Hi, Jenna..  Quite a name for your ferret! Where did you come up with that?
 
First off, that ferret is very sick and I'm glad you're taking him to the
vet again.  But, um, if your vet gives you medication that could help save
your ferret's life, you should make sure that he takes it, regardless of
whether or not he likes it.  One way that works is to scruff your ferret
(hold him with several fingers by the scruff of his neck) and work that
syringe to the back of the throat and squeeze.  Sure, Vinyl may not like it,
but it's good for him, and that's what tough love is all about.  What
medication did the vet give you?  Perhaps someone in this illustrious group
could comment on it.
 
Secondly, you need to get some nutrients into Vinyl.  Instead of water, you
should give Vinyl Pedialyte.  It's available at your drug store and it will
help restore the electrolyte balance in his body and restore fluid levels.
In addition to food, Duck soup would be very good; that's what the
ferret-owned call a mixture of several high-nutrient ingredients.  The
recipes vary depending on the situation, but a good place to start would be:
softened kibble, Ensure (a supplement you buy at the drug store), all-meat
baby food, and
 
A comment on his food.  Many supermarket kitten/cat foods do not have
sufficient nutrients in for a ferret.  The food needs to have 30-35% protein
and 15-20% fat, and animal protein should be the first ingredient and at
least two or three of the next few.  It doesn't mean the food will be
perfect (yes, Bob, I'm reading), but it will be better.  To not feed your
ferret this food will mean your ferret will eat more, poop more, and still
get less nutrients.  Good kitten food would be Iams, Eukanuba chicken &
rice, or Science Diet.
 
Lastly, litter should be pelleted, like Yesterday's News (recycled
newspaper), or wood pellets.  According to suggestions here, I bought a nice
40 pound bag of wood stove pellets for 4 bucks.
 
Please let us know what the vet says about Vinyl.  Good thoughts go with
you.
 
Ariel
Jasper, Taz and Baxter
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"Small is the number of them that see with their own eyes, and feel with
their own hearts."      -Albert Einstein
 
 
Ariel White                                      [log in to unmask]
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[Posted in FML issue 2322]