To get your ferret to eat, get a tube of Nutrical.  Squeeze out about a half
an inch.  Mix it with a teaspoon of hot WATER until it liquifies.  Most
ferrets will eat this out of a little glass custard bowl or a little yellow,
"gerbel" plastic bowl.  If all else fails, use a 3cc oral syringe.  If he'll
eat that, add a teaspoon of Ensure Plus (Never buy the kind with fiber, just
plain vanilla) You can also use Develop 2 or Sustical.  I have found that my
ferrets have done best on Totally Ferret.(You can order it from Tom or Trish
Willard...513-890-7784 or from the AFA)
 
To get ferrets who have been sick , to eat, I start with the Nutrical/Ensure
mixture until the ferret eats about 1" of Nurtrical and a tbls. or 2 of hot
water with 2 tbls. Ensure.  When they'll eat that readily, I ADD a teaspoon
to a tablespoon of mush to the Ensure/Nutrical mixture.  (Mush=1 tbls.
ferret food, 1tbls. hot water, mixed in a blender til smooth...it's a 1/2
and 1/2 mixture, food to hot water) It should be the consistency of cream of
wheat or a good chocolate mousse.  Some ferrets like it thinner.  Always
feed this slightly warm.  Over a few days, most of my ferrets will eat this
mush and start to regain their weight and appetite.  When sick, I feed them
this mixture 3-4 times a day.  As they get better, you cut back the Nutrical
and Ensure, and begin to thicken the mush, until they get back on regular
ferret food.
 
There is no telling how long it will take to get the ferret back on real,
hard food. It could take a week or several months, depending on the
condition and the illness of the ferret.
 
I have had ferrets with cancer, who refused to eat anything but the
liquified Nutrical for several weeks before they'd accept any other food.  I
don't recommend that, but it's better than the ferret starving itself to
death.
 
All ferrets are different, but in 15 years, this method has never failed me.
 
It takes time to put weight on a ferret, esp. a sick one. Be patient and
make sure your ferret is diagnosed for whatever his problem is, by a good
vet. I can offer you several refrences around the country if your vet could
use some experts' opinions.
 
Good luck.     Roxanne        [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1328]