Someone asked me if I could re-post the story about the ferret who wouldn't
eat.  Unfortunately I never keep copies of my posts so I can't re-post it
but maybe I can re-create a lot of it.
 
                   Sam's Story
 
    Sam was a small chocolate-colored male.  No spectacular coat or colors
    to distinguish him.  No great size or shape; all in all a rather
    unassuming, blend-into-the-crowd-type ferret who was passed from owner
    to owner to owner in his very still-young life.
 
    His present owners were very concerned about Sam when they called our
    shelter.  They had gotten Sam a couple of weeks ago and he just wasn't
    eating.  All he did was lie in the corner of his cage.  Even when they
    let him out he would just take a few steps to some corner and go to
    sleep.  What should they do?
 
    We gave them the Duck Soup recipe and instructions for syringe feeding,
    but a few days later they called to say that nothing seemed to be
    working.  They could get a little food down him but they didn't think
    it was enough.  At that time we suggested that they bring Sam over to
    the shelter for a few days to see if we could get him to eat, and maybe
    figure out what might be wrong with him.
 
    When Joan and I first saw Sam, we were shocked.  We wondered how this
    skeleton covered with a thin layer of skin could still be alive.  Joan,
    who has a great technique with "force" feeding, managed to get his
    stomach full of thin Duck Soup but Sam was still lethargic even after a
    couple of days of 6-a-day feedings.  It was time for a visit to the vet.
 
    Our vet found nothing obviously wrong with Sam.  No parasites; no lumps
    which might indicate tumors; blood work came back fine; X-ray showed no
    blockages or suspicious masses.  His suggestion was to continue the
    Duck Soup.
 
    The Duck Soup feedings continued for the next several weeks but we
    noticed no significant improvement other than a slight increase in
    weight.  Sam would not eat anything on his own, and spent nearly all of
    his time sleeping no matter whether or not he was in his cage.  After
    several more weeks of this we decided that something must be wrong and
    took him back to the vet.  This time it was another blood test and a
    barium x-ray to see if perhaps there was something lodged in his
    stomach or intestines.  Everything showed normal.  We continued the
    Duck Soup.
 
    It must have been about 6 weeks since Sam came to us when I posted on
    the FML asking for suggestions or if anyone else had any similar
    experiences.  Several responded including Dr.  Bruce Williams.  Dr.
    Williams suggested that sometimes just love and attention were better
    than medicines and therapy.
 
    I realized that in the shelter, we seldom have much time to spend with
    any one ferret other than seeing to their physical needs.  Although we
    had been spend a lot of hours with Sam, it was in force feeding; not in
    cuddling and playing.
 
    I logged off my computer and went upstairs to Sam's cage.  He was just
    lying there sleeping as usual.  I opened the cage and took him out.
    For the next several hours I devoted my full attention to Sam,
    scritching and petting and talking.  After a while Sam squirmed around
    like he normally did when he had to use the litterbox, so I put him
    back in his cage.
 
    He did indeed have to use the litterbox, but when he was done he went
    over to his food bowl and ate for the first time in probably nearly 2
    months.  He ate for a long time, until his stomach was full, then came
    over to the door to be picked up again.
 
    I think just after that was my last post on Sam, to tell everyone that
    Sam had indeed responded to love and attention.
 
    Sam stayed with us for several more weeks.  His food intake varied and
    we noticed some attempts at vomiting and some teeth grinding.  We put
    him on an ulcer medicine and sometimes had to give him Duck Soup, but
    as the days went by he ate more and more on his own.  He began playing
    and roaming our house too.  Finally we called his owners who had been
    calling us almost daily for progress reports.  They came over.
 
    We explained the situation to Sam's owners; what to watch out for;
    again, how to make the Duck Soup if necessary; gave them the ulcer
    medicine and recommended that they continue the treatment.  Sam went
    home.
 
    Since then we met Sam's owners several times.  Both joined NHFOC (New
    Hampshire Ferret Owner's Coalition).  They told us that Sam was doing
    "great".  He was with at least one of them all of the time.  Sam slept
    with them and went with them whenever they went out, even to
    restaurants.  They said that he especially loved outings in the park.
 
    I saw Sam a couple of weeks ago.  If the owners hadn't have told me who
    it was, I wouldn't have recognized Sam.  He was almost plump; still
    unspectacular, but one of the cuddlinglist ferrets you'd ever want to
    meet.  I held him a while, but I don't think he recognized me.  He
    enjoyed the attention but it became obvious that he was very anxious to
    get back to his parents.  Back in his "dad's" arms, Sam settled down
    and definitely preferred looking at me from that vantage point, thank
    you.  No doubt about it, Sam was home.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1296]