Mable's Mama

[little]

Hello from Mable's Mama! I'm Christina from Vermont. At the moment, however, I am in Guadalajara, Mexico studying for a Masters in Spanish (and have been for the last 5 weeks.) I will be returning to my baby girl in a few days. She has been vacationing with grandma in Connecticut during my absence, and is a spoiled little grandbaby.

Anyway, Mable is about 10 months old and weighs 1-1.5 pounds. She is a Marshall's ferret and currently eats a mix of 8-n-1 Ultimate Crunchy and EVO. I am interested in switching her to a raw and/or commercial raw diet; it's important to me that Mable has the best/healthiest lifestyle that I can provide her with.

However, I am a little concerned that right now isn't the best time to undertake this kind of change as I am just getting back from being away, and I am starting a new job at the end of the month. AKA, I don't know if I'll have the time to research this properly as I still have a ton of questions. I have been looking through the info on this site, and it is helpful. But it has been challenging to find thorough/comprehensive answers in one place; it's more like I pick up a little bit here...a little bit there.

Anyway, if anyone has the patience to help me with some of my questions, or to point me in the direction of an answer, I'd appreciate it. Some of the things I've been wondering:

-Where can I find a guideline for how much raw food to feed on a daily basis? Does this amount change depending on the type of meat I'd be feeding?

-What kinds of meats (bones, organs, etc.) would I have to feed and how regularly to provide a healthy and balanced diet for Mable?

-I know that timing depends on each individual ferret, but how long on average does the process typically take to change over to a completely raw diet? What would a safe/healthy timeline look like?

Thanks.

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[sherrylynne]

Hello, Mable's Mamma! Welcome to the forum, Christine . I do understand your confusion and hesitation. It seems like an awfully big step. And please- feel free to ask as many questions as you like. We've got a lot of ferret knowledgeable people on board here, and they'll be more than willing to help out where needed. As to your first questions:

-Where can I find a guideline for how much raw food to feed on a daily basis? Does this amount change depending on the type of meat I'd be feeding?

As for a guideline, I basically listen to my ferrets. If I've given too much, they stash it. A lot! If there's nothing left to stash, I give them a bit more, until they've stashed a couple of pieces. I've not found the amount has changed so much with the type of meat, as with the seasons(they'll eat more coming up to winter), and with activity level.
My males eat an average of 3-4 ounces a day, my females 2-3 per day. Also, if they REALLY like it- they'll try to be little piggies

-What kinds of meats (bones, organs, etc.) would I have to feed and how regularly to provide a healthy and balanced diet for Mable?

I feed twice a day, and be sure to leave extra for nibbles throughout the day. A basic diet is 4 days raw meaty bones, 2 days muscle meats, and one meal liver/other organ. The 2nd meal that day can be either bone or meat. You need to feed a minimum of 3 different proteins as a base. Obviously, the more, the better. So- chicken, beef, pork would cover your bases, but if you can find/get other meats, all the better.

-I know that timing depends on each individual ferret, but how long on average does the process typically take to change over to a completely raw diet? What would a safe/healthy timeline look like?

I had one totally switched the moment she walked in the door. Another who took 6 weeks to decide I wasn't trying to poison him Unfortunately, we can't answer that one. It really does depend on how open the individual ferret is to new tastes, smells, experiences.

[little]

Thanks for your response, Sherrylynne, it really helped.

I guess with the timeline question, I was wondering if switching too quickly could be harmful to Mable? I know, for example, when switching kibble brands it is important to go slowly and mix them for several days before eventually fading one out. Would it be the same concept with going raw? (Probably this is a moot question because I don't think Mable's going to adapt that quickly anyway, but we'll see...)

I think next weekend after I get home and she and I get settled again I will try one of the soupie recipes I've seen floating around on this site. I also need to check with my local Shaws about the availability of different meats/parts.

[sherrylynne]

The thing about raw is that they digest it so easily. Far more so than any kibble out there. You will notice looser poops, but that's quite normal, as they're not getting all the bulk and fillers. As long as your ferret is healthy, there should be no problems.

[Heather]

Hi and welcome to the forum Christina and a special hug welcome to Mable
I see that sherrylynne has been answering all your questions so I won't double up on them. The younger the ferret the easier and quicker it is to switch (most times :
Please feel free to prowl the site, read various threads and please ask questions. No question is too "silly" because chances are it's been thought if not asked before. As much fun as ferrets are, they're complex little souls and keeping them healthy can be a real battle. Everyone here is friendly and helpful so don't be shy. I hope that I will be seeing you around.
ciao

[little]

Thanks, Heather. I have been poking around a fair bit and have learned enough to make me think this is the right way to go. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I am ready to start soupies and hopefully Mable and I will work our way up from there.

Unfortunately, the boyfriend isn't very excited about this change; for some reason he equates me talking about putting Mable on a raw diet to me rejecting anything and everything that's not certified organic, which is just not (and has never been) the case. He's very sensitive about the semi-recent push towards natural and organic foods. But hopefully once I start putting the raw diet into practice and he sees the benefits he'll come around.

[sherrylynne]

If I could afford only organic meats for my ferrets, believe me, I would do so! Unfortunately, it's simply not that cost effective for me(I have 8 of the little beggars ). If he really insists on going organic, you probably could. But also remind him, kibbles of any kind are not totally organic, no matter what they say!