Nilla and Mocha's Switch

[Heather]

B&E = break and enter
You don't really want them to get to attached to the cat food...it's really not much better --- It's all a matter of degrees When we're switching kitties it goes.... kibbles....moist cat food is better than kibbles....raw ground is better than kitty moist....whole meat and bones is better than ground raw....whole prey is better than whole meats. See all a matter of degrees. Some people are happy anywhere along this process. It depends where you want to go with your journey. For better health I strongly suggest at least getting to the ground raw. The way I look at it once they're there, everything else is icing on the cake. If your guys are no longer eating kibbles then perhaps the kitty's food with your raw soupy mix is the next step. As I mentioned before there's no real wrong way, only the way that your ferrets will get to where you want them to in their diet:) If you now want to progress to adding ground raw meat to the kitty food to get your furbabies to eat you can go that route too.
How's Nilla doing? She made it out to the living room...that's great. Is her walking improved any?
I will check in with you later
ciao

[horseyliz]

i am going to add ground meat and see how they both do. Nilla is still having troubles. we r all in the process of moving so i will be on here and there. till the move is coplete.

[Heather]

I"m sorry that Nilla's still having difficulties. Good luck with the ground meat. Hopefully, you will see them eat it well. Good luck with your moving, be aware that your stress about the food changes, Nilla's continued illness and your moving will also affect how readily your guys will accept the new diet. Perhaps some rescue remedy might help your guys not only with the transition but the other various changes that are going on in your lives
Good luck with your moving (not a job that I enjoy at any time )
ciao

[horseyliz]

Thanks for the support. Nilla is doping really well actully. A cople of days ago she started going out of her cage as soon as i opened the door. she also climbs to the higher levels of the cage. most of the time climbing up by the wire. Mocha was sad to be put in a cage. but she is getting used vto it now.

I am feed ing both of them wet cat food and half ground beef as well as wet ferret food and turkey gravey. Nilla seems to be doing well. i hope to have them be eating just ground meat by christmas.

[horseyliz]

Nilla still is walking side ways but is trying a lot harder to get around.

[Heather]

I'm glad to hear that Nilla is doing better. You just can't keep a good fert down
What's in your ground meat mix? (just to refresh this old mind ) Are they eating this mix? On their own or supplemented?
How did your move go? I'm guessing that because your furbabies are now caged that you've made your move. How are your furbabies handling this?
I will check on you later this evening and see how things are going. I'm glad to see you back
ciao

[horseyliz]

Sorry uts been so long when i last posted. Nilla completly excepted being caged. Mocha has put up a fight. but now they are both of k with being caged. I'm almost done with my move. it takes forever when u have to take things by buss.

They mostly have been eating wet catfood- mostly chicken/turkey or beef based. they still steal the cats kibble. I've been giving nila ferret vite sveral times a week. I'm going to add cooked turkey today cause we r celebrating thanksgiving. And i was not awake beore it was being cooked to steal raw turkey. i only gave them a few kibbles so they would be hungrey and actully eat turkey.

[Heather]

Are you no longer feeding raw? or have you shelved this until you've finished your move? I'm glad to hear that you're almost complete. I so hate moving
How is Nilla doing? Is she still improving? I will check in on you again tomorrow. Please keep in touch
ciao

[horseyliz]

soryy heather i am only able to be on if i go to the libray. I'm done with the move.
Nilla got beat up my my early christmas present- a 7 week old ferret i've named oreo. she just had wounds on her ears. so now i have seporated nilla from the other ferrets. i may be puting nila to sleep soon, as she is not recovering, and i think she really is suffering.

Nilla, Mocha and the newbie Oreo are all eating ground meat with or with out the cat food. Should a 7week old ferret be eating ground meat or chunks or what?
And do i need to fill out the form from the begining about oreo?
I will now start increasing meat and size. and see how the weekend goes. i will let u know whats going on then.

[Heather]

I'm glad to hear that you've got your move complete. How are your furbabies taking all this moving stuff? Have you an area that they can play in?
I'm sorry to hear that poor Nilla got a beating She's not going into a depression because you've separated her from her original cage mate is she? Poor little thing. What does your vet think? That she's in pain? How is she eating? When I last spoke to you her will to live and to try was still very strong and she was making some progress. Does the vet think that her problems may be because when she was choking she was deprived of oxygen? How is she doing mentaly? You're right the baby is probably too rough to be allowed to play with her. I have a couple of furbabies like that. They require special care as the younger ones just pester the daylights out of them Poor little sods, so I let them wander and play on their own. Most times they just find a cubby and sleep but it allows them peace and they can do what they want without being run over by the furbrats
Congratulations on your newest arrival . I don't think you have to go through the whole introduction thing again. I don't think that my other transitioning person had to fill out anything when her one rescue passed on and she rescued 2 new ferrets. Oreo is at the perfect stage for transitioning. Babies put everything in their mouth and they still haven't decided what tastes good. So provide him with as much food stimulation as possible. You could probably just start adding chunks and whole meats as soon as you can get him to taste it. He's very impressionable at this stage.
Please let me know how your chunked meat adventure goes. Watch Nilla, she may not be able to do chunked meats. My Aremis can no longer eat chunked meats to any great degree. It tires him out too much (he has final stages of lymphomas) so I have to hand feed him baby food. Good luck, I will be checking in so pop in if you can get on line.
ciao

[horseyliz]

Nilla has been ajusting to not having buddies just fine. I may put moca with her once and a while just so theythey will not miss each other. i put chunks of meat in the baby's food and some was eaten but most of it i threw away. All three of my ferrets are girls. Mocha and oreo get along good except last night when they were hissing at each other. They get out an hour or two per day. My bf and my room and we block the door so they can not escape. i coudle nilla once a day.

Nila is about the same as she was before. it is just breaking my heart to not see her run and play like her sisters. Nilla eats more than my other two.

[Heather]

How big are the chunked meats? Have you tried ground in the baby food? and then graduate to chunkier. They can be so picky
It sounds to me as though Nilla is doing ok as a solo ferret, some do. Have you thought of giving her messages during your snuggle times? It's a way both of you can get some quality time and it might stimulate the blood flow into her limbs. Is it only her back end that is affected or is it all her limbs? Does she like playing with crochet eggs or maybe being tickled? She may not be able to play like she did but it does sound as though she's still quite fit and maybe working with her might stimulate some further progress. Just some thoughts. I will check in with you later and see how things are going.
ciao

[horseyliz]

I have been writing notessince i posted last so iwill pot them now.

12/6- i gave Oreo a whole eggwith the shell inclided. she ate all of the egg and part of the shell. oreo started beating Mocha till either she cries or hisses. Mocha and /nilla were reunited and ate ground up turkey.

12/7-Mocha Nilla, and Oreo all got kibble as i ran out of meat. Oreo is sucking and chewing on other ferrets ears. I bite Oreo;s ears wich is seeming to work.

12/8-wet cat food for all 3. Mocha starts to beat Oreo back.

12/9-small 1 mm chunks of hot dog. Mocha and oreo ate all of theirs. Nilla only ate a few peices.

12/10-Mocha and oreo ate 2mm chunks of hot dogs and some kibble. Nilla had letover 1mm chunks.

12/11- 3mm chunks of hot dog mixed with wet cat food-for mocha and oreo. Nilla got just wet cat food.

12/12-4mm chunks of hot dog(1/3cup) and a smallcan of wet foodfor Mocha and Oreo. Nilla had 1/2 a can of cat food as well.

12/13-gave nilla kibble. Oreo and mocha had left overs from 12/12.

[Heather]

I would be very cautious feeding ferrets hot dogs. They are filled with sodium nitrates and can cause some severe health problems if this becomes a meal on a reg. basis. You need to get them on real meats, chicken, beef, quail, pork. Hot dogs are just processed meats (unless you're feeding something I don't know about ) and can be used for the occasional treats but not a meal. Try this:
2 cups of ground meat (ultiimate would be if you can find a ground meat and bone mix, some even have the offal added. If you use this take out the egg shell)
1 tsp powdered egg shell
1 egg
some offal.... a couple of pieces of liver and a couple of hearts. I always put in more hearts as they're usually frozen first and the taurine loss is higher.
You need to get your guys more toward a more balanced diet. I would definitely be trying to get your guys away from hotdogs.
I'm glad to hear that your older guys are starting to stand up to the kit's antics. I know from having Napoleon that the kits can be quite the bullies and sometimes the older ones don't know how to discipline the brats I'm glad to see that Nilla is still with you and seems to be pulling her own in things.
Check in with me and we will try and get your guys moving in the right direction again
ciao

[horseyliz]

i did not relize hot dogs were so bad for ferrets and it was all the meat that i had. Can i give them miceand chicken wings? is the meal idea is that per meal or all day and is that only for a ferret or is thatfor ann 3 of mine?

12/14-wet kibble

12/15-1/3 cup wet cat food

12/16-1/3 cup wet chicken cat food with chunks of chickenabout 1/2 cup

12/17-nilla has started to deteriate she is bleeding from her nose rectum and vula and laying in her waste.

since 12/17 i have been feeding my three babies a 5 oz can of wet cat food and 1/2 a cup of meat per day and two handfulls of kibble at night.

I took nilla to the vet and to be put to sleep but i could n't go through with it so instead i am going to have bllod work done to see if their is anything that can be done to save her. she is doing alright. Oreo is not afraid to try anything. she even swims in the tub. Mocha is doing well too.