Hi Carol and FML,
 
It is canned pumpkin.  I added the pie filling on the end so people that
aren't too familiar with it would know what I was talking about.  I've
never seen the actual pie filling itself, so I didn't know they made it.
Since they keep the canned pumpkin right next to the canned cherry, apple
and blueberry pie fillings in my grocery store, I assumed it only came
the one way.  Oops!
 
The amount is 1/4 to 1/3 of a regular size can.  You can add less or more
as needed to fit your individual fuzzie.
 
The one thing you should be aware of since you do have an "old" BOY,
is that the pumpkin will make his urine more alkaline.  Since ferrets
are carnivores, their urine is acidic.  Alkaline urine may or may not
predispose him to crystals in the urine and may or may not cause a
urinary blockage.  If he has adrenal, I would recommend Lupron
maintenance just to keep the prostate swelling from adding to it.  My
6.75 year old gib has been on this mix for at least a year with no
problem.  He also gets monthly Lupron.
 
If you are concerned about what I mentioned, you might want to discuss it
with your vet.  I had one suggest adding tomato paste to the soup, which
I never did.  They also make something called Methagel, which is like
nutrical.  It contains Methionine, which is a urine acidifier.  I don't
know how much you would have to give, though, and it does contain the
same corn syrup and sweeteners as Nutrical, which is a concern for
Insulinoma ferrets.  Or, you could also grind up some softened kibble,
which should already have methionine in it, and add that.  I have used a
little Science Diet W/D as part of my brew, as well.  That version of SD
has more fiber in it and he also eats that and an I/D mix as dry kibble.
He wouldn't touch the hypo-allergenic Z/D with a ten foot pole!
 
It can often be a very difficult balancing act with these guys.  For
instance, my same ferret also has cardio and is getting Enalapril(plus
Lasix twice daily) every three days.  He had a cardio cough this morning
and now I may have to increase from a very conservative dose to one that
is higher and may cause renal failure.  It's a Catch 22 and sometimes
you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.
 
You have to weight the pros and cons and decide for yourself.  I wanted
to make sure you were aware of both, so you can make an informed
decision.
 
Have a great day!
 
Dodie
[Posted in FML issue 4017]