I forgot something vital here in regards to ferrets with Helicobactor
infection and ulcers. Nell is very experienced, so she probably already
knows this. But for those that don't I"ll go on and list it.

Diet is crucial for a ferret with ulcers. They need as bland a diet as
possible. This would mean plain Turkey Baby Food. I say Turkey, because
some ferrets don't do as well with chicken. You can add a tiny strip of
Ferretvite for added vitamins. When they have such severe GI issues,
not only is it more painful for them to eat their regular food, its
very difficult for their compromised system to digest and absorb the
nutrients. It can be counterproductive and slow healing. People often
fear giving them such a diet for an extended period of time while they
are battling and recovering so they often try to reintroduce normal
foods far too early for them. Dr Bruce Williams not only advises a
bland diet, but he has also has said they need to be on it long enough
to heal. He has said that ferrets can survive on plain baby food for
many weeks safely. I have found this to be very true in my experience.

Wolfy

[Posted in FML 7444]