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Post by spiritualtramp on Feb 5, 2009 17:38:08 GMT -5
Okay keep up with mushy kibble. Your best bet right now (as slow as it sounds) is to get him slowly eating mushy kibble with ground meats, and then slowly decrease the kibble and increase the ground, and work him ever so gently from ground up to teensy pieces of raw. It will take a while, so let's be patient and not try to rush him.
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Post by dearambellina on Feb 7, 2009 21:38:24 GMT -5
I've decided to try a different route. I retried the baby food route and mix it in the kibble bowl and Dorian eats it all. So I will continue the baby food route, attempting to get him onto raw. In other news, I'm pretty sure the girls will one day have an all out brawl over mice. They love them! I'll be placing an order to rodentpro shortly and also get chicks and quail to add variety, while still giving them chicken. Even my cats love the mice! It's such an easy meal, too. But don't worry, they're still getting a variety!
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Post by spiritualtramp on Feb 8, 2009 10:35:49 GMT -5
That's awesome to hear!!! Keep me posted, but it sounds like you are doing great on your own!
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Post by dearambellina on Feb 8, 2009 11:45:22 GMT -5
Dorian is doing very well now. I am slowly increasing the amount of baby food. Boy his poops sure are potent now! I gave the girls chicken this morning and the looked at it, then looked at me with this expression that said "Chicken?! Where's the mice?!" (Mice are usually the evening meal, not the morning one) The girls certainly took to whole prey so much better and easier than I thought. I know I said I was going to keep the girls back until Dorian caught up but the girls set the pace and I had to go with it! As for the next step with Dorian, Should I add tiny kibble sized raw chunks to the baby food/kibble mix? Or work him down to only eating baby food then add raw? What do you think is the best/easiest way? What do you think about cutting the thin chicken wing bone (radius and ulna) down to kibble sized chunks and mixing it in with his kibble? That seems to be one of the big issues switching him to raw.. he likes crunchy things, and raw chicken doesn't crunch.
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Post by spiritualtramp on Feb 9, 2009 10:27:42 GMT -5
I did a similar thing with chicken wing radius and ulna bones - it helped with Tank a lot as he had trouble accepting bone. If you want to start doing that for Dorian, go right ahead. There's not real need to ween off of kibble and onto only baby food before adding the raw. I've never tried mice with my kids but I hear that's kind of the favorite for most fuzzies, so it's not surprising that's what the girls want!! It is important to keep their variety up and not fall back to feeding them easy meals like mice all of the time, though -- no matter how much they beg Let me know how Dorian reacts to teeny tiny raw in this mix.
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Post by dearambellina on Feb 9, 2009 13:29:27 GMT -5
I made an order to rodent pro and ordered a little of everything they offered except guinea pigs, I find them adorable and don't have the heart to feed them to the girls yet. Plus I don't know how the girls would react to a meal that was bigger than them! I put tiny pieces of raw wing in Dorian's kibble today. So far he's eaten half the bowl but I can't really tell if he's eaten any of the chicken. I will update again tonight (hopefully). I found out the issue with my laptop wasn't a virus and it's in fact my hard drive failing. So I will most likely be ordering a new laptop tonight. This laptop goes in spurts, it'll work one day and act up the next. You should see my almost 16 year old cat tear meat off a chicken wing! Makes me so happy!
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Post by spiritualtramp on Feb 9, 2009 19:24:04 GMT -5
Well at least he wasn't utterly disgusted hehehe Good luck with the new laptop --- that's a bummer that you'll have to replace it but at least there aren't any worries about your privacy being breached, because I know that's my biggest fear with viruses.
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Post by dearambellina on Feb 11, 2009 10:12:44 GMT -5
Things are going very well with the baby food/kibble mix. He's taking to this much easier than kibble mushies. Yesterday when he was eating it he picked up a piece of the chicken I hid in there, chewed it several times then spit it out. The chicken is never left behind in the bowl. But Charlotte likes it too. I even tried bribing her with 'tone to stay out of Dorian's bowl and it was a no go. She likes baby food more than 'tone! He's putting weight back on too, which makes me very happy. I have to re-weigh them because Jane is filling out very nicely, she was so tiny when she came to me. Even my hyperthyroid cat is looking great! He's filling out and his coat looks so shiny and healthy! I made the ferrets a dig box using a cardboard box and shredded newspaper. They get in it and just start flinging themselves around. It's hilareous! I also gave them an empty yesterdays news bag and they love that thing too! All these expensive ferret toys ya spend money on and the things they want most are a bag and a box!
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Post by spiritualtramp on Feb 11, 2009 19:24:25 GMT -5
LOL So true, they love the inexpensive stuff best. A few boxes and bags and they're in happy woozel heaven.
Give Dorian and the girls scritches for me. They're all doing great! He'll get used to the chicken texture, it takes a bit of time with some.
Isn't it great when you can see the payoff of your hard work?? I'm so happy that they are filling out and looking healthier. It only gets better!
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Post by dearambellina on Feb 13, 2009 1:14:56 GMT -5
It's so fantastic. I love how much healthier they're all looking.
My one cat, Penelope, is being a snot and decided she doesn't like raw now so I have to step back with her.
I bought EVO kibble for Dorian because he was eating what came with the girls and I can't buy it because it's only sold at CostCo and I don't have a membershop there, so I figured while he's still on kibble I'll at least get him on some really good stuff.
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Post by spiritualtramp on Feb 13, 2009 11:40:33 GMT -5
Oh Penelope. I should have expected someone to rebel eventually!!
Just keep it slow so that no one gets overwhelmed. How is Dorian doing?
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Post by dearambellina on Feb 15, 2009 17:15:45 GMT -5
Dorian is doing well. I've started mixing ground chicken in with his kibble and he's eating it!
Everyone else is doing fantastically. *rubs hands together* I can't wait for my rodentpro order to get here!
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Post by spiritualtramp on Feb 17, 2009 20:13:48 GMT -5
Yay Dorian!!
Sorry about my absence there for a bit, I'm actually moving right now and have limited internet access until I get things set up at my new place. I'm at my folks' right now catching up with the web and homework, but I will be sparse for the next few days.
Keep up the slow but steady pace. Everyone is doing so wonderfully, even Dorian! No more vomiting, I hope, from anyone?
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Post by dearambellina on Feb 18, 2009 0:02:34 GMT -5
Only Smokey one day because I gave him too much organ.
Had a vomiting episode with Charlotte today, she kept vomiting water. I took her to work with me and she didn't vomit anymore. Vet has no idea. She's fine now, acting normal and playing around.
I like moving. Product of being a military brat, I suppose. I won't be able to update tomorrow because I'm going to the Western Veterinary Conference. I'm stoked!
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Post by spiritualtramp on Feb 19, 2009 9:44:27 GMT -5
Oh that's awesome! Have fun!
Charlotte may have been sensitive to something - what was her meal that day? Have you tried some probiotics?
I've just started adding a bit in once a week to their meals and it's really helped cut down on Ranger's sensitivities. Hope Charlotte is feeling better!!
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