Question about raw...

[summer]

I want to have Summer on a raw diet soon...My mom wants to do some research on it but my dad is totally against it. He says that raw meats have bugs and parasites and all that stuff and it would kill my ferret.

My question is, when I feed Summer raw meat is there a specific way of choosing the meat? Like which ones are good, which are bad? or just any meats...? And for the bones are they good for them? Also how do I start her with it, I want to keep her kibble in there because I am sure I cant provide raw all the time but how do I start her off, do I just give her a large chunk of meat or do I start maybe by chopping it up and mixing it with her kibble like dogs need when you are changing their food brand?

Thanks.

[ccretarolo]

The first question is: How old is she? If she's still a baby, you might be able to get her to eat raw and kibble without any issues.

And what you can tell your dad about a raw diet is that a ferret's digestive system is designed to deal with all of the parasites and viruses that us humans have to worry about. Another point you can make is that feeding raw meat will save a lot of money in vet bills in the future since a raw diet plays a part in preventing insulioma (sp?), keeps teeth free of plaque and tartar, and helps them recover from illness faster due to a stronger immune system.

As for keeping kibble around, you don't really have to if you don't want to. Adult ferrets only need to be fed 1-2 ounces twice a day (maybe a little more during their winter coat change). This is because they can utilize more of the nutrients in raw compared to kibble so they stay full longer.

[Heather]

One thing of note. Yes, you can probably feed both raw and kibble but not at the same time. You may also find that your little one may develop digestive issues as the meat digests at a different rate than kibble. This can cause the food build up bacteria if one isn't careful. I would suggest what some people on the list do which is make use of freeze dried products to supplement their raw diets.
As ccretarolo has stated a ferret's digestive track is designed for a certain amount of bacteria load, same as your dog and cat. The turn around time for a ferret is 3 to 4 hours from the time the your little weasel consumes it's food to the time it goes splat in the litter box. Most bacterias require a bit longer to mature to nasty cycle. There are no wrong meat sources....you are limited only by your own imagination and your belief system. My guys eat a full range of ground, commercial, whole meats and prey. This way I know that all their nutritional as well as physical needs are met. I've not fed kibbles in over 10 yrs to any of my furkids (ferrets, dogs or cats). Bones are absolutely necessary, without them they cannot survive. You can supplement for awhile but eventually you will have health issues that are directly related to the lack of bone in their diet.
I would suggest perhaps signing up for a mentor and working both you and Summer through the transition that way (at least when you've finally decided that this is the method that you've chosen for her )
Good luck, keep asking questions
ciao

[summer]

Thank you for the replies I am sure I will tell my dad that ;D Hopefully it will convince him!

Summer is 3 months old and she will be 4 months old on the 5th.

I really wish all my pets were on the raw diet actually but my dog has reactions to lots of food and my cat is so darn picky with her food she only eats a certain brand of kibble, even a certain flavor! And the rest of my pets cant eat raw lol. Anyways once my mom gets home I will talk to her about it! *Crosses fingers*

[sherrylynne]

I don't know if this will help, Summer, but here's a link on raw diets for your dad to read if he wants:
www.rawmeatybones.com/petowners.php
That, and : www.rawfed.com/myths/ The last one is geared toward dogs, but is applicable to any carnivore.

[Heather]

Dogs that are sensitive to many different kibbles quite often do quite well on raw. My Shakespeare was like that. The first 4 yrs of his life he ate kibbles, when he ate (he hated his food). It also gave him horrible stomach upsets and icky ears. Once on raw his tummy upsets only occured rarely and the ears cleared up as long as he didn't eat any dog cookies. His major allergy was the grains that they put in the dog food. Many furkids are allergic not to the food in itself but to a component in the food. When you feed raw, you can isolate the components. The severe cooking that goes into creating kibbles changes the components make up as well. I've known a lot of dogs who cannot eat chicken of any sort in kibbles but can eat raw chicken.
You have my sympathies in regards to finicky cats, I switched my 12 yr old siamese. When we first started the switch he would only eat 1 type of kibbles, it took me the better part of 3 months to find a moist cat food that he found acceptable. Once I found that then we were on our way. It took me over 6 months to get him switched but now I still have my old friend who is now 22 yrs old, this spring. Well worth the aggravation
Your little one shouldn't be too difficult to switch, the worst part will be getting her to sample the food. At her age once she's tried the meat she will usually take to it quite well.
ciao

[summer]

Thanks for the links sherrylynne!

And Heather, my dog actually gets reactions to meats and gets rashes on his thighs and armpits. We arent sure exactly which meats but it looks like all of them so far. He even needs a special kibble called Orijen which is all natural. For some reason he can eat that. Im not sure maybe if we find a meat he doesnt get reactions to I could start his raw diet. And my cat I am not sure she would like it since when I feed her raw or cooked meats she runs from me. Maybe if I find one she likes I can try getting her on raw.

-----------------------------

Update on Summer: Yesterday my mom was cooking veal and before she put anything on it I asked her if I could have a small piece of it for Summer just to try it. So I took Summer out of her cage and put her in the corner of my room with the door closed and handed her the meat...she smelled it and just walked off, she was more interested in playing. So I gave her an hour of play, put her back in her cage, and put the meat inside with her. I waited there with the camera wanting to capture her first raw meat but she just didnt want to know about it. I woke up this morning and the meat was gone. I guess she wanted her privacy since eating raw meat isnt 'lady-like' ;D

Anyways today I am going to try feeding her maybe a chicken leg or something and see how she takes it.

[sherrylynne]

I'd stick with smaller chunks right now. Likely she'd be intimidated by the size of the leg, as well as have trouble understanding that under the skin is the good stuff . If you like, you can try slashing the meat really deeply in several places, so it's kind of hanging off the bone. That gives her a place to at least start eating!

[spiritualtramp]

Go Summer! The babies know what is good for them and so easily take to raw snacks.

Have your dad poke around here, and read over those links Sherry mentioned. If he is still nervous, let him know that the majority of parasites found in meats (which is very slim these days) get killed when frozen. So, freezing raw foods for a period of time before thawing and feeding can quell that fear!

[vkoslin]

That's really good news! Summer's on her way!