I'm afraid a very critical point has been neglected in this debate.
 
If you've taken your non-eating ferret to the vet... have you left him
there to be cared for by the clinic?
 
I don't know about your clinic, but at the local clinic where I take my
ferret emergencies, there is no one there from midnite to 7am.  For a
ferret needing food intake that's one meal (two for a ferret needing food
intake every two hours as in a ferret with serious problems) minimum that's
missed.  Additionally, if that ferret is insulinomic, it's a prime
opportunity for a "missed meal" seizure.
 
Please ask about your clinic's feeding schedule & make sure the techs (who
do the actual work) are aware that the ferret needs more frequent attention
than dogs & cats.  Just because your vet knows doesn't mean the technicians
know!  So get to know your clinic's staff, too.
 
Even if they are not digesting all that's eaten, keeping a little something
digestible in their system keeps their system working.  (Which is an
oversimplification of the facts, since I'm not a medical professional!)
 
Personally, if I have a ferret requiring force feeding, that ferret is
getting something every two hours... around the clock.  With gentle
handling and plenty of reassurances it doesn't have to be something
stressful.  If I have to give them one drop on their chin at a time & wait
for them to lick, the quicker recovery is well worth the additional time
required for non-stressed force feeding.  Also, a dropper is safer than a
syringe.
 
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home
[Posted in FML issue 3028]