One of the most asked questions I get is how I manage to get all my ferrets
to eat Bob's Chicken Gravy or my other baby food mix.  I wanted to post it
here as I find that one of the main mistakes people make is that they give
up way too soon.  The majority of the ferrets that come to me (whether in a
foster capacity or otherwise) will not take the mix right away.  That is to
be expected, especially in the case of older ferrets (2 years and older).
The younger ferrets, on average, are more eager to try something new.
 
There have already been a couple of excellent postings recently about how
to switch foods successfully, or even how to introduce new foods to fussy
ferrets.  The common thread is to do so when the ferrets are healthy and
when they are not in need of an alternate food source.
 
This is my step by step plan of how I get them to eat new foods.
 
Step One: In the beginning, make up only small amounts of the gravy, or
baby food mix.  I recommend using a syringe (for baby food mix).  Once you
have the ferret securely on your lap, first offer some of the mix off of
your finger.  If the ferret takes to the mix readily on his/her own, leave
him/her to take what they want and continue to give mix on a regular basis,
as something different to eat, say once a day, or twice a week.  If the
ferret only sniffs the food and starts to leave, go to step two.
 
Step Two: Gently but firmly, hold the ferret by supporting under the chest,
and have the feet grounded on your lap.  Place a drop of the mix on the
nose, or in the case of the gravy, smear a small amount on the nose.  The
ferret, not liking a dirty nose, will lick it off immediately.  Keep
putting a small amount onto the nose until the ferret stops licking it off.
At this point, let the ferret loose, and prepare to do this again, 2-6
hours from now.  The amount a ferret will willing lick off its nose or your
finger, will vary greatly.  Some will only take one lick, some will take
many offerings.  Repeat this process until the ferret takes the food
willingly and on its own.  If the ferret refuses to take any amount without
even trying it, go to step three.
 
Step Three: Gently but firmly, scruff the ferret high enough on the neck
and head so that the head has little movement to thrash side to side.  Try
to keep the ferret's body close to your body.  Support the feet on your
lap.  Using the syringe for the baby food mix, squirt in a small amount
into the side of the mouth (the cheek) and allow the ferret to swallow.
Try to give only very small amounts at a time, being careful not to force
too much liquid down.  The last thing you want to do is to put food into
the lungs.  In the case of Bob's Chicken Gravy, I have modified a regular
syringe by cutting off the end at an angle and then polishing the new cut
on a towel.  I can still suck up the gravy but I have to invert this
syringe upright quickly so that the gravy does not drip out.  While having
the ferret scruffed, I "pour" small amounts onto the front of the teeth, or
into the side of the mouth.  The ferret will usually open its mouth very
soon after that and the licking to get food off of its mouth begins.  Once
this cycle starts, you can continue to get a little more food in, a small
amount at a time.  Repeat this every 2-6 hours, over the course of the next
three days or so, until the ferret takes the food on its own.  The longest
I have had to do this kind of convincing took close to a week.  Two to
three days has been more the norm.
 
In the beginning, the ferret may only take small amounts on his/her own.
If you continue to offer the food on a regular basis, they will eventually
come running for it.  And believe me, that is truly a sight to see.
 
When one of my ferrets, or fosters gets sick, it is easy to give the mix
to them as they are use to having it as I start them on it as soon as they
are in the house.  I have yet to have any ferret that will not take it,
including the fosters I take in.  I have at least five ferrets that are so
excited by getting their mixes, that in the case of the baby food, they
hold the syringe tight in their mouths and just swallow... gulp, gulp,
gulp.  I just have to watch that I am not squirting it in too fast.  And in
the case of the gravy, I have to pull healthy ferrets away from the bowls
when I have a sick ferret I have to feed.
 
In the case where you have not had an opportunity to slowly introduce your
ferret to the new foods, and you have a sick ferret right off the start,
follow the steps as indicated starting first with the initial offerance of
food.  If they don't take it on their own, go directly to step three.  The
problem with these sick little guys is that sometimes they don't want to
eat when they feel so bad.  Unfortunately, we have to intervene with those
ferrets who will not eat anything, and could die in the process.  The key
to success is not to give up.  Accept the fact up front that the food will
not be taken readily in most cases.  Be persistent and the reward will be
a ferret who will eat for you when you need him/her to.
 
Betty and Her Blur O'Fur
For the love of ferrets... Missing Bear
[Posted in FML issue 3130]