I am continuing to get messages from people who have insulinoma ferrets,
and I wanted to say thank you again for that.
 
Moogie started on Prednisone yesterday.  For a ferret that just a week
ago I thought wouldn't live past the weekend, he sure seems lively (I'm
thankful to say).  He's eating well on his own, as well as the supplemental
hand-feedings, and each time I feel of his sides, his ribs are just a tiny
bit less prominent.  This morning, I got the first impromptu war-dance from
him in probably a month!
 
I'm still keeping him seperated from the others, except for a trial last
night of letting them out together for a few minutes.  Moogie had been
excitedly climbing all over their cage.  Then when I let them out, Tank
went over and just barely sniffed Moogie and Moogie turned without preamble
and sunk his teeth in Tank's throat!  Tank is four times Moogie's size!  So
I grabbed my 'bully' and pulled him off Tank; Moogie was being more vocal
than I've ever heard him (normally he's silent, as is Tank, my deaf boy who
only hisses).  The others quickly learned to leave Moogie alone because he
doesn't want to play, and shortly afterward I put him back in his cage to
rest.
 
I'd like some advice on some other kind of high-protein supplement to give
him.  I don't think he's getting enough.  He hates meat (cooked or
uncooked), any kind of baby food, Sustacal and the other supplement drink
that I can't think of the name of, and ferret food.  He's only lukewarm
about Eukanuba Kitten (won't eat enough to feed that alone, even if he's
starving); he likes Purina Kitten Chow (*gag*- and it's not high enough in
animal protein anyway) and loves dog food (which I refuse to give him).
Any other ideas?  I've tried a number of duck soup recipes, but as soon as
I put meat, baby food, softened cat/kitten food, canned food, or sustacal
in it, he won't touch it.
 
I'm giving him his medicine (both Pred and Amoxy) mixed into heavy whipping
cream, unsalted beef broth, ferretone, liquified ferretvite, and the
tiniest hint of garlic powder.  I put it into a little medicine applicator
for kids that looks like an open-ended test tube with a spoon on one end,
and he just laps it up out of the spoon.  That also allows me to measure
how much he is eating.
 
I'm also putting a tiny bit of papaya enzyme in with his kibble, because
someone told me that would make his food easier to digest.
 
I'd love to go on about Pandora's exploits of last night, but I'll save
that for another post- this one is long enough already!
 
Vickie, Moogie, Pandora, Tank, Flower, Ogre, Subatai, Freckles, and the
still-unnamed fish (and hoomans Seth & Tori + one houseguest for the ferts
to harrass)
[Posted in FML issue 2449]