Post by lo0ry on Mar 23, 2009 21:01:02 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)?
Right now we have a little albino boy named Randall. He is about a year and a half old and he is very healthy, just always itchy but i took him to the vet and they did a skin/feces sample and said everything looked good.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
He has always been fed Marshalls brand ferret food, i didn't know until I started researching how bad it actually was for him and I would like to switch diets. His poop also smells terribly.
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
I would like to switch to a more natural diet. I can't, however, feed live mice. We tried once with our ball python and instead we tried to keep a very little pinky mouse alive with kitten formula around the clock... it didn't work after a week and a half and we ended up burying him, RIP.
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
I have seen all the wonderful things people have had to say about it both here and at forum.ferret and i would like Randall to be has happy and healthy as he can be.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
While researching diets I came across this idea and think it is very good. I am currently a Zoo Biology major in school and believe animals should be fed diets as they would eat in the wild.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
Oh gosh.. we just went to the vet twice about two months ago and I'm not sure of his weight but I was told he was healthy and even put on an ounce in the three weeks between visits.
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
He has very pink gums and white teeth. I can't really get a picture of them
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
He has a full white coat which is very shiny
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
everytime he wakes up he goes and right after he eats, so quite a lot.
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
His feces smells very bad. When we had three ferrets it was unbearable to be in the room their cage was in even two days after it had been cleaned out.
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
He smells moderately bad, It's about bath time for him.
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
When he first gets out of his cage to play, he is a ten. He is completely off the walls crazy and after about a half hour he goes into ornery mode and tries to get into trouble and about an hour or two after that he settles down and finds somewhere to take a nap. When he is in his cage though, he could sleep for days if we let him.
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
He constantly has food in his bowl, so i'm not sure but when he runs out he gets very happy when we refill it.
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
No, I honestly didn't know people did feed them raw food.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
This is the best I have right now, if you need another I can get one.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/lo0oree/Photo39.jpg
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?**
Yes, since I am in school, I am on the computer ALOT. My email is lslabaugh08@gmail.com
If you need to contact me, I check that very often.
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 (or email addresses if you don't feel comfortable exchanging 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.
Right now we have a little albino boy named Randall. He is about a year and a half old and he is very healthy, just always itchy but i took him to the vet and they did a skin/feces sample and said everything looked good.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
He has always been fed Marshalls brand ferret food, i didn't know until I started researching how bad it actually was for him and I would like to switch diets. His poop also smells terribly.
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
I would like to switch to a more natural diet. I can't, however, feed live mice. We tried once with our ball python and instead we tried to keep a very little pinky mouse alive with kitten formula around the clock... it didn't work after a week and a half and we ended up burying him, RIP.
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
I have seen all the wonderful things people have had to say about it both here and at forum.ferret and i would like Randall to be has happy and healthy as he can be.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
While researching diets I came across this idea and think it is very good. I am currently a Zoo Biology major in school and believe animals should be fed diets as they would eat in the wild.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
Oh gosh.. we just went to the vet twice about two months ago and I'm not sure of his weight but I was told he was healthy and even put on an ounce in the three weeks between visits.
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
He has very pink gums and white teeth. I can't really get a picture of them
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
He has a full white coat which is very shiny
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
everytime he wakes up he goes and right after he eats, so quite a lot.
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
His feces smells very bad. When we had three ferrets it was unbearable to be in the room their cage was in even two days after it had been cleaned out.
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
He smells moderately bad, It's about bath time for him.
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
When he first gets out of his cage to play, he is a ten. He is completely off the walls crazy and after about a half hour he goes into ornery mode and tries to get into trouble and about an hour or two after that he settles down and finds somewhere to take a nap. When he is in his cage though, he could sleep for days if we let him.
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
He constantly has food in his bowl, so i'm not sure but when he runs out he gets very happy when we refill it.
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
No, I honestly didn't know people did feed them raw food.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
This is the best I have right now, if you need another I can get one.
img.photobucket.com/albums/v212/lo0oree/Photo39.jpg
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?**
Yes, since I am in school, I am on the computer ALOT. My email is lslabaugh08@gmail.com
If you need to contact me, I check that very often.
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 (or email addresses if you don't feel comfortable exchanging 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.
