It's been over a year, and I still haven't been able to completely wean Syd off seed. But he gets significantly less than he used to. I took suggestion from those in the know here, and I started mixing pellets with the seed. Gradual increase in the ratio of pellets to seeds....ive finally gotten him on an almost completely pellet diet (about 1/16 seed to 15/16 pellets...he just refuses to give up that last bit).
As for fruits and veges, best suggestion is to just keep trying. Eventually you'll find some favorites...and even then it will be a cra shoot as to consistency. Only thing I've gotten in the way of consistency with Syd (he's a mini...a Severe) is pomegranate avrils (frozen, then thawed...he likes the juice) and dark cherries *also frozen then thawed). And homemade birdie bread.
Because he's so picky, my only hope of getting max vitamin A into him is to feed homemade birdie bread with pomegranate or cherry (or both) every morning. God help me if he ever realizes what I actually put IN his birdie bread lol.
This morning he got birdie bread topped with cherries, quinoa shell-shaped pasta, hulled hemp seed, crushed pecans, and a sprinkle of poppy seed. It was a hit...I can't believe he actually ate the entire serving!
So what's in this magical birdie bread, you ask?
Corn meal (gluten free, sugar free)
Cream style corn (sometimes...but I usually use corn from the cob and just grind it up)
Shredded carrots
1-2 jars of all natural, sugar free sweet potato baby food (or cook them and puree)
Minced broccoli (cooked)
Yellow and green squash (cooked and chopped)
Steamed kale, spinach, or any other leafy green high in vitamin A
Fresh mango and papaya
Basically, I toss in whatever is on hand that I know is good for him.
Bake at 425 until done. Cut into individual serving sizes, freeze in ziploc bags.
Every morning, I take out a square, add pomegranate or cherry (or both...I mix it up so he doesn't get bored), nuke for about 20 seconds (he likes it warm), and voila!
Seems to be working....his health has drastically improved, he's nowhere near the severely underweight Severe he was when he first came home...and it eases my conscience knowing he's getting what he needs, even if it's not in the form of "raw". He wasnt even 410 grams, and was severely vitamin A deficient when I brought him home Jan 5th 2016...now he's a hefty 454 grams, and all his labs are on point. And though we still deal with some respiratory issues on occasion, it's nowhere near like it was a year and a half ago!
Hope this helps!
