yellowseahorse2
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- Joined: 12/17/2017
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Skinny Ferrets
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Sunday, December 17, 2017 7:53 PM
A family member recently bestowed two skinny ferrets upon me and I am hoping you can help me bring them to a healthy weight. I have tried several things and have made changes to their diet gradually, but every change that I make to their diet seems to cause loose stools. Here is what I have done so far: - Tripled their cage size (now in a Feisty Ferret cage)
- Provided new toys and a full room to play in
- Providing duck soup every other day
- Providing a small bit of coconut oil every other day
- Feeding small doses of raw meat about 1x every 2 weeks
- Changed water intake from a water bottle to a water dish for better hydration
They have been on this regimen for about a month now and don't seem to be gaining any weight at all. They are not lethargic, but look very skinny. I am totally new to ferrets and have been doing oodles of research on how to best care for them, but I am worried that I should be doing something that I am not. Should I stop this feeding schedule to calm their upset tummies, or should I push through and hope they get used to it? Is there something else I should be doing? Thanks so much!
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unclejoe
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- Joined: 12/11/2008
- Location: NE Tennessee
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Re:Skinny Ferrets
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Monday, December 18, 2017 7:48 PM
Member in blocked list
Hi and welcome. You can do this. What do you mean by duck soup? Be aware that changes to diet will usually produce changes in stools for a time. Skip the coconut oil and try salmon oil. You can provide more raw meat without worry. We make soups from raw ground turkey or chicken, canned cat food with no veggie fillers and ground kibble mix with enough water to make a thin mush and feed it twice a day. They have access to dry kibble mix 24/7. What kibble do you feed? A good kibble should have meat/meat by-products as at least 4 of the first 6 ingredients with no wheat, corn or peas. More protein, less carbs. What do yours weigh, and are they male or female? I can say that I've had a couple ferrets that were skinny their whole lives. I tried to fatten up Eddie by adding whole whipping cream to his diet but he got fat and I eliminated it. Girls can be between 1 1/3-2 lb and males 1 3/4-3 lb. As long as they eat well, poop and pee well and have good fur and teeth, they're generally ok. Good luck. :)
THE DOOKS OF HAZARD
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