better with the 1/2 cooked soup.
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Nov 3, 2008 23:54:22 GMT -5
Ok....how about an update? What are you putting into your raw mix? What's going into your soupy mix? I, too would like them to all come on board at least so that they're eating consistently. I would feel a lot more comfortable if they were eating... even the ground raw that you make with your grinder. Let's see if we can get them on a recipe that is one meal and that they eat consistently If nothing else to keep you doing a little less prep work . I will check in with your later and see if we can try and get these picky little sods all eating out of the same bowl ciao |
|
|
|
Post by ferretpalooza on Nov 5, 2008 9:02:28 GMT -5
The soup is 1/2 cooked and raw chicken thighs, a couple of eggs, ferretone and nupro. The ground is meats I find on sale like country ribs, fatty beef pieces, chicken thighs with bones some liver (beef and chicken) and gizzards. Right now they are eating a little better with the cooked but still leaving a lot. Its just a lot of work to keep either throwing it out or feeding to the dogs. No interest whatsoever in eating any boned meat and iffy on chopped up regular meat, although they wont mess with large chunks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Nov 5, 2008 10:57:12 GMT -5
You bought a grinder right? So your guys are getting bone in their ground mix? Are you mixing ground mix in their soupy? Will they eat the soupy without any doctoring? I guess what I'm saying is will they eat their soupy consistently? Lets stop with the chunked stuff for a bit. I want to try something and see if we can get everyone on the same page and make a little less work for you (that certainly can't hurt ) At what point were they eating the soupy really well? Smaller chunks? Ground meat in the soupy? Can you remember? I want to go back to that. I want them to eat some mix consistently and well. What I want to do is forget about getting them to eat chunky meat for a bit (it's the ultimate goal but I would like to see them eat ground raw before we go further). So if they will eat the soupy and you have some ground rmb (meat type doesn't matter as long as they seem to like it). What I want to do is slowly thicken their soupy mix with ground rmb mix (so mix up a thing of ground rmb, with offal, raw egg) freeze in small tbsp bits. So to start create the soupy that they will eat. Let them eat that for a couple of days. Then add 1 of these little mounds of ground rmbs, mix thoroughly. They shouldn't even notice the raw with the soupy. Feed this for a couple of days until you see they're eating this without any question...then move to up the amount of raw by 1. You keep doing this until the soupy is really no more. This will take time but I'm hoping that you should be able to get to the point that they will be eating raw with just a hint of soup or not at all. My guys let me know if there's not enough egg in the mix (they leave it, but they think egg is an important part of the mix). I know this seems like backtracking, maybe it is but because you've got a larger number of furbabies and they're of varied ages we have to accomodate for the slower moving ones Now all your guys are still putting on or holding their weights? Take care of yourself, don't get too frustrated we'll get there I will check in later ciao |
|
|
|
Post by ferretpalooza on Nov 5, 2008 22:14:06 GMT -5
Thats what Im doing with the soup and ground. I have been mixing the ground in well and making the soup thick. Im going to just leave that alone and see if they will start eating it regular. Im getting a second job so I wont be around to keep switching the food around as much but will do my best. Max, Sully and Bubba are total fatties. Killa is hanging in there, Bubba is gaining a little and Boudreaux and Chuckie are getting a little slim. I have been feeding them with a spoon to make sure they are eating a little at least.
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Nov 6, 2008 2:12:45 GMT -5
Ok, looks like Chuckie and Boudreax are the two we really have to lean on with a sharp eye kept on Killa (just so he doesn't make that infamous leap backwards ) Are you still supplementing with kibbles or have your guys given up on this? I agree with you about hand feeding Chuckie and Boudreax...keep up with the supplemental hand feeding, hopefully they will start to get the idea and become more reliable feeders. Are they eating their soupy in front of you at all? Is there anything that they really like? You know....cream...eggs..something that they might like that might entice them to eat on their own. Whoa, you really have your hands full with two jobs....times are rough, I'm sorry. You're doing an awesome job by your guys. You've basically got all eating except the two "stick in the muds"...your Killa is going to be like my Loki...you just have to keep an eye on them all the time. Good luck, I will check on you tomorrow. ciao |
|
|
|
Post by ferretpalooza on Nov 6, 2008 22:18:04 GMT -5
They are just so picky about just digging in. Max and Sully never have a problem. Buster is getting to be a regular at the bowl. Bubba eats jerky and kibble in the cage and snacks on the soup/ground mix. Chuckie is just being fickle. He is my only one with no new winter coat, most are getting fat and fluffy. Boudreaux, Chuckie and Killa will eat well if I get them started. They are used to two play times a day but may be reduced to one, longer one, so, yes, I leave kibble and jerky in the cage. At least they have a large cage with a pen area outside of the cage to play in. We'll all be ok, just dont have as much time as I have had in the past and dont want them to not have something they accept to eat. I will just keep plugging along with the ground/soup mix. Most will eat some of it even if they are supplementing with kibble or jerky. That in itself is better than kibble alone.
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Nov 7, 2008 1:07:42 GMT -5
I agree with you. What you're feeding is better than straight kibbles We will keep plugging away and get these guys all on the same page As you are feeding bone in the ground we don't have to worry too much about huge nutritional difficiencies. I would keep adding more and more ground to the mix and less and less of the cooked but only as they willingly eat it. That would be my idea to work toward. It's how I actually got my cat to switch I wonder why Chuckie hasn't got a winter coat on yet...or is he eating that much less of the raw and what you're seeing is the difference between the raw fed ferts and those that eating more kibbles? You should be seeing muscling differences too, soon. Your raw fed ferts will start to muscle up and feel heavier (they won't be flubby ) I know you will be having less time, but please stay in touch and we will get all your furbabies on a healthier diet and get them eating raw with you throwing out less (or at least feeding your dogs less meat...of course your dogs might not appreciate that ) Talk at you later . ciao |
|
