Vkp23's Switching Thread/sherrylynne

[vkp23]

Yeah the leg I gave them was the one I've been cutting on for their soup. There wasn't a whole lot left on it and it was basically shredded. Timmy did do very well with it though. I tried to get vid of it but the second I turned the camera on he decided he was done. I think I'll keep on with the cutting little chunks and when I'm done cutting off that leg I'll give it to them to get them used to it and give them a chance to jump into it. Zip did really well today! Check this out!

s678.photobucket.com/albums/vv146/vkp23/?action=view¤t=yay109.mp4

The girls definitely eat less than Timmy, but Miko isn't losing any weight and Zip actually seems to me to be putting on a little weight. She feels a little thicker to me. And you can't feel her bones as well as you could before. she still has a ways to go though. Also, Timmy's poo is a little seedy. Is this anything I need to be worried about? It doesn't bother me as long as it's normal for poo while during the switch.

[sherrylynne]

Oh, she is doing well!!! That's amazing As for weights, don't be surprised if some actually appear to be losing at some point. That will be the loss of carbs kicking in, and the fat starts to drop. However, they start packing on the muscle pretty quickly Some just build the muscle as they are losing the fat, however. Sound's like Zip might be one of those.
They can get some really funky poops during the diet switch. When you say a "little" seedy, exactly how much? Because fat tends to look like that after it's been through them. If they are getting the skin and fat from the chicken, you'll see that.

[vkp23]

Well it's weird really. I did cut the skin off the chicken but not the fat. I almost want to say he has diarrhea but there are no signs of dehydration, and since his UTI is basically cleared up (just giving him meds to make sure it doesn't come back at this point) he's been peeing like a champ. And his pee isn't overly yellow like it was before. It's a lot more clear now. Seems to me if he were dehydrated he wouldn't be peeing so much. But when he's awake he's going like every 10-15 mins and it's watery/mucusy and seedy, but it's very little, and he pees a full bladders worth each time though. This is part of why he's still getting the meds (they said to give it for 2-3 weeks) I had a theory that he was pooing so much before because the pain of the bladder infection was making him strain (Had UTI's before and from my own personal experience I can say the pain WILL make you strain) and so every time he tried to pee he was pooing a little as well. I wondered if this is whats going on. Or you know his bladder is much better now and he's just peeing a lot and he's the type who poos some when he pees. But the strange part is, it's not like he is having such digestive upset that he's waking up constantly to go poo or pee. I mean he'll wake up to go, but no more than the girls do. And when he wakes up to poo his poo looks about like what I would expect raw soup to look like on it's way out. still a little watery but more formed and that orange-y color from the pumpkin. His poo looks fine to me if it's sat in his gut for a while. It's only when he's awake I worry. The vet told me I could give peptobismol to any of the ferrets if there was stomach upset, but I don't want to treat something that isn't a problem. And since it didn't change his poo when I gave it to him any way, I didn't think it was making much of a difference. I'm probably worrying over nothing, and is probably normal for switching and since he's the one eating the most raw could be why his poo habits are different from the girls. But it's night and day from when he's awake to when he's asleep. Also, when he poos when he's awake it isn't much at all. I'd say an eighth of a tea spoon at a time. When he's been sleeping it's normal size.

ETA: When he's awake, it's like the need to go hits him all of a sudden and he just goes where ever he is. IDK if it's that he CAN'T make it to a potty spot or he doesn't care. LOL

[sherrylynne]

I completely forgot he was on meds! Antibiotics can do really strange things to the poor little mites. Especially really loose, funky stools. Once he's off of them, it *should* clear up. Just keep him as hydrated as possible for now, and keep up with the pumpkin. If he starts showing signs of dehydration, obviously get him into the vets right away.
After he's done his antibiotics, pick up a small container of full fat yogurt. Preferably Balkan if you can get it, organic if you can't. It will help to restabalize the good gut bacteria that the meds have killed off. Pumpkin can also help with that.

[vkp23]

LOL! You know stupid me should have thought of that! DERRRR I mean antibiotics can effect people like that, should have remembered that it could be the same with little ferts. LOL! Not to mention they've had him on two diff ones. He only has about one more week on the meds. I have tried to make sure he keeps plenty of water in him. The soup has a lot of water in it and they keep a full water bottle. I've been watching his pee too. And he's peeing A LOT so I figure if he's peeing well he is keeping hydrated enough. I will say this much, Thank God we have tile floors!. If we had carpet we would be in TROUBLE! I'll remember the yogurt. He quits his meds around when my husband gets paid and I'll get it when I go shopping. How much should I give him for how long?

[sherrylynne]

Give him about a tsp a day for about a week.

[vkp23]

Tonight after dinner and play time I went to put the fur baby's to bed. They didn't have kibble all day. I put the kibble in after getting them round up and Miko and Zip started chowing down on kibble. Does this mean they aren't eating enough of the soup, or do they THINK they are hungry because they are not used to their stomach getting food they are SUPPOSED to have? Like the soup isn't as heavy as the grains in the kibble. Timmy went right to sleep after a potty break. Not interested in kibble at all. Are the girls just being prissy about it and forcing them selves to eat just enough to get them by? I find that a little strange cause both the girls went back to the soup after a few mins of play and ate more. And I have found out that Zip is a whiner. I was wondering why her dooking sounded like there were drawn out sounds in between the chattering. Looked it up and it said that that sound is a whine sound. Like she's a complainer. she stays plastered either to Miko or Timmy while they are out playing. I mean she'll wonder away on her own but most of the time she's whining and following along next to one of the others. Any way, should I be worried that the girls are not eating enough?

[sherrylynne]

It does sound like they aren't eating enough of the soup to fill themselves yet, the brats! I think you need to start limiting the amount of kibble they are getting at night. If you normally put in, say 1/2 cup for them overnight, only give them 1/3 of a cup instead. That will also serve the purpose of weaning them off of it as well as giving them a (hopefully) increased appetite during the daytime.

[vkp23]

So they ARE just eating enough to get by!? The little turds! LOL! And I was getting so proud of them cause I caught both the girls chewing on bits of meat. The stinkers! Speaking of stinkers...Since I gave them a bath right after starting on the soup, their BO has lessened considerably already! Used to by now, when I only had Miko, if she ever got a bath she would be stinking of ferret by now. All three of them have only a very faint scent still after a week since they had a bath! What a diff it's already made even in just their smell! And to me their fur is softer and shinier. I can actually see light reflect off their fur a little now. I didn't think it would be this quick to see/smell the diff in them! Any way, I already had switch their big ceramic bowl of a small one so I could use the big one for their soup. It only holds about 1/3 cup worth. I'll keep them with that amount for a couple days (Since I JUST changed it to that) and then I'll fill it a little less. At least at this point, they WILL eat the soup which was the first hurdle to get past. Now I guess I just gotta get them off the kibble and add more chunks to the soup. Am I right? But at any rate their coming along. A little harder than I hoped but better than I expected.

[sherrylynne]

They have made some amazing strides already ! But yeah, even though they now recognize the soup as food, they are waiting to pig out on the junk food
As for the difference in odour and energy, yes, it's noticable almost right away. Great, isn't it?

[vkp23]

Not much to report today, other then there was a little more kibble left in their bowl this am. Zip is eating more readily now and is caught up to the other two. She is even chewing on the little meat bits my blender leaves. Timmy has slacked off a bit but I'm assuming that is due to his body being more adjusted to eating raw and now that his body knows it can suck all the goodies out of raw and doesn't need to compensate for the stuff in kibble that does him no good, he realizes he doesn't NEED to eat as much. I think I'm going to postpone adding more chunks for a few days and make soup out of the legs I have left as we are tight on money right now right before the hubby gets paid. I can't really afford to get more stuff to make more soup so I can use the legs left for chunks. So I'm going to make more soup so I have enough to feed everyone until he gets paid and when he gets paid I'll get more soup stuff and also get some chicken breast for the chunks. This will also give Zip a little more time to get more adjusted so they are all at the same pace. Zip is not happy with me anyway. I think she's mad she's being forced to get the raw stuff and is WAY moody over it! She hissed at me when I was checking her toes when thinking about the whole Marshall ferrets and toe tattoos thread. And since Miko had gotten a sippy cup valve from the dish washer (didn't think that was safe for her to have and I used to let Miko crawl in the dish washer while I was loading it since I knew she wouldn't eat anything off the plates and I didn't care about dirty dishes.) But I decided it was best not to let them play in there while I was loading any more. So last night I was loading the dish washer and they were trying to crawl in. Well the girls were. Scruffing Miko twice telling her "No" got her to stop but not Zip. Scruffed her a bunch of times and she still kept going so I gave her a little tap on the nose and said "No" and she hissed at me. Didn't run off or anything. Didn't even get her front paws off the dish washer. She just looked at me like, "Oh NO YOU DIDN'T HEIFER!" She's a moody one I tell ya! Still doesn't seemed bothered by Lizzy though. They all ended up going to bed a little early. LOL! Crazy things.

[sherrylynne]

I love the attitude on some of the girls I've got a couple who hiss at me regularly when I'm telling them "no" . My deafie's favourite trick when telling her "no" is to simply not look at me. I'll hold her up so she can see my face, tell her "no", do the stern face, and slowly shake my head "no".
She'll close her eyes, and/or look everwhere but AT me . Sort of like a little kid sticking their fingers in their ears while saying "I can't hear you"
Anyway! Not a problem with keeping them in a holding pattern for a few days. And that's fantastic about Zip! She's learning from watching the other two I'll bet!
This is the point where people who only want to supplement raw frequently find out the ferret who was supposed to be supplemented decides they no longer want kibble, and refuse to eat more than a few mouthfuls of it, simply because the meat tastes so much better