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Post by bluedove on Mar 9, 2009 19:51:00 GMT -5
I'm interested in learning more about feeding ferrets a raw and/or whole prey diet... but I have a pretty strong aversion to handling raw meat. I'm not concerned that the meat is bad for her... I am convinced that the closer we get to her natural evolved diet, the better. I guess I have a bit of a phobia concerning food-borne illness for myself and my family... I almost never buy/handle/cook raw meat myself. Feeding thawed whole prey sounds more to my liking, although it would involve the purchase of a freezer, most likely. I just thought maybe if I could read some testimonials about what kind of obvious benefits people's ferrets have experienced on the diet, it might give me a better idea of how worthwhile the effort of this diet is.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Mar 9, 2009 19:57:27 GMT -5
Well once you get used to handling the meat and prey its not that bad. You just get used to it. Using common sense and sanitary procedures you and your family will be fine and not get any food bourne illness.
Now for my testimonial:
I started my first business of ferrets on raw feeding almost 2 years ago. They were all young and healthy, and I wanted to keep them that way, so I switched to raw. Once they made the switch I was amazed! They smelled alot less almost instantly. They went to the bathroom MUCH less and in smaller amounts and their feces didnt smell bad either.
I now feed my current buisiness raw/whole prey and they thrive on it. Their teeth are white and sparkly, they have tons of energy. They are musculare and my vet marvels at their condition. Their fur is SOOOO soft AND long.
I have never had a sick ferret. They just don't get colds, tummy upsets, etc. They've always been healthy. I hope it stays that way.
My oldest ferret is 9 years old. She eats a commercial raw diet. After switching her to raw I saw a HUGE difference in her health and vitality. On kibble she would drink almost a whole water bottle per day. Now she drinks a much healthier amount (she gets her moisture from her meat---as nature intended). She has alot more energy and her fur has turned from straw to silk.
Raw feeding isn't a miracle cure, it won't "cure" some medical conditions, but its just common sense that a good diet promotes good health. After seeing the changes a raw diet made for my ferrets I decided to spread the word and help others. I founded this forum to help people experience that same great results in their ferrets that I saw in mine.
If you have any questions, please post them. We are here to help. I hope you set foot into the world of natural feeding. You'll never go back!
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Post by bigsis7 on Mar 9, 2009 20:02:46 GMT -5
Hey! Well at first I was worried about handling raw meat also, but after learning all the benefits I decided it was worth it. Now it's just like feeding my ferrets kibble, except it takes a bit longer to prepare. I don't even touch the meat as I use zip loc bags as gloves when handling it! When I got my ferret, Chewie (my second ferret), Oliver was already on a raw diet. Chewie had/has adrenal, was under weight, had bad tartar build up, and was very lethargic. Once I started him on a raw diet his energy went way up and he gained around .5 pounds (another 1 pound on lupron). Chewie now eats twice as much as Oliver, has a lot of energy, and his teeth are way better! They lose a lot of any smell they may have, they poop less, have more energy, softer coat, etc. It's not as convienent as kibble, but it is so much better, especially for an ill/underweight ferret. Hope that helps!
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 9, 2009 20:49:18 GMT -5
I used to work in restaurants, so handling raw meats never bothered me ! I first started looking into different diets for mine when my vet mentioned a potential link between early feeding of sugars(ie: fruits, etc), and later development of insulinomas. That got me thinking. If it was possible for simple sugars to possibly cause this, how about the complex sugars of grains? Which almost all kibble is full of. So- I started asking questions about diet, and was finally directed here. And we've never looked back To start, I noticed the difference in their fur. Softer, shinier, somehow fuller. Teeth- white and pearly! Two of mine were looking at having a dental cleaning within a few months(they were only a year old!). Two months after being on raw, at they're checkup, there was no tarter at all. Even the vet said they were everything a ferret should be . Previously, one had chronic loose stools(turns out he has a problem with chicken- a main kibble ingredient), and one was overweight. I've also found they heal much faster from injuries. Sinnead cut her tongue really badly(about 1/3 of the way across, and clean through top to bottom). In just one week- she was over 95% healed. Enough to start eating her bone again! Lucrezia sprained her hip/leg to the point she had trouble putting weight on it. Within 3 days, she was running again. And yes- I do attribute the rapid healing to the raw diet. Would I ever feed kibble again? Not on your life! My kids have more energy, fewer problems, no true hyperactivity/crashing. They can go for 3 hours at a stretch. Eyes are brighter, minds work faster(I'm not so sure this is a plus some days ). They are much more muscular, bite less, and are just generally healthier! And like Guili said- less smell, and fewer, smaller poops! And let's face it- smaller poops are always a good thing !
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Post by jojodancer on Mar 10, 2009 9:33:57 GMT -5
I feed commercial raw, mainly because of time contraints, but there are other benefits (imo) in that you don't have to keep food logs, you know your ferrets are getting 100% complete meals with every bite, and you won't have a toddler running around with a mouse carcas or raw bone in their hand. Clean-up is a breeze, in that it is contained in one area (food dishes in the cage, and soup bowl on a placemat in the kitchen). And I don't have to handle raw, bloody, meats and organs.
I began feeding raw when my beloved Casey passed away due to insulinoma. He was a finicky old man, only eating the mediocre kibble he was raised on for the 5 years before we got him. We saw insulinoma sap the spark from his eyes, and it hurt us. We started feeding raw, almost forcing our other ferrets to eat it, to stop them from suffering the same way.
We've had 3 others die since Casey. Mr Lynx was 9 years old - we didn't do a necropsy, we feel he died due to old age. He was happy and bright until the last 3 or 4 days. Morris died of liver cancer; his death was sudden. Sydney died of kidney failure - ther ewas nothing we could do. None of these deaths were diet related, even though Morris and Mr Lynx were on pred for insulinoma. IMO, the raw diet they were on, made their last days happy and ferrety, as opposed to lethargic and sad (as Casey's was).
Our 6 ferrets have soft, luxurious coats. They are spry, eager to eat. Their poops are small and not very stinky. Our two old timers (6 and 6.5 years old) have insulinoma and are on pred. Even though their BG is low, (sometimes in the 30's) they are still happy and curious and war dance and dook. This is not a standard symptom of insulinoma, our vet techs check BG two or three times, and each time their BG is in 30's or 40's. I chalk up their behavior to the diet, as well as meds.
I guess I should mention that all but 2 of our ferrets are adopted/fostered from the shelter. We tend to bring home the older ones (4 yo or older) and give them a loving home until they pass. Passing to the rainbow bridge has been easier since feeding raw. The ferrets with insulinoma have had steady BG reading with the raw diet.
What I feed my ferrets: ziwipeak available 24/7 in their cage. Raw soupies made with AFS, Wysong, or Stella and Chewy's twice a day.
hope this helps!
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Post by bluedove on Mar 11, 2009 3:49:30 GMT -5
Gosh... I never realized how many health issues ferrets were prone to... I do worry about Liddle. She has semi loose poops and we noticed last week or so that her glands were slightly swollen. It just so happened to coincide with my trying out that Bi-odor product in her water, so I discontinued it immediately. I haven't tried it again. She scared me half to death recently... went to pull her out of her hammock and found her limp and unresponsive... I was almost positive she was dead. But apparently it was just very deep sleep as she soon began to stir and after fully awake was perfectly normal. This is fairly common from what I read online... but I still found it very disconcerting. I like the sound of a commercial raw diet. We may be in the position to raise chicken and rabbits in the next year or two... but can probably only begin raising mice now. I am concerned about the cost, however. How much do you think it costs to feed one 2lb jill on a commercial raw diet?
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Post by jojodancer on Mar 11, 2009 7:05:49 GMT -5
Here's the breakdown for my 6 ferrets: 4 bags of ziwipeak per month = $42 2 Stella & Chewy Patties per day (est) is 60 per month or 5 bags of S&C = $42.50 ( I have to estimate the S&C because I also use AFS patties and sprinkles and my soups are not the same thing day to day, but it's easier to compute the cost if I only use one product) COST= $84.50 per month for 6 ferrets breaks down to COST = $14.08 per ferret per month or COST = $0.47 per ferret per day Isn't that sleep-not-dead thing the ferrets do scary! It doesn't get any easier, unfortunately. Here is a link to a you-tube video of a SND ferret. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCpcYbHPWKc&feature=related
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Post by selzdaze on Mar 11, 2009 8:37:38 GMT -5
... I switched to raw. Once they made the switch I was amazed! They smelled alot less almost instantly. They went to the bathroom MUCH less and in smaller amounts and their feces didnt smell bad either. ...On kibble she would drink almost a whole water bottle per day. Now she drinks a much healthier amount (she gets her moisture from her meat---as nature intended). I supplement kibble with raw/prey several times a week, and just in doing this small amount I have noticed a significant difference in the amount of poop (and how easy it is to clean up - prey poops that missed the litter tray are far easier to clear away than kibble poops that missed!). Never expected that benifit to it, or that the poop volume could be so much reduced from replacing kibble for just those few meals a week! The volume of water that they drink has also lessened, though not hugely as they still get kibble, but enough that I am aware of the difference.
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Post by bluedove on Mar 12, 2009 7:31:40 GMT -5
What is meant by soup/soupies? I had heard of duck soup and looked it up... but it appears to be made from crushed/powedered ferret kibble. Surely this not what you're feeding on a raw diet?
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Post by sherrylynne on Mar 12, 2009 8:47:10 GMT -5
No, it isn't . More traditional duck soup is made with the kibbles, cooked chicken, organs, etc. I just adapt mine for a raw diet. Meat, liver, heart, kidney, broth or water, sometimes an egg thrown in, pureed, and just slightly warmed
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Post by jojodancer on Mar 13, 2009 7:59:18 GMT -5
Yep - I adapt my soupies to be raw just like Sherrylynne. I use the commercial raw, add water, mush it up to be the consistency of oatmeal, and then let them chow down.
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Post by bigsis7 on Mar 13, 2009 10:06:21 GMT -5
jojodancer, How are their teeth? Does the commercial raw clean their teeth or do you have to clean the ferrets teeth yourself?
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Post by jojodancer on Mar 13, 2009 15:18:48 GMT -5
I brush their teeth every other week. There are chunky bits in the soups, but not enough to clean their teeth naturally.
However, it is raw. If it gets stuck in the gumline, it won't become infected as kibble does. The raw meat dissolves naturally. And, as you know, it's not as hard as kibble, so the teeth aren't getting ground down, either.
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Post by bigsis7 on Mar 13, 2009 16:38:15 GMT -5
Is brushing a ferrets teeth something that should be done or is it a personal preference? Thanks!
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Post by jojodancer on Mar 14, 2009 11:44:18 GMT -5
personally, I feel that tooth brushing is something that should be done. What's that saying? "An ounce of prevention ...." Tooth brushing isn't detrimental and doesn't hurt. Nothing but good can come of it.
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