Hi fellow ferret friendlies ~
 
I have a question regarding duck soup recipes.  How long can a ferret
survive on a mush mixture and remain healthy?  I have a 5-6 y/o MF female
that is less than 1 lb.  She has always been a petite ferret - we recently
had a health check and the results came back 100%.  In all the years I have
owned her (3) she has had no health problems (insulinoma, adrenal, etc...).
Recently (the reason she had to have the health check), Snickers came down
with a severe upper respiratory infection and stopped eating - this from a
tiny girl who has a voracious appetite.  I had a heck of a time concocting
a recipe she found acceptable.  Eventually she rallied and she seemed to
be back on track, but recently I noticed she was getting thin again and a
bit dehydrated.
 
After many days of observation, I figured out that she was having
difficulty maneuvering the dry, hard kibble.  So I decided to go back to
the mush recipe.  The recipe is as follows:
 
1 can Hills A/D
1 jar Gerber Chicken Baby Food  (2nd stage)
1/2 cup softened kibble (8-1 Ultimate)
1 inch  ribbon Ferretvite
 
I thin this mixture with either pedialyte or sugar water (since she has no
history of diseases)
 
I also recently discovered that she loves newborn puppy/kitten formula.
In all my experiments I thought about the foods she liked - milk being one
of them.  But because milk is not good as a supplement or on a regular
basis, I thought I would try a newborn formula I saw at the pet store.  It
has turned out to be awesome!  It's made from soy protein.  I dilute the
mixture (it's kinda thick) with soy milk and water and she laps it up
enthusiastically.  Not only does she love it but so do a couple of my boys.
I was really excited - now when they're sick I finally have a *good* liquid
supplement for them.  At least they won't starve.  It's probably not the
*perfect* diet for them - but when they're sick or need to keep food down,
I highly recommend it.  After all it is for newborn/abandoned animals.
 
So now my question - how long can a ferret stay on this mush mixture and
remain healthy?  Indefinately?  I think Snickers still eats the dry kibble
when there isn't any of the other foods around, problem is she doesn't eat
enough to keep her weight on.  So that is why I have had to supplement with
the mush and formula.  But I'm concerned about the longevity of her health
on such food.
 
Any experiences shared would be very helpful.  Thanks again friends!
 
FuzzHugz to you and your lil' ones!
 
Tanya
[Posted in FML issue 3301]