Post by moonlightsedge on Jan 16, 2009 2:04:14 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)?
5 ferrets, 3 of my own and 2 possibly permanent fosters(my three came from a very bad situation all 3 were filthy and extremely underweight the cage that came with them even had rotten food still in their dish)
Diesel(AKA Big boy) male,age 1 year 9months(aprox.) Health, had some hair loss when I first got him but along with his weight and everything else to do with appearance that changed drastically with regular feeding and care
Mya female,age 1 year 9 months aprox. Health no concerns at this time, extremely silky soft fur(big difference from when I got her)
Trouble(AKA Little girl), age 11 months aprox.(possibly 1 year) Health, nothing outstanding, it does worry me that she is still so small(she almost fits a hamster harness, she is between that and the smallest harness I can find is still to big)
Jack, male, about 3 years old, Health Issues Irritated Bowel Syndrome, was slightly underweight but has filled out some since I switched his diet.
Oliver, male, about 1 and a half years old. Health no concerns.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
Kibble
Jack and Oliver are on Orijen 6 fish(no chicken) and Evo Red Bites
Diesel, Mya and Trouble are on Zupreem, Go Natural Turkey Blend, Go Natural Freshwater trout blend, Evo Red Bites and some Orijen 6 fish as that is offered in the play room.
Ferretone
Struggling to get them to accept a soup lend
Very few treats, Diesel, Mya and Trouble get a small piece of bandits a couple times a week(I broke them all in half, my husand sneaks them to the fuzz butts and that’s the only kind they will take)
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
A Diet that doesn’t need to depend on what pet food companies decide my pets need and focuses more on what they really need, I am looking to lose a majority of kibble and switch to a partial whole prey and partial raw diet.
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
It seems to be the best choice for them, I came looking for some supplementation but I think they need a larger step in the direction of whats best for them than what initially thought.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
The Holistic ferret forum. I came across it when I first pick up my babies and realized I needed to fix them up I did research and so on, I bookmarked the site and didn’t come back until I started looking for more nutrition options and remembered the site.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
Diesel 2 lbs and 15.5 ounces-Sort of Tubby even has wee rolls that jiggle on the top of his thighs
Mya 1 lbs and 15.5 ounces- An absolute perfect beauty, seems to be in great condition
Trouble 1 lbs and 8 ounces-Almost to petite, seems almost stunted.
Jack 2 lbs and 13.6 ounces- not as much muscle as he should have, seems almost frail, a little thick around the middle though.
Oliver 2 lbs and 4.9 ounces- Seems to be really good, enough muscle to jump farther than I thought they could.
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
Not to sure, seems ok to me, I can try to get pictures, Jack has absolutely Horrid Breath
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Diesel- Silver, mostly white though with Silver sprinkles throughout. Medium coarseness, room for improvement.
Mya-Medium Sable with a very tiny blaze on her head and white mitts and bib. Absolutely plush fur.
Trouble-sort of a peachy white all over, soft fur.
Jack-Maybe silver sort of mixed up, extremely coarse and sometimes oily fur(the lady who used to have him and Oliver bathed them every second day)
Oliver- Darker sable basic color style, again really coarse and oily fur(both boys are 100% improved from when I got them but still need something, they could be better yet)
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
Not to sure, but a couple times a day, and when ever I wake them up.
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Used to be horrible but I took them off Marshals food and it has improved significantly.
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
Diesel, Mya and Trouble smell yummy and cuddly. Jack and Oliver have a stronger smell, I have to wash their bedding twice for every time I wash the other’s their bodies still seem to be in Overdrive producing oils.
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
I would say Jack is the closest to lethargic, maybe a 3 or 4, Diesel is a little higher a 4 or 5 but he is just Lazy, Mya and Trouble maybe a 6 or 7 and Oliver is a wack at least a 8 or 9.
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
They always have food available, so they don’t really care.
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
Only recently trying to get them to eat live mice. Mya loves them ate everything but the head both times. No one else was interested.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
Both Diesel and Trouble are Deaf
And diesel is a bit of a biter, mostly he lick lick bites but he’s kind of like a big clumsy oaf who doesn’t seem to know he is to rough. Trouble nips to but is getting better, it was a little harder to teach them I think because they are deaf they couldn’t hear the verbal reprimands.
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
Will add as soon as I have them all.
17.
a.) Do you understand that by starting this thread you commit to posting updates on the progress of your ferret(s) diet switch at least 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 safety during the switch?
Yes
c.) Do you understand that any threads that have not been updated in for more then a week (with no explanation as to why you are absent) will result in the deletion of the thread?***
Yes
5 ferrets, 3 of my own and 2 possibly permanent fosters(my three came from a very bad situation all 3 were filthy and extremely underweight the cage that came with them even had rotten food still in their dish)
Diesel(AKA Big boy) male,age 1 year 9months(aprox.) Health, had some hair loss when I first got him but along with his weight and everything else to do with appearance that changed drastically with regular feeding and care
Mya female,age 1 year 9 months aprox. Health no concerns at this time, extremely silky soft fur(big difference from when I got her)
Trouble(AKA Little girl), age 11 months aprox.(possibly 1 year) Health, nothing outstanding, it does worry me that she is still so small(she almost fits a hamster harness, she is between that and the smallest harness I can find is still to big)
Fosters(who we are 90% sure will be permanent)
Jack, male, about 3 years old, Health Issues Irritated Bowel Syndrome, was slightly underweight but has filled out some since I switched his diet.
Oliver, male, about 1 and a half years old. Health no concerns.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
Kibble
Jack and Oliver are on Orijen 6 fish(no chicken) and Evo Red Bites
Diesel, Mya and Trouble are on Zupreem, Go Natural Turkey Blend, Go Natural Freshwater trout blend, Evo Red Bites and some Orijen 6 fish as that is offered in the play room.
Ferretone
Struggling to get them to accept a soup lend
Very few treats, Diesel, Mya and Trouble get a small piece of bandits a couple times a week(I broke them all in half, my husand sneaks them to the fuzz butts and that’s the only kind they will take)
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
A Diet that doesn’t need to depend on what pet food companies decide my pets need and focuses more on what they really need, I am looking to lose a majority of kibble and switch to a partial whole prey and partial raw diet.
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
It seems to be the best choice for them, I came looking for some supplementation but I think they need a larger step in the direction of whats best for them than what initially thought.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
The Holistic ferret forum. I came across it when I first pick up my babies and realized I needed to fix them up I did research and so on, I bookmarked the site and didn’t come back until I started looking for more nutrition options and remembered the site.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
Diesel 2 lbs and 15.5 ounces-Sort of Tubby even has wee rolls that jiggle on the top of his thighs
Mya 1 lbs and 15.5 ounces- An absolute perfect beauty, seems to be in great condition
Trouble 1 lbs and 8 ounces-Almost to petite, seems almost stunted.
Jack 2 lbs and 13.6 ounces- not as much muscle as he should have, seems almost frail, a little thick around the middle though.
Oliver 2 lbs and 4.9 ounces- Seems to be really good, enough muscle to jump farther than I thought they could.
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
Not to sure, seems ok to me, I can try to get pictures, Jack has absolutely Horrid Breath
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Diesel- Silver, mostly white though with Silver sprinkles throughout. Medium coarseness, room for improvement.
Mya-Medium Sable with a very tiny blaze on her head and white mitts and bib. Absolutely plush fur.
Trouble-sort of a peachy white all over, soft fur.
Jack-Maybe silver sort of mixed up, extremely coarse and sometimes oily fur(the lady who used to have him and Oliver bathed them every second day)
Oliver- Darker sable basic color style, again really coarse and oily fur(both boys are 100% improved from when I got them but still need something, they could be better yet)
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
Not to sure, but a couple times a day, and when ever I wake them up.
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Used to be horrible but I took them off Marshals food and it has improved significantly.
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
Diesel, Mya and Trouble smell yummy and cuddly. Jack and Oliver have a stronger smell, I have to wash their bedding twice for every time I wash the other’s their bodies still seem to be in Overdrive producing oils.
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
I would say Jack is the closest to lethargic, maybe a 3 or 4, Diesel is a little higher a 4 or 5 but he is just Lazy, Mya and Trouble maybe a 6 or 7 and Oliver is a wack at least a 8 or 9.
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
They always have food available, so they don’t really care.
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
Only recently trying to get them to eat live mice. Mya loves them ate everything but the head both times. No one else was interested.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
Both Diesel and Trouble are Deaf
And diesel is a bit of a biter, mostly he lick lick bites but he’s kind of like a big clumsy oaf who doesn’t seem to know he is to rough. Trouble nips to but is getting better, it was a little harder to teach them I think because they are deaf they couldn’t hear the verbal reprimands.
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
Will add as soon as I have them all.
17.
a.) Do you understand that by starting this thread you commit to posting updates on the progress of your ferret(s) diet switch at least 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 safety during the switch?
Yes
c.) Do you understand that any threads that have not been updated in for more then a week (with no explanation as to why you are absent) will result in the deletion of the thread?***
Yes