From:
meesh meesh
Date: 2001-07-23 20:47:00 UTC
Subject: meesh: greetings and questions: Ohio/meat
markets/grinders/etc
Greetings all :)
This is probably my first post here and some of you
know me though haven't heard much from me for a
while..and haven't had much time to read the FHL
either but lately I have a lil more time and
unfortunately, I am in need of some help.
(I posted this to the FML and copying it here - think
someone was trying to tell me something <grin>..you
know who you are hehe). I will soon post the details
of Mighty Mouse's situation and ask your collective
advice but it will end up being so long, it's going to
take me a while (she has a helluva history). Until
then..I have a few questions.......
Hi all,Long time no talk. Such is the life a
*fourth* year vet student <GRIN>...it's almost
over..only 1/3 done...wooo :). Unfortunately I'm
writing cause Mighty Mouse's insulinoma has returned
(granted it's been over a year and half since the
tumors were removed though she wasn't cliical when we
found them). Only 3 months ago her BG was normal, now
it's 62. At 6.5 year of age, one kidney (with four
tiny <=.2 mm) and some GI trouble I'm still
working on, and a recent diagnosis of heart troubles
(not horrendous but a little aortic and mitral
insufficiency - no DCM), surgery is risky (not
out of the question, but risky). I started her eating
a/d two days ago and yesterday she is going nuts for
the Heinz Turkey and Turkey broth baby food I
bought (zero carbs - Gerber's had a couple of carbs so
I bought both to see what she'd eat). So far, my only
problem is that she will only eat it off the tip of a
syringe or off my finger. She won't eat it out of a
plate yet.I'm writing 'cause I'm going to finally try
Bob's Chicken Gravy and I read all the archives and
linked sites and I wondered if there was anyone in
Columbus, Ohio, who knows of a meat market or deli
where they will cut up (even grind) the chicken (or
Turkey for her) up for you? And/or, if anyone
in Columbus has found a good price on an electric meat
grinder (my joints hurt too much in the summer to try
the old fashioned kind)? I'm also wondering what ratio
of ingredients I need to use if I am getting
a Turkey. Turkey's are usually much bigger than
chickens, no? (I haven't eaten meat in over 20 years
and the only turkeys I've seen are the kind
you see at thanksgiving and those are usually huge.
) Maybe small turkey's exist..lol..The reason for the
turkey (vs. chicken) is that Mighty Mouse has had
some GI problems for about six months now and if I
don't do surgery and get biopsies, I'm going to try
empirically treating her for food allergies (in
case it's IBD or EG). ie: have to try a new/novel
protein source and not one her body has seen before
(though for cats and dogs, Turkey is too similar to
chicken, I've been told it works in ferrets). (so
far, I've ruled out nearly everything else in terms of
GI stuff - ruled out all but those tests you need
histopath for).
I have her eating a (very) little Pro Plan Turkey and
Barley but I'm a little concerned about her during the
day when I'm not here to feed her. She used to chow
down for 10 minutes on her old food every 4-5 hours
and
now she only nibbles on a few pieces of this stuff.
What do people who have their ferrets on chicken gravy
or baby food do during the day when they/you aren't
home? Even if I left the baby food/gravy in the cage
with her, it would dry and crust over and I can't
imagine it being very appetizing like that.
I wish I had time to go into more details. I may
on the FHL but her history alone would probably go
over the posting line limit lol. Hope everyone is
doing well and I am going to try my darndest to get to
the ferret meeting here in Col. in August (just this
seven day a week thing makes it kinda hard..have to
see what rotation I'm in). I'm also goingto make sure
I get to the Ferret Symposium. It *is* school related
so I'm hoping they will let me take a few days off.
ps. How much baby food per day is minimum for a 1200
gram ferret (she fluctates between 11-- and 13--
depending on the time of the year. Right now, she is
taking up to 20 mls at a time....and for the next few
days I can feed her 4 times a day - get lunches and
off before 8...whoooo..not often that will happen.
This adds up to probably 2 jars of baby food..not the
tiny jars..the medium ones.
Hugs and ferret kisses,
Michaela Maurice
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ohio State University
Class of 2002
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