|
|
Post by katt on Aug 20, 2010 15:20:50 GMT -5
SO Koda is pretty thin. Not like overly skinny really, just slender. I attribute it to the heat in my apartment (though the new AC unit has helped tremendously). Even in the winter my room stays really warm, and I am afraid that it may prevent Koda from really putting on the winter weight that he needs so we can play outside. I am going to try to keep the heat down this winter (my roommate likes to turn it up past 80!), but it will still be warm. What can I do to help him put on weight? What are some fatty foods that I could feed, etc?
|
|
|
|
Post by katt on Aug 20, 2010 15:22:38 GMT -5
Oh yes, and when should I start increasing the fat in his diet? It starts getting chilly to cold here around Sept/October, and we usually have snow by November at the latest, if not as early as late September, early October. I want to be able to bring Koda to play in the snow and not get cold...
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Aug 20, 2010 21:48:36 GMT -5
It's not heat (though his coat will not be as thick as if he was in a cooler climate) it's the length of day. I don't feed any differently. He will let you know, he'll start eating everything in sight. My guys sometimes eat 3x what they eat in the summer. My guys lost considerable weight this summer too, due to the heat. I figure that in the next few weeks they're going to start eating again. They've already started shedding, not huge amounts yet but it's started.
ciao
|
|
|
|
Post by goingpostal on Aug 20, 2010 21:53:20 GMT -5
Ugh, mine started shedding a few weeks ago too, I'm sweeping everyday and there's still fur! All my males dropped a lot of weight but my female not so much, I'll be glad to see them fat and furry again.
|
|
|
|
Post by sherrylynne on Aug 20, 2010 22:42:46 GMT -5
Mine have just started some of their shed, and I've noticed a slight increase in a couple of appetites. And yes, that's because the days are getting shorter.
|
|
|
|
Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 21, 2010 0:06:04 GMT -5
I'm further south, mine have started eating more - the shedding is just beginning ti start. I think Kacihna will do a rat tail before the serious shed sets in.
-jennifer
|
|
|
|
Post by mustelidmusk on Aug 21, 2010 12:53:10 GMT -5
You should not need to increase fat unless you're already feeding a lean diet. I like to feed about 30% fat. When you select meats for koda's meals, buy him dark cuts (chicken thighs, darker, fattier cuts of pork and beef. Darker meats tend to contain a higher fat content and more taurine/nutrients. This should help him maintain a more even distribution of weight throughout the year. (Although Koda is an energetic little guy  'm sure he burns a lot of calories. -jennifer |
|
|
|
Post by rarnold18 on Aug 21, 2010 14:13:49 GMT -5
I have two whose fur is thinning on their tails, and has some bald spots on and near the tip.... both Tai and Ping. I was wondering if that was normal for their fall shed? We're in Florida, so it will be hot until November or December but the ferrets get minimal amounts of fake lighting and even natural lighting actually....because of the architucture of our house there is no direct sunlight in our house add to that the giant oak trees we're pretty well shaded.
I have been noticing quite a few fur balls when I clean their cage. There has been no change in appitite, poo, or behavior...
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Aug 21, 2010 15:58:24 GMT -5
A lot of my guys get really thin fur on the end of their tails during the fall shed. I don't know why that is but I've been watching those ferrets closely and there is no change and the fur always grows back
ciao
|
|
|
|
Post by rarnold18 on Aug 21, 2010 16:35:08 GMT -5
is there anything in particular that I should be watching for?
|
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Aug 22, 2010 0:44:38 GMT -5
Thinning or fur loss around the base of the tail, in the belly region, females will develop a swollen vulva, sexual aggression, difficulty voiding in males. Those are key symptoms, oh, lethargy is another. Jennifer is the better one to answer that question.
ciao
|
|
