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Post by jewel30 on Feb 3, 2010 10:58:38 GMT -5
Okay. I think I am going to just stick with cooked chicken for now as I am leaving so soon for Chinese New Year and will worry about switching it up when I get back.
Mostly worried about Crystals weight. She is too skinny and just doesn't eat enough. She eats the chicken but not enough. She eats a little kibble but not that much. And she eats the baby food but that is very expensive and still not enough food.
Any suggestions? Thanks.
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Post by luci on Feb 3, 2010 14:43:44 GMT -5
Julie, I am going to ask the other mentors what they think and I'll let you know what suggestions are made.
How often are you feeding her? Do you feed her by hand?
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Post by luci on Feb 4, 2010 2:11:34 GMT -5
Okay. First of all, is she skinny or does she have muscle wasting? Does she stumble? Hind leg weakness? Flat ferreting a lot? Pawing or rubbing her mouth? Grinding her teeth? Poops look okay? What does she weigh? How much weight has she lost since you've had her and how quickly is it happening? Forgive me if I've asked before, but I worry that something is wrong other than her being picky or just not interested in food. My little Ghia ferret started being uninterested in food and acting blah and then I found out that she had lymphoma. She was gone two weeks later. So again, I apologize if I'm harping on these symptoms, but I don't want to overlook something serious. If you have any suspicions, please take her to the vet. Now other than physical issues, stress can cause loss of appetite. And an empty stomach can cause her to not feel like eating. Here is what I would do if she were my ferret and this is actually what I'm doing right now with a ferret I took in three weeks ago from a neglect situation. Her story is here: holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=talking&action=display&thread=4473First I would cook up whatever her favorite meat is, which I guess is chicken in her case. Leave all the skin and fat on it. If you've been buying boneless, skinless meat I really suggest adding more fat to her diet. You may have to do it slowly so her body can adjust. If she'll tolerate pork that's a good one to add. You could add a bit of cooked pork to her chicken to up the fat content. So cook that up in water, pick all the meat off the bones and puree it up using the cooking liquid to thin it. Save whatever broth is leftover. Get some canned pumpkin (only ingredient pumpkin; NOT pie filling) or cook up some winter squash and puree it yourself. For each meal mix about a 1 squash to 3 meat ratio. Add some cooking liquid to thin it to a nice soup. Warm the concoction using a hot water bath. (Microwaving the food is not a good idea for many reasons. What I do is heat a bowl of water in the microwave and then set the smaller bowl of meat mix into that to warm it.) Then, and this is the big commitment, take her to a nice, dim-dark, quiet place and feed her every 4-6 hours. What we're trying to do is keep enough food in her system so she doesn't get that yucky empty stomach feeling that is maybe keeping her from eating. The pumpkin/squash is helping to slow down the transit time through her system so she can adequately absorb enough nutrients. How are your ferrets being cared for while you're gone? I would really like to see photos of her from when you first got her and now. There are directions about how to post photos here: holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=support&action=display&thread=38Basically you need to host your photos somewhere and them use the IMG tags to post them on the forum.
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Post by jewel30 on Feb 6, 2010 21:38:43 GMT -5
Hi,
I added another post but dont' see it. I said that I think I will just keep them on the cooked chicken for now as I am leaving for the Chinese New Year in a week and don't want to get too complicated.
What I am worried about is Crystal. She is so skinny and I cannot get her to eat very much. If I hand feed her she will eat. She will eat the baby food but that is expensive and not enough. She will eat the chicken but not very much. I am thinking about trying to change her dry food, which I hate to do because that gets expensive trying different high end brands and they are hard to find here.
I just don't know what to do and I am worried. Especially when I will be gone for a week and won't have someone to hand feed her and supplement her diet. Any advise would be appreciated. thanks.
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Post by luci on Feb 7, 2010 0:22:31 GMT -5
Did you read my post above? Here it is again: Okay. First of all, is she skinny or does she have muscle wasting? Does she stumble? Hind leg weakness? Flat ferreting a lot? Pawing or rubbing her mouth? Grinding her teeth? Poops look okay? What does she weigh? How much weight has she lost since you've had her and how quickly is it happening? Forgive me if I've asked before, but I worry that something is wrong other than her being picky or just not interested in food. My little Ghia ferret started being uninterested in food and acting blah and then I found out that she had lymphoma. She was gone two weeks later. So again, I apologize if I'm harping on these symptoms, but I don't want to overlook something serious. If you have any suspicions, please take her to the vet. Now other than physical issues, stress can cause loss of appetite. And an empty stomach can cause her to not feel like eating. Here is what I would do if she were my ferret and this is actually what I'm doing right now with a ferret I took in three weeks ago from a neglect situation. Her story is here: holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=talking&action=display&thread=4473First I would cook up whatever her favorite meat is, which I guess is chicken in her case. Leave all the skin and fat on it. If you've been buying boneless, skinless meat I really suggest adding more fat to her diet. You may have to do it slowly so her body can adjust. If she'll tolerate pork that's a good one to add. You could add a bit of cooked pork to her chicken to up the fat content. So cook that up in water, pick all the meat off the bones and puree it up using the cooking liquid to thin it. Save whatever broth is leftover. Get some canned pumpkin (only ingredient pumpkin; NOT pie filling) or cook up some winter squash and puree it yourself. For each meal mix about a 1 squash to 3 meat ratio. Add some cooking liquid to thin it to a nice soup. Warm the concoction using a hot water bath. (Microwaving the food is not a good idea for many reasons. What I do is heat a bowl of water in the microwave and then set the smaller bowl of meat mix into that to warm it.) Then, and this is the big commitment, take her to a nice, dim-dark, quiet place and feed her every 4-6 hours. What we're trying to do is keep enough food in her system so she doesn't get that yucky empty stomach feeling that is maybe keeping her from eating. The pumpkin/squash is helping to slow down the transit time through her system so she can adequately absorb enough nutrients. How are your ferrets being cared for while you're gone? I would really like to see photos of her from when you first got her and now. There are directions about how to post photos here: holisticferret.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=support&action=display&thread=38Basically you need to host your photos somewhere and them use the IMG tags to post them on the forum.
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Post by jewel30 on Feb 7, 2010 7:55:55 GMT -5
Hi,
Thanks sorry about the mix up. Okay. Crystal. I don't think she is sick. I know to look for all the symptoms that you mentioned and she does not have those. I also took her to the vet a couple months ago and she got the health clearance and I took her back two weeks ago and the vet was not in but I got her weighed and she weighed the same as when I brought her in before. So she is not losing weight - but not gaining any either. Her poops are okay. She is only .75 kilos though and while I don't know what she weighed when I got her, she was big. She was fat. So that is another reason the weight loss worries me.
Today I mixed crushed dry food with a dollop of baby food and milk and she ate it all this morning. This evening I gave it to her again and she ate some but not all of it, not much of the crushed food but all of the other stuff. I think she doesn't like her dry food, but I can't find the brand her previous mom said she ate. It is so hard to get stuff here. Like for example canned pumpkin. Where to look, I don't think it is here, but I MIGHT be able to find some type of squash. I will go to the market and look.
I have been hand feeding her and she does eat more when I do that.
The person taking care of the ferrets is great, and she will feed them the mashed chicken when she comes (I don't use boneless, I use everything and blend it up) and the baby food, but she can't come twice a day and feed Crystal by hand. Which is why i am really trying to get this worked out.
I will try to get some pics up. I have some from when she came. Anyway thanks for the help. It is hard when I am on my own without a lot of resources.
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Post by luci on Feb 7, 2010 13:18:26 GMT -5
I really feel for you. We'll get this figured out.
First, to clarify, you're not blending up the cooked bones, right? I'm sure you're not, but your wording made it sound like you are.
Secondly, dairy and ferrets don't mix. Once they are adults they are lactose intolerant. If Crystal enjoys the taste of dairy try kefir, plain yogurt or goat's milk.
Can you mix the baby food with the cooked chicken to entice her to eat more? You can stretch the baby food further plus get more nutrients added.
Can you feed her more than twice a day? She may be getting too hungry between feedings and the hunger pains are making her feel sick. Remember that a ferret's digestive tract is very short so what goes in is already on it's way out 4-6 hours later. Keeping a little bit of food in her tummy at all times might be all she needs to get over this hump and start eating on her own again.
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Post by jewel30 on Feb 8, 2010 0:54:26 GMT -5
Sorry, no no bones. I only added a little tiny bit of milk, I know they can't handle very much, but I do have yogurt and can use that instead. I can try to feed her twice before I go to work (I go at 1:30pm) and then when I get home at 9. I am going to go to the market to look for squash tonight.
Last night I put her in my lap and feed her baby food til she was full. She will eat the chicken, just not a lot of it. Did you get the pictures? It is hard to really see, and I had trouble getting pics of her as she was moving so much. I have bookmarked this thread but am not getting notifications. I will have to check my junk mail.
Thanks!!!!
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Post by luci on Feb 8, 2010 2:18:08 GMT -5
How/where did you send pictures? To my email?
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Post by jewel30 on Feb 8, 2010 12:31:36 GMT -5
Yes to your email. It seemed easiest. Got the squash and cooked it up and will try tonight.
Crystal is also shedding a lot. That is the only unusual symptom I have noticed. I assumed it was just the season but thought I should mention it. Do you think I should switch her dry food? Thanks.
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Post by luci on Feb 8, 2010 14:15:48 GMT -5
Well, it could be all seasonal; both the shedding and the weight loss. But how much weight has she actually lost since you got her?
I didn't receive an email from you. Did you send it to LaTarara@gmail.com?
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Post by jewel30 on Feb 8, 2010 23:43:26 GMT -5
I did. i will send it again. I don't know, how much she has lost. I just know she is not eating enough and is too skinny. And I am worried and stressed. I made the squash and she will eat a little, she pretty much has to be hand fed. She ate a good amount last night but not so much this morning or this afternoon. Am still hand feeding her baby food as well. Am going to take her to the vet. Thanks.
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Post by luci on Feb 9, 2010 1:09:19 GMT -5
I really do think it's best that you take her in. Things can start going wrong very quickly with these little guys. Good luck and please let me know what the vet says.
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Post by jewel30 on Feb 9, 2010 11:34:09 GMT -5
I will. I wanted to go today - but this is the trouble with living in a foreign country, I called to make sure the vet who spoke English was in and after forever on the phone, I got someone who spoke a little English who I think told me he will in be tomorrow morning 0 at least I think that is what I got. Mind you I only got Gus Gus after going to about 10 vets in the city, literally walking in and asking if they spoke English and knew ferrets. They are considered very exotic here. This vet is great but still the language barrier. The upside a visit is $10 US dollars. Blood work, if I get it done will be about $45 anyway, I know have put her in her own room and have Four different kinds of food in there in addition to the hand feeding to try to tempt her to eat. Two different kinds of dry, one chicken mix and the squash which I am also hand feeding. Oh why won't she eat???
Sorry I am just venting. Will keep you updated. Thanks for the support. I think I would be going crazy otherwise.
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Post by luci on Feb 9, 2010 12:09:31 GMT -5
I just responded to the email you sent. Would you like me to post her photos here on the thread so that the other mentors could take a look?
How much do you think she's eating each day? How much squash did you mix in with the chicken? Does she seem to like it? You said she's pooping okay, so you don't think it's a blockage, right?
Keep me posted.
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