Vkp23's Switching Thread/sherrylynne

[vkp23]

OK, I got home from the vet at about 2 pm. I didn't get a chance till now to message though, sorry. Any way, they did an ultra sound so they could use a needle to get a urine sample. They didn't notice an enlarged prostate or anything so that's good. Means so far no adrenal. The tested his urine and sure enough, he has a UTI. No crystals so that's good as that can lead to surgery. But they did say he had blood and inflamed cells along with bacteria in his urine. I had a bladder infection that bad before and it was NOT fun. any way, I got his medicines and started him on those. I had brought Miko and Zip with me for comparison. They said Miko (the one I've had since Sept. is PERFECT weight. Timmy is a good weight but might could use an ounce or two more on him. Zip is a little more than half the weight she should be. So, they said that while it isn't so bad that she like needs hospitalization and calories pumped into her now or any thing, she DOES need to put some weight on. I drove by the butcher shot too and I don't know if they are open or not. Could just be because of the week end but IDK. I'll call Monday and see if they are still open. They are in a spot where nothing has stayed for long so we'll see. That's all I have for now.

[sherrylynne]

Can you pick up some kitten replacer milk? I usually get the powder, as it lasts longer. It has a ton of nutrients, and a good bit of calories for putting on weight. And no lactose either. Just mix it according to the instructions, and give them about a tbsp each, either in their meat mix, or even just by itself.

[vkp23]

I'm going to see about that tomorrow. I meant to get that while I was out with the fur baby's to the vet but it slipped my mind. We are going to file our taxes tomorrow and Wal-Mart is right next to H&R block. And I know Wal-Mart has it. So I'll be getting that and calling that butcher shop and see about the chicken hearts if I can't find them at the store. Then I'll be getting that soup made. I'm going to make a TON of it and freeze it. When I add pumpkin, can I use the canned pure pumpkin puree? NOT the pumpkin pie mix just the pumpkin. Or do I need to get an actual pumpkin and do the whole roast it and puree it thing?

[sherrylynne]

By all means use the canned! That's what we generally do. I'm to freaking lazy to go about that whole "cleaning/chopping/roasting" thing when someone else has already done all that work for me
And good luck with the butcher's. You can start making a soup without the hearts and liver. For now, just use the chicken, eggshell, water/broth. It takes a while for deficiencies to start showing up. Just don't make "huge" batches of it

[vkp23]

Good news! I found hearts and gizzards at wal-mart! I got legs livers pumpkin and the hearts and gizzards mix. I washed and saved egg shells too. I'm going to make the soup this afternoon and when they are let out when Timmy gets his medicine this evening, I'll try the soup out on them. Wish me luck!

[sherrylynne]

Excellent! Let me know how they do with it

[vkp23]

Ok so I had mixed results. Timmy did the best! He came right out of the cage stuck his face in the bowl and went to town! Zip did the next best. She wouldn't eat it on her own but if a scruff-ed her and put the spoon to her face she'd eat it. No gagging or retching. Miko did the worse. She'd eat it if I scruff-ed her, but she wouldn't sit still for long. She got a hold of a little tiny piece of meat that didn't puree (I have an OLD hand-me-down blender and it's good but not all that great! LOL!) and she about flipped out! BUT, she didn't spit it out and ate it! I don't think I'm going to have much trouble from Timmy switching but Zip and DEF Miko will take a little work. But they didn't act like I was trying to poison them. Miko does keep going back to the bowl and smelling it. I think it has helped getting them to eat the different kibbles all together. Got them used to trying dif stuff. I'll let you know how they do tomorrow. Should I still leave kibble out for them? I will for now til I hear back from you.

[sherrylynne]

Put it back in for the night. Pull it again about 2 hours(at least) before offering the raw again. I've done both. Pull the kibble all night, and offer raw in the morning, or have the kibble in all night, and just give nothing but raw during the day time.
For now, since they've just started, I think I'd leave the kibble in for the night, and offer raw in the a.m., then give the kibble back when they go back in the cage. Pull it again 3-4 hours before offering raw in the evening. You want them to have a bit of an appetite for the raw, but still get some nutrition from the kibble. At least until they are willing to eat enough of the raw not to get ill.
Almost forgot That is a fantastic first try!!!! Major hurdle, believe it or not

[vkp23]

I know I was SO proud of Timmy for sure! He's even gone back for more since they've been out. Zip and Miko keep smelling at it but not eating any on their own. I'm sure they'll come around. I was glad to see how well all of them did any way, especially since Miko is the pickiest and she still ate the piece of meat she got a hold of. I'm shocked miko ate any of it at all actually. I'll leave their kibble over night so they don't starve LOL! Zip still needs some weight any way and I didn't think it would be wise to take it out any how. I'll update more tomorrow when they get their morning (or morning for us LOL) soup.

[vkp23]

The soup is being received a little better. Timmy is still doing great with it. Miko is doing better. She'll eat from a spoon held out to her with out me holding her or anything. She even happily munches on any bits of meat she comes across. Zip still needs work. She doesn't seem to interested still in the soup. Still needs a little scruff and a spoon held to her mouth to get her to eat it. I have 4 doz ice cubes of soup in the freezer now. How many cubes should I give them at a time? Also, I bought a couple of pregnant mice from the pet store to start on my breeding colony. I'm planning on keeping 4 of the nicest females from the litters (so they will be hand raised and so nicer for handling purposes) and then buy another male later. Those will be my parent stock. The rest will go to freezer land after a trip to the CO2 chamber. I have a bunch of liver and gizzards left (there wasn't many hearts in the pack ) I read where some one made an organ soup they fed twice a week. Is there any way I can do that for once the switch is done so none of them go to waste? I assume I'll need more hearts. But could I do that or should I just freeze the rest of the livers and gizzards? How do you make an organ soup? Just throw it all in a blender with some water and pumpkin? And give an ice cube or two for one meal twice a week?

[vkp23]

Woop! So I decided to experiment and put the ferrets in my shower stall with their soup dinner while I was cleaning their cage and guess what? THEY ATE IT ALL!! Timmy did roll in it a little at one point and got some on his butt, but it wasn't all that much of it he got on himself. When I went back again to check on them it was almost gone and Miko was lapping it up!! YAY!! At least I know Miko and Timmy are eating it well. There was enough of it though that I find it hard to believe that it was only the two of them eating it. There was a good like 5 oz on the plate! Zip HAD to have eaten some of it. There is sure to be hope for them yet!

[vkp23]

OMG guess what just happened!? Ok, after the feeding fiasco with EVERY one getting covered in raw chicken soup, I had to give them all baths. They needed it any way since I hadn't given them one since I brought them home and they were NASTY. (didn't want to over stress them all at once) Any how they ran around and played for a while after the bath and then I sent them to bed. I meant to put some kibble in there with them, (I didn't plan on putting in much so they would be good and hungry by the am) but I forgot (whoops! With hubby coming home from work and getting dinner, kids running around and watching them and the ferrets to make sure every one was ok and getting the human baby's to bed etc. it just happened ) Any way, my escape artist Zip slipped out of her cage, (it's temporary til I get the ferret nation) and I didn't know she got out. They basically have free reign of the house during the day with ferret proof barriers in places not safe for them so no worries if one gets loose. So any way, I didn't know she was out and I kept hearing noises in my bathroom. I thought my husband had gotten up and I called to him but no answer. I heard a noise again and went in the bathroom and found little Zip in the shower stall looking for food! LOL! Now that she's relaxed, she's eating more, and she remembered the soup in the shower stall so she went there looking for food!! YAY!!! I picked her up told her I was sorry for forgetting her kibble and got her a bowl. She ate up some of the kibble and went back to sleep. BUT at least I know now that #1 she IS going to gain some of that weight she needs and #2 she MUST have eaten some of that soup and liked it enough to look for more. I guess they just needed me to butt out a little in order to eat better.

[sherrylynne]

Oh, wow! What a good little girl Zip is I think I'd be investing in some butterfly clips for the cage though! That's what I had to do with mine til I got the FN 142 Sinnead was my escape artist.
And don't feel too badly about the kibbles. You are in the midst of a diet switch with them, and what we have "programmed" into us is just as hard to adapt! You are accustomed to having the kibble bowl in the cage, and simply "forgot". It happens.
For the organ soup, all I did was liver and a wee bit of heavy cream(mine refused without it), along with enough water to make it "soupy".
As for how much? Right now especially, however much they will eat. You'll find their appetite is going to increase drastically as their bodies try to absorb as much nutrition out of this new food as possible. That will continue for about 2-4 months, when they will do what seems like a drastic cut back.
It reminds me of when they are preparing for their winter weight gain. My guys, in winter mode, will eat almost twice as much as normal, and can put on up to 40% of their normal body weight. In the spring, it all reverses

[vkp23]

Will a ferret starve themselves to death? Like not eat if they don't like the food given to them? I'm just worried about them not getting enough to eat. I thawed 2 soup cubes for the ferts for breakfast. Took the food away for a couple ours and then at medicine time for Timmy I woke them all up. Gave them their soup in their cage. No messes this time THANK GOD! Timmy about ate it all by him self. Gnawing away at meat chunks and all. I thought I caught Miko and Zip taste it, but didn't EAT any of it. I haven't given then their kibble back yet cause I couldn't remember if I was supposed to leave it out during the day or leave it out at night. I don't want them to starve but I'm feeling like Miko and Zip wont give it a REAL try unless their HUNGRY. What should I do? I bought some sardines in water and thought about seeing how they like those. But IDK.

[sherrylynne]

First, yes, they will. Unfortunately, they are sometimes far too stubborn for their own good
Ok, doesn't matter which you leave the kibble in for, day or night. For me, it just worked better to have it in there at night for my last one. For the others, only leaving it in during the day worked best.
So- it's whatever works best with your schedule. If you are really busy in the mornings, then leave it in there all night, and take it out for the daytime. If late afternoon, early evenings are your busiest, but you have some time for hand feedings in the early am, do the opposite.
This way, the ones who prefer the raw will hopefully fill up on the raw before the kibble goes back in, and the ones who aren't eating as much still get enough nutrition.
The raw soups you can leave in the cage(or wherever they eat) for up to about 6-7 hours with no problems.
You are, unfortunately, at the point where with multiple ferrets, you need to really keep an eye on who is actually swallowing(eating) the soup, and who is just licking it, and walking away.