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Post by michysweets on Mar 24, 2009 2:31:57 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)?I have 1 but me and my husband are going to be adding to the family within the next month.... he needs a friend.. He is 3-4 months and about 3-4 pounds...currently no health issues.. he did have a bit of a peek a boo tiny prolapse but that stopped after the hard core dry stopped..... 2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).Rascal currently eating a Pureed mix of raw rabbit, chicken baby food, wild harvest, orijen.... The wild harvest was what he originally was eating til i realized how bad... he is also getting chicken jerky treats... cant find ferretone at all 3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?My cats are currently switching over from fancy feast to rabbit... and chicken raw from Hare-today I would love to get a similar for him..
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?My cat is diabetic... i want the cats ant the ferrets to have the healthiest diet possible, less health issues... 5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?Feline diabetes.com, the diabetic issues.... 6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?3-4lbs he has a little bit on him, i notice him looking slightly pudgy but i am not familiar with healthy weights for ferret 7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)Rascals teeth are very bright shiny and sharp.... 8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.He is a champagne and cream... beautiful 9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?Less since the dry switch, um probably about every couple of hours.. pees alot more than he used to but i always make sure he gets plenty of liquid in his food 10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?No not really. 11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor? 1-10 10 being strong he is probably a 4-5 12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?He is probably a 6-7, ok and 8
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?um pretty uninterested lately....he will eat it eventually but isnt as enthusiastic as before(over the last 2 days) 14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.Yes 2 times, once with a whole prey mouse( cut it into peices, warmed up and slit open), with some of the cats Hare- today ground rabbit..( tried mixing it with his baby food.. opened his mouth put it in, tried leaving it for him to try later) none were successful.... 15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share? he is a nipper we try alot.... to be consistant.. we always say no bite.. no good he is high energy and loves to play peek- a - boo with the cats... He luvs outings... 16 . If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below: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 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 **Note 1: If you are unable to make it to a computer (such as on weekends) please indicate below so we know whether you just dont have computer access or if you have gone MIA.
i will be only responding in the mornings :)I work nights ***Note 2: If you would like to try the switch again and you are committed to making regular updates you ARE welcome to restart your thread. Failure to provide regular updates will result in the deletion of your thread. « Last Edit: Sept 15, 2008, 3:46pm by Giuliana » Lin23` Qk to Post - Back to Top IP: Logged the pic didnt post sorry
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Post by michysweets on Mar 24, 2009 23:13:26 GMT -5
how long do it usually take to get a mentor and what do i do in the meantime
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Post by faunafreak on Mar 25, 2009 0:05:52 GMT -5
Hi! I'm not a mentor, but I just wanted to let you know that it can take a day or so - usually someone checks daily, but due to the time differences around the country/world, the person who responds may not be online when you are. For the time being, if you have a soup mix that you're giving your ferret, keep giving him that. I don't want to offer any advice on further switching, as I'm in the process of switching my ferrets and cats myself. However, you can also read through the other posts in the Mentor section to get some ideas. If a mentor doesn't respond/isn't assigned to you in a few days, maybe try contacting Giuli or one of the moderators for help. Good luck!
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Post by Heather on Mar 25, 2009 0:26:51 GMT -5
I'm just popping in on my way by You're switching your kitty to some grinds from hare today. Try that on your baby. He's not very old so he shouldn't give you much grief. You've made up a soupy with the raw correct? Try removing the kibble that you've got in there, so that he's eating just the pureed rabbit and baby food. (don't worry about ferretone it's bad for him anyway ) See if he will eat it that way. If he won't add the kibble but add less and increase the raw. Don't make large batches, just in case he won't eat this. You may have to sit and snuggle him and feed him with a spoon or use your finger to start him but he should take too it because the flavour is similar and the texture is exactly what he's been eating all along. The problem with switching a ferret is that they normally have a problem with the texture first and flavour next. Baby ferts are more willing to but things in their mouths, anytime after a year things get a little more difficult. I will check in with you later and see if Giuli has found you a mentor. Hopefully, she will have found someone to work with you in a couple of days. She is in school and I don't know if she's in the middle of midterms or not right now. Talk at you later ciao
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Post by michysweets on Mar 26, 2009 0:00:11 GMT -5
ok know i dont have a mentor but was reading a couple of things and i tried one I read on one of the things that with the duck soup to try just add some raw without kibble, he didnt take to this... did try the syringe feeding took to this... read something about lowering the syringe slowly to the bowl did so... HE STARTED EATING THE RAW FROM THE BOWL... so in this soup he has exactly this part raw part chicken & gravy baby food water he even ate some of the chunks at the bottom, spit out a bown
OK had to share this partial victory yeah later
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Post by Heather on Mar 26, 2009 0:33:18 GMT -5
Yay That's great. You'll have him eating raw before you even get a mentor Try the same thing again tomorrow and see if he will try and do a bit more on his own. You may have to start him again but he might remember. Keep doing what your doing. The next step is to decrease the baby food, so that the mix is dryer, so that he's eating more meat and less baby food, but don't worry about that right now. Let's just get him accepting the new taste of the food you're offering him Great work. Give yourself a pat on the back and give your little furbrat a great big hug from me I will check in with you tomorrow. ciao
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Post by michysweets on Mar 26, 2009 12:53:50 GMT -5
ok left some of the food without kibble in his cage completely gone ok also fed him this morning , little syringing but he ate it all, cept some of the chunks
couple other things he has been out more lately, the nipping has all but ceased over the last few days... still a bit of hyper nip but thats ok he seems happy, luvs grooming daddy and me which is a luv thing i know so all and all he just over all is way sweeter
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Post by Heather on Mar 26, 2009 14:05:42 GMT -5
I've found that nippy ferrets are less nippy once they start eating "real" food. It's just an observation but it seems to work. It sounds like things are moving right along. It's never hard getting babies to eat....they love testing out new things . You are doing very well. Give it a go the same tonight. When are you going to make up some new soupy or are making it up fresh every night? If you're going to make it up fresh, make it with less baby food and more meat. Your still going to want to make it mushy because if you change the texture too quickly he will baulk at eating it. Great work, I will check in with you tonight and see how your doing ciao
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Post by michysweets on Mar 26, 2009 15:08:19 GMT -5
i will be at work later will not be posting again today tomorrow morning my routine is to make relatively small batches they usually last about 2 days maybe less
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Post by Heather on Mar 27, 2009 0:28:07 GMT -5
Sounds good, I will check in with you tomorrow then ciao
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Post by michysweets on Mar 27, 2009 13:24:42 GMT -5
did good today i put barely any baby food he ate it although i had to syringe it to begin with will talk later
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Post by Heather on Mar 27, 2009 22:55:41 GMT -5
Excellent....you're almost there Let him have a couple of days for comfort and then get rid of the kibble out of your soupy. I will check in and see if you managed to entice him without the syringe Talk at you later ciao
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Post by michysweets on Mar 28, 2009 3:01:47 GMT -5
um there is no kibble in the soupy i have been feeding for the last 2 days yeah hes taking a bit more convincing dh left some in his bowl, didnt eat it but i syringed it and he ate almost all of it from the bowl i left some in the bowl we will see if he ate it in the morning
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Post by Heather on Mar 28, 2009 21:24:02 GMT -5
Did he eat it out of the bowl or did you have to syringe it? Both is good but if you started him and he finished it it's better It's great, you guys are moving along great. I will check in with you tomorrow evening (I'm working ) and see how you and that little Rascal are doing in the munching and crunching dept ciao
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Post by michysweets on Mar 29, 2009 1:13:11 GMT -5
for every time he is pretty much having to be started and he finishes it out of the bowl though when i put more in his bowl for later its always gone so he is doing good i think i will stick with this level for a few days we are moving and i dont want to mix things up too much
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