As mentioned in discussion of the Protein Trial/ Elimination Diet for IBD, it is important to keep track of all aspects of your ferret’s diet and reactions during a protein trial. At first it may seem simple enough to remember what seemed to help or hurt, but as you being to experiment with more new proteins or supplements it becomes easier and easier to lose track. Additionally, keeping a written log can help to make trends over time more apparent. For example, looking back on your log you might be able to recognize that all of your ferret’s reactions occurred after making a sudden switch in proteins, or that your ferret responded best to probiotics plus pancreatin rather than either alone. These little nuances and patterns are difficult to catch over time without a careful log and can go a long ways towards giving you the maximal control over maintaining your ferret’s without medications.
Important things to track with EACH MEAL include:
- Protein Fed (e.g. pork liver, ground whole chicken, lamb, turkey hearts)
- Form of Protein (e.g. soup, ground, whole chunks, whole prey)
- Amount Eaten
- Supplements Given (with amounts)
- Poop Appearance (appearance, color, texture, size, mucous content, blood, etc)
- Poop Grade (rate on a scale of 1-5, 1 being horrible, 5 being a perfect poop – this is a subjective rating that will help you score your ferret’s response at a glance when reviewing past logs)
- Activity Level
- External Stressors (e.g. did your ferret not get out of the cage that day, were you stressed about something and they might have picked up on it, did another ferret get ill or pass away, did you add a new addition to the group, interact with other pets/ferrets/people, did you have to scruff and stuff him to eat, did they get a new toy that he was overly excited about, etc – ANYTHING that can cause stress whether good or bad should be noted here)
- Additional Notes (e.g. was he extra itchy today? Do his gums look pale? Did you forget to give meds on time? Anything additional that you feel is notable should be recorded here.)