Post by mindfield on Feb 5, 2009 12:05:41 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 only have ONE ferret and my very first one. Her name is Fern and she is a girl that's 5 months old. She hasn't had any health problems but she had to take Flagyl because she was having problems switching from marshalls to evo. She's fine now.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
Fern was eating marshalls when I got her but then I made an effort to switch her to evo. I mash the evo up with water because she doesn't like chewing on it... She has bandit treats 3 times a week but I mostly give her n-bones, sometimes ferretone. I also ordered some dooker delights because it doesn't have sugar and seems to be one of the healthy treats out there.
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
Raw diet, i'm not sure about whole prey yet.
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
Health reason and I read all about it.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
Someone that lives in Toronto recommended this forum to me.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
I don't know my Ferret's weight but when I visited the vet recently, they said she was fine.
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
I'll take a picture, I brush my ferret's teeth once a week. They seem to be in good condition.
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Fern is white with black eyes and has some black dark on his coat but they aren't visible if you look at it from a far.
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
After she wakes up. Sometimes she goes 20 minutes after that.
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Yes
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
Doesn't smell much
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
5. There are days when she doesn't want to play at all but I think it's because shes lonely and bored of me.
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
Not very, she just eats it I suppose.
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
No, this is my first ferret and only got her a month ago. Right when I got her I started to switch her out of the marshall's because I read that it wasn't the best diet. This will be my first time.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
Fern isn't very energetic and I'm still trying to figure out if it's her personality or because she's bored. She has a lot of toys to play it and absolutely spoiled. She gets a lot of time our of her cage because someone is always home. She's very smart but doesn't like to try out new things and needs encouragement. She wouldn't even go into the tube we bought her at first!
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/member/4/0/c/8/highres_5716584.jpeg
photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/member/4/0/f/5/highres_5716629.jpeg
17.
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.
***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.
I only have ONE ferret and my very first one. Her name is Fern and she is a girl that's 5 months old. She hasn't had any health problems but she had to take Flagyl because she was having problems switching from marshalls to evo. She's fine now.
2. What are your ferrets currently eating? Include their main diet, plus any treats or supplements (such as duk soup).
Fern was eating marshalls when I got her but then I made an effort to switch her to evo. I mash the evo up with water because she doesn't like chewing on it... She has bandit treats 3 times a week but I mostly give her n-bones, sometimes ferretone. I also ordered some dooker delights because it doesn't have sugar and seems to be one of the healthy treats out there.
3. What kind of diet do you want to switch to?
Raw diet, i'm not sure about whole prey yet.
4. Why do you want to switch to this more natural diet?
Health reason and I read all about it.
5. Where/what/who got you interested in natural diets?
Someone that lives in Toronto recommended this forum to me.
6. Please list the current weight for your ferret(s). Do they appear overweight? Underweight? How is there muscle tone?
I don't know my Ferret's weight but when I visited the vet recently, they said she was fine.
7. What is the condition of your ferret's teeth/gums? (can you get a picture?)
I'll take a picture, I brush my ferret's teeth once a week. They seem to be in good condition.
8. Describe the texture/color of your ferrets coat.
Fern is white with black eyes and has some black dark on his coat but they aren't visible if you look at it from a far.
9. How often does your ferret go to the bathroom?
After she wakes up. Sometimes she goes 20 minutes after that.
10. Does your ferret's feces and/or urine smell?
Yes
11. Smell your ferret. How strong is their odor?
Doesn't smell much
12. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being completely lethargic and 10 being "through the roof!" what is your ferret's energy level?
5. There are days when she doesn't want to play at all but I think it's because shes lonely and bored of me.
13. How excited is your ferret about meal time (when fed kibble)?
Not very, she just eats it I suppose.
14. Have you attempted to switch from kibble to a natural diet in the past? If so, what methods have you tried. Be specific.
No, this is my first ferret and only got her a month ago. Right when I got her I started to switch her out of the marshall's because I read that it wasn't the best diet. This will be my first time.
15. What other information about your ferret(s) would you like to share?
Fern isn't very energetic and I'm still trying to figure out if it's her personality or because she's bored. She has a lot of toys to play it and absolutely spoiled. She gets a lot of time our of her cage because someone is always home. She's very smart but doesn't like to try out new things and needs encouragement. She wouldn't even go into the tube we bought her at first!
16. If you can, please post a clear photograph of EACH of your ferrets directly below:
photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/member/4/0/c/8/highres_5716584.jpeg
photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/member/4/0/f/5/highres_5716629.jpeg
17.
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.
***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.
! I love the DEW's. Just to let you know, there will probably be two or three of us popping in and out with advice until Guili can assign a permanent mentor to you! So, you won't be alone in this switch. Although, at her young age, she should hopefully not be too stubborn yet 
!
. Let us know what she does.
I'll be waiting for a mentor. In the meantime, I been reading a lot of the other threads here and I have tried some suggestions. Today I tried giving Fern a very small bit of raw chicken. This wasn't the first time.....the first time she just licked it...which is more than I expected from her 
. Today I tried to serve it with mashed up kibble and coated the chicken. She ate the kibble off the chicken and spat the chicken out haha. I scruffed her and rubbed the chicken a little on her gums and she licked it again...then when she opened her mouth I put the chicken in a little and she started to bite it, eventually swallowing it. I tried to offer her more but she wouldn't take it so I gave up. 
That's all for now.. I'll try again tomorrow. 
This is how I got her to change from Marshalls to Evo! I mixed the Marshalls in with the Evo in a container...after a few tries I decided to add water and she ate it! I then tried giving just Evo but she'll look at it...look at me...and drop a kibble inside the water, probably to tell me thats how she likes it...very strange. It's not that she's having a hard time chewing it either because she get n-bones and she has no problem with that at all, she loves the stuff. 
She's my first ferret and I just want her to be comfortable. Tonight i'm going to try again. When I bought some n-bones she didn't like it at first either. I decided that since she didn't like it to contact the Ferret Aid shelter here so I can just donate them and not have it go to waste but anyways...One day I was feeding her with a spoon...and I have one package of n-bone left...so I said why not..I switched the spoon with an n-bone and fed her using it..she started licking the n-bone and started chewing and biting on it..now she eats the n-bone by itself. 
