Post by josiesmom on Jun 3, 2008 22:46:47 GMT -5
If you got ferrets, you got poop! And you've become an expert poop watcher!
Last year I posted these pix on the NaturalFerrets yahoo groups. I "dissected" one of Josie's scats after she'd eaten a mouse. No, I didn't follow her around all day - mice were her staple diet, she regularly ate several per day.
AT the same time I had recently adopted Faylene and Fozzy so I had some "kibble poop" to compare with.
Here is a link to my pictograph comparison. While it may not be exactly scientific proof - it certainly is easy to see how natural prey is so much easier on their system!
www.putfile.com/album/122667?pos=top
clicking on the pix should take you to putfile where you can see them full size.
Here is an excerpt of what I posted on ferretopia:
Now you know I've just got to put another idea in your head.... I'm wondering if your new book's poop analysis chapter analyzes any poops from ferrets on an all natural diet? I've read the regular tomes regarding ferret care and viewed many of the poop pix shown, even the ones labeled "healthy" poops. HOWEVER, these are all poops based on kibble diets, which means there is a LOT of indigested matter/roughage in those deposits.
Something very noticeable from the furkids I've switched to natural foods is that their poops are ALWAYS much smaller than what they were when fed kibble. Even what would be considered "thready" sometimes when compared to a kibble cruncher poop.
Keep in mind the ferret's excretory canals aren't that big and what keeps getting posted as a "healthy" poop - may in fact be poops that actually repeatedly stress this system.
I know you feed soups nightly, but there's still a fair amount of kibble in your soup isn't there? Most recommendations for IBD, if the ferret is suspected of having that problem, is to get less plant matter and more meaty protein into the diet. AKA a more natural diet.
My guy's poops will vary in coloration and consistency based on what they ate for the day like on days of cream and eggs, the poops are decidedly mushy, yellow to white and look like teeny piles of pudding.
If they've eaten a high fat content meaty item (like wings) the poops look "bubbly"and yellow but have some form to them.
Did they eat liver? Then their poops are definitely blackish and tarry looking; sometimes formed often just a puddle. Liver has a high blood content and of course not much if any actual fiber in it.
Hearts and gizzards consumed create smooth, dark brown formed poops.
Cornish thighs, rabbit thighs make for brown to dark brown formed poops about 1/4 inch in diameter with identifiable pieces of crunched up bones.
Chicken necks, turkey necks, cgh backs, ribs, etc create light tan to light brown poops 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter again with identifiable pieces of bone.
Mouse poops are the coolest little poops, they look like tiny little ropes which turn out to be the undigestible hair, claws and teeth that the ferret's innards have rolled into a tidy little package and are easily passed, these are usually 1/8 inch in daimeter and rarely ever bigger than 5/16 inch depending on the size of the mouse. These are very light in color ( likely because the hair color of the mice is usually white).
I see a rainbow of poops on a daily basis because not every body eats exactly the same items on the same days. ANd of course there are those kids that eat their stashed prizes. I don't notice much difference in the consistency or colorations when they eat their freeze dried meaty items, likely because the only difference is the amount of water in the original item.
I know that the natural diet is not a diet for everyone, lots of folks can't stomach handling raw meaty stuffs, but a freeze dried program offers similar benefits. Something to keep in mind when analyzing poops and using references; we have to take into account exactly WHAT was eaten to create those poops!
I'd be interested to know if your new reference book does examine "natural" poops.
Cheers,
Kim
Last year I posted these pix on the NaturalFerrets yahoo groups. I "dissected" one of Josie's scats after she'd eaten a mouse. No, I didn't follow her around all day - mice were her staple diet, she regularly ate several per day.
AT the same time I had recently adopted Faylene and Fozzy so I had some "kibble poop" to compare with.
Here is a link to my pictograph comparison. While it may not be exactly scientific proof - it certainly is easy to see how natural prey is so much easier on their system!
www.putfile.com/album/122667?pos=top
clicking on the pix should take you to putfile where you can see them full size.
Here is an excerpt of what I posted on ferretopia:
Now you know I've just got to put another idea in your head.... I'm wondering if your new book's poop analysis chapter analyzes any poops from ferrets on an all natural diet? I've read the regular tomes regarding ferret care and viewed many of the poop pix shown, even the ones labeled "healthy" poops. HOWEVER, these are all poops based on kibble diets, which means there is a LOT of indigested matter/roughage in those deposits.
Something very noticeable from the furkids I've switched to natural foods is that their poops are ALWAYS much smaller than what they were when fed kibble. Even what would be considered "thready" sometimes when compared to a kibble cruncher poop.
Keep in mind the ferret's excretory canals aren't that big and what keeps getting posted as a "healthy" poop - may in fact be poops that actually repeatedly stress this system.
I know you feed soups nightly, but there's still a fair amount of kibble in your soup isn't there? Most recommendations for IBD, if the ferret is suspected of having that problem, is to get less plant matter and more meaty protein into the diet. AKA a more natural diet.
My guy's poops will vary in coloration and consistency based on what they ate for the day like on days of cream and eggs, the poops are decidedly mushy, yellow to white and look like teeny piles of pudding.
If they've eaten a high fat content meaty item (like wings) the poops look "bubbly"and yellow but have some form to them.
Did they eat liver? Then their poops are definitely blackish and tarry looking; sometimes formed often just a puddle. Liver has a high blood content and of course not much if any actual fiber in it.
Hearts and gizzards consumed create smooth, dark brown formed poops.
Cornish thighs, rabbit thighs make for brown to dark brown formed poops about 1/4 inch in diameter with identifiable pieces of crunched up bones.
Chicken necks, turkey necks, cgh backs, ribs, etc create light tan to light brown poops 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter again with identifiable pieces of bone.
Mouse poops are the coolest little poops, they look like tiny little ropes which turn out to be the undigestible hair, claws and teeth that the ferret's innards have rolled into a tidy little package and are easily passed, these are usually 1/8 inch in daimeter and rarely ever bigger than 5/16 inch depending on the size of the mouse. These are very light in color ( likely because the hair color of the mice is usually white).
I see a rainbow of poops on a daily basis because not every body eats exactly the same items on the same days. ANd of course there are those kids that eat their stashed prizes. I don't notice much difference in the consistency or colorations when they eat their freeze dried meaty items, likely because the only difference is the amount of water in the original item.
I know that the natural diet is not a diet for everyone, lots of folks can't stomach handling raw meaty stuffs, but a freeze dried program offers similar benefits. Something to keep in mind when analyzing poops and using references; we have to take into account exactly WHAT was eaten to create those poops!
I'd be interested to know if your new reference book does examine "natural" poops.
Cheers,
Kim