From:
"jbmccaughey"
Date: 2007-10-31 07:14:59 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: not eating any longer or drinking from his dish and water bottle
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
For a good 6 months one of my girls went through a phase where she
wouldn't eat from the bowl of warm fresh food until after the dominant
female ate from the bowl. When I placed her in front of it to eat she
would smell it and run away unless she smelled that the dominant
female had already been there. She would eagerly take the food from my
palm, or if I gave her another bowl in a new place in the room she
would eat a tiny bit but not much. It was as if it made her nervous to
eat before she knew the other was finished eating. Even though she
always eventually ate, she wasn't eating as well and some days she
looked as if she was losing weight. I hand fed her and gave her heavy
cream to keep her weight on. I also hid some pieces of food in the
cage in places she liked to hide and later on I'd hear the crunching.
I also eventually got rid of water bottles because they all decided
they only liked to drink from bowls. We have wide metal bowls they
haven't been able to tip over.
Just some things to try to test whether it's behavioral or true loss
of appetite, I don't know if you have other ferrets or if any of this
could be applicable. Since he eats when you hold it in front of him
maybe it's possible he's going through a phase. They do like to be
hand fed though and quickly get used to it. We had to wean her off of
hand feeding and she eventually got through the phase. Now she eats
normally, before or after the others and from the same bowls.
Jaime
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "g.kolebaba" <g.kolebaba@...> wrote:
>
> i have a 3 yr old male ferret he is not eating from his dish and
> drinking from his water bottle ive had him on his kibble mixed with
> water and baby chicken with a few drops of ferretone,he will eat when i
> hold the dish in front his poops are normal hes urinating hes not
> pooping as much though and he eats his treats that are crunchy when i
> give him them,we have no exotic vet in our city so im looking for some
> advice we have 2 vets that know somestuff but i know from th epast they
> dont have the stuff to do certain things ,i would appreciate any help i
> dont here him coughing or anything he is shedding a fair bit and he
> walks properly too he is still walking around and snooping too so hes
> left me very confused...thanx for any help!!!gail
>
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