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Post by ferretrunner on Dec 22, 2009 10:39:51 GMT -5
How often are ferrets fed on raw? From what I've gathered, it seems they're fed twice a day, not on-demand like with kibbles.
How do you keep them from making an unholy mess of their cage with raw meats? I know two of mine are famous for stashing- somehow finding two week old meat hidden away somewhere is a lot more concerning than finding a stash of two week old kibbles. What are some tips to ensure they aren't stashing? Do you watch them eat, then take the food up after a certain time period, like with dogs? How does this work with a ferret with insulinoma?
Thanks all. It's an interesting site. Gotta run to work.
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Post by Lynxie on Dec 22, 2009 11:09:17 GMT -5
Personally, my ferret has a very specific stash spot in her cage where she puts everything. It makes it easy to clean stuff out when necessary.
Ferrets stash. It's what they do. You just gotta learn to work around it.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 22, 2009 11:41:47 GMT -5
I feed in the cage twice a day, and give snacks out of cage as well. Yes, they stash, but I know all their stash spots, and can clean them out. Some use feeding dens which work well for them. I leave the meat in the cage for the day, so they can snack in there as well. The cage is cleaned daily with a 50/50 vinegar water mix, and a damp cloth. The old meat(from the previous meal) is what I use for the out of cage snacks. They seem to think hand fed slivers of meat are the greatest treats ever For a ferret with insulinoma, since they need access 24/7, you can use either freeze dried meats, since they can be left for a long time, or if there is enough meat left to last til the next feeding, they still have constant access to food.
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Post by ferretrunner on Dec 22, 2009 14:20:43 GMT -5
Personally, my ferret has a very specific stash spot in her cage where she puts everything. It makes it easy to clean stuff out when necessary. Ferrets stash. It's what they do. You just gotta learn to work around it. Yeah, trying to get a ferret to stop stashing would be impossible. It would be getting a ferret to stop being a ferret. ;D I was more wondering how folks managed to find the stashes before they got to be rather smelly. Sounds like cage feeding is a good solution. Fewer places to hide "treats" for later. Is a feeding den made in a similiar fashion to a sleep den? It would have to be easily cleaned...
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 22, 2009 22:16:12 GMT -5
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Post by vkoslin on Dec 23, 2009 2:06:41 GMT -5
If I could post a pic, i would, but I have a FN 142. I have every shelf covered with a fleece cover, and there are many hanging beds and hammocks, but nothing is on the shelves. No blankets, no toys (toys are jingly toys hung from the bottom), nothing. So, when they stash food, such as a chicken drumstick bone (too hard for mine to eat), they usually drag it in clear view. I also find the area around the bowl to get kind of...bloody, even though I feed just regular franken-prey (grocery store buys). These pan covers that you can buy (i make them for myself, easily), allow you to unvelcro them, toss them in washer dryer, and replace. I feed at 9 am and again at 9pm, and if there is food left before I put in the next meal, I take it out They usually eat it quickly and then leave about half of it to nibble on throughout the day until the next meal. Easy Peesy. Don't worry about raw sitting out too long, your ferret really isn't affected by that. Think about them in the wild with real prey- that prey would sit there and rot, more or less, until it's fully eaten, right? Just make sure it's around a 12 hr time slot that it sits out and you're fine
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Post by vkoslin on Dec 23, 2009 2:08:56 GMT -5
PS- every now and then I find a ferret running across my living room with something in their mouth. Of course, I jump up and chase them, hoping it's not a candy or something they've found, and it's always a very old (like...fossilized old) piece of meat. None of mine have gotten sick from that and I'm sure it happens a lot (though I have no idea how that raw food gets out...?). Anyways, they bite it and take it somewhere but if its that old, THEY don't want it They always prefer fresher meats anyways. Bone is something they might chew on later, but, like I said, I haven't had a problem with it.
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Post by ferretrunner on Dec 23, 2009 21:19:53 GMT -5
Bones: I gather they're part of the diet for dental health and perhaps the marrow. Isn't there a risk of blockage if a fert swallows a piece to large to digest? Are there bones that aren't supposed to be fed? I know dogs shouldn't get chicken bones. Do ferts chew on bones like dogs do? Or just when they're eating? Just curious. I've not studied that part of ferret behavior.
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Post by ccretarolo on Dec 23, 2009 22:52:37 GMT -5
Ferrets will chew on bones that have meat on them. If the bone is too big, they'll gnaw all of the meat off if they feel up to it . As for chicken bones being dangerous to dogs... That actually applies for cooked chicken bones. The cooking process changes the structure of the bone so it breaks apart into dangerous splinters. Raw bones are perfectly safe since a carnivore's digestive system is designed pare down the edges of raw bones to travel safely through the digestive tract. Also, bones contain a lot of minerals that are necessary in a carnivore's diet.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 23, 2009 22:59:13 GMT -5
Of course it's possible that an animal can get a blockage from too much raw bone. Just not very likely. Their stomach acids are made to dissolve bone chunks. And dogs CAN have chicken bones, by the way- just not cooked ones. That's when they splinter. Raw doesn't. Since it's much more flexible(cooking turns them brittle), it breaks in larger pieces they can chew up. The only bones I'm leery of feeding my ferrets are the really large ones. I worry they'll overestimate their abilities, and chip a tooth Besides dental health, bones and marrow have a lot of calcium and other trace minerals needed to keep your fuzzbutt healthy! And it gives them something to take their frustrations on Mine stop chewing on the bone when they can't get any more meat off it(if it's a bit too big for them), or when it's all gone!
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Post by vkoslin on Dec 24, 2009 13:53:10 GMT -5
Just make sure to never give them COOKED bones!!! Other than that, they probably won't swallow anything they can't handle. Of course, probably means like .01%. Most of us have never faced a problem with any kind of bone. The .01% is just to tell you that there's a risk with everything, but think of the risks of kibble and you would definitely decide raw and bones are the way to go!!! No worries, as long as they're raw and poultry bones (smaller bones), go for it.
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Post by sherrylynne on Dec 25, 2009 0:58:25 GMT -5
Believe it or not- I've actually had more choking episodes on kibble than on raw! By far. And in the year and a half my ferrets and cat have been eating a raw diet- I've had one incidence of a blockage. And that was from foam rubber. Not from bone!
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