We've had several with chipped canines and a couple without a canine
tooth and they've all done fine. Initially it is an adjustment, and
just like with your boy they didn't want to eat kibble when the tooth
was bothering them. When Frankie went in for a teeth cleaning he lost
two back teeth that we didn't know were loose. They were only hanging
by a thread our vet said. I fed him primarily soup for a week after,
then twice a day regularly. I've found soup is a good way to get good
weight on them and mine look forward to their morning and evening soup
servings, every day.

Whenever we have one with a tooth problem I make sure they get enough
soup since they won't eat the kibble because it hurts. I'm guessing
this might be why your little one didn't want to eat kibble too, but
sometimes when their is a mouth problem it is difficult to figure out,
especially in one so young.

Ferrets aren't like dogs, they won't switch foods easily, won't eat a
strange food even if they are hungry or if they have a mouth problem
which can cause stress ulcers and in the more severe cases, starvation,
especially with older ferrets. One of the problems with dropping weight
too quickly is organ damage so it's important to make sure ferrets are
eating adequate amounts of food and drinking enough water. Water also
can be a problem since different areas have different tasting water. I
use bottled water but there are differences between them so I switch
and mix different brands. Typically if a ferret takes a sip and then
shakes their head that indicates they aren't happy with the water.

I recently added a new ferret to our family via third party. There was
no mention of what he'd been eating. I feed 20 different foods and
thought he'd find something he would eat. Nope. After two days seeing
him eat only a few kibble pieces I started him on turkey baby food
soup. The first day he hated it, the second was a little better, and by
the third day he was eating half a jar at each feeding. Now he eats an
entire jar and looks for more. He's found a kibble he'll eat but not in
the amount that I'd like to see so he gets soup 3 times a day. He won't
eat the soup if I put it down in front of him, I need to hold him and
the saucer till he is finished - it's a security issue and I've seen
this time and time again. I usually lap feed while I'm watching TV.
Obee-wan didn't start eating kibble til after I tried feeding him the
boxed ferret treats from walmart, which he did eat.

tle
www.ferretfamilyservices.org

[Posted in FML 5769]