Hi Folks,
 
>On the drug aisle we came across a product we had never noticed before. It
>was called Sustacal made by Mead
>Johnson. Billed as a nutritionally complete liquid food, it contained no milk
>products, but was full of vitamins,
>calories, protein, and minerals.
 
I read Ann Davis' note about the duck soup recipe, and a few things came to
mind.  I've used Sustacal on a couple of occasions with Alky when she's been
getting over colds. I used it straight and she loved it, but I didn't have the
bright idea of adding the weaning formula - I'll have to try that next time we
need extra calories.  There are a couple of things that might be interesting to
FMLers concerning Sustacal.
 
There are actually two forms of Sustacal on the market.  The original form is
the liquid Ann uses for duck soup, and it is intended for use as a solid food
replacement in humans (tube feedings, after surgery, etc).  The other form
which was introduced fairly recently is a pudding, and it comes in containers
the size of Jello Snack-Packs.  This is the form I've used for Alky - she is
especially taken with the strawberry flavor.  This form contains some milk
solids, but they make up a minor part of the formulation.  If you read the
ingredient label, it looks like a lot of milk, but it's really not - it's just
that the vitamins are there in even smaller amounts - a few mgs of most
vitamins go a long way.  I have used this stuff for several days straight with
Alky and what milk is there hasn't bothered her.  I'm assuming she has an
average ferret milk tolerance.  What's important here is that this formulation
is even more nutrient dense than the original Sustacal liquid, which could be
helpful since sick ferrets don't eat much.  The other thing is it comes in
smaller containers than the liquid (I think you can only get the liquid in 8
oz. cans), so you might be able to use it before it goes bad.  I don't know if
it can be used for duck soup (I guess you could add extra water to get the
right consistency).  But you should know that there are now two forms on the
market, so read carefully before you buy the can.
 
Which brings me to another thought.  Mead Johnson also makes a supplement
called Nutrament.  It's marketed as a nutritional supplement for athletes and
people who don't have time for lunch, but it is for all practical purposes a
thin version of Sustical.  Alky loves this as a treat - strawberry, vanilla,
and coconut flavors.  Like the Sustacal pudding, it does have some milk in the
mix, although I believe it is primarily a corn syrup/corn oil base, and Alky at
least hasn't had any diarrhea problems while eating it.  The thing that's
important here is that it's actually much easier to find Nutrament in the
store, so if you find yourself with a sick ferret at 1 A.M. Saturday, this
could be handy.  Most grocery stores carry Nutrament (it's usually in with the
Ovaltine and chocolate milk mixes, ask the manager), but a lot of grocery
stores don't carry Sustacal unless they have a good-sized drug section.  (Most
drug stores do carry Sustacal, though, because it's used for home feeding of
invalids.)  The flavor of Nutrament is less intense than that of Sustacal,
which might appeal to some ferrets, and it has a little less fat, so it's not
so rich.  It has a simialr vitamin/mineral spectrum to Sustacal, and is quite
high in protein.  I have used Nutrament as a start with Alky when she's sick,
and when she perks up a bit, switched her to the more nutrient dense Sustacal.
I think you could substitute 1 can of Nutrament (it comes in 12 oz. size) for
the Sustacal and water called for in Duck Soup and the resulting product would
turn out pretty close to the original.  If anyone tries this, let me know how
it works.
 
In case you're wondering why I know this stuff, it's because I'm a chemist for
Bristol-Myers Squibb, which is the parent company of Mead-Johnson Nutritionals.
 If anyone wants more info about Nutrament or Sustacal (if you're worried about
the milk content or nutritional make-up, say), get in touch with me at
[log in to unmask] - I'll contact a Mead-Johnson chemist and get your question
answered.
 
Liesl Fisher
 
 
[Posted in FML issue 0740]