Well, it appears that sustacal has changed its formula: there's a new
"high protein" version that advertises itself as being higher protein, lower
fat than the original sustacal, and no one is selling the old stuff anymore.
One pharmicist told me it was a substitution by the company, so that the old
stuff isn't available at all.  Since I couldn't find any of the old stuff, I
couldn't actually compare labels - but the box says it has some percentage
higher protein (I forget how much) and 38% less fat.  The latter wories me -
I'd think it would make the stuff less palatable for ferrets.  Has anyone
actually tried the new stuff?  Also, of course, ferrets tend to need a good
deal of fat, and if a ferret is being fed sustacal at all, it probably means
the ferret is off his feed and NEEDS to be fattened up....
    Anyway, I didn't try it.  One of my guys is off his feed, but he's also
very picky about what he'll try.  I know a number of you have mentioned
Deliver 2.0/Isocal, but I've never seen the stuff here, although I've looked
in a number of stores.  (Any one know a store in Western NY that has it?).
The only other brand we do have around here is Ensure, which has 3 kinds:
regular, high protein, and high calories.  I got the high calorie one - it
has about 10% less protein than the old sustacal (13 g per 8 oz, rather than
14.5) but over twice as much fat (12.6 g as compared to 5.5) and a lot more
calories (355 over 230).  Like the others, it is lactose free, and I hoped
the higher fat content would convince Fez it was acceptible to eat (it took
a long time before he'd consider the Sustacal, and I didn't want to wait
another couple months).  The ingredient list looks quite similar, and the
stuff smells and tastes the same to me - but Fez took one sniff and walked
away. Putting a drop on his nose didn't help, and I was afraid we'd failed -
but then Dave put a tiny bit in one of our glasses, held it up to his
mouth as if he were drinking, and then put the glass near Fez.  Fez, of
course, couldn't resist knocking over the glass and drinking some....  at
which point he decided it wasn't too bad afterall, and in fact it was quite
good, and could he please have some more?
    So, I guess this stuff is another alternative....  if anyone with more
knowledge has any comments (positive or negative) about this stuff, please
let me know...  Also, if anyone's ferret has tried and accepted the new
Sustacal, I'd be interested in hearing that, also...  for anyone who has the
old stuff stored somewhere, you might want to take a look at the date - all
the stores I've been to had the old stuff expire on the 1st of July.  My
guess is that if they have taken it off the market, they probably stopped
making it awhile back, and it may all be expiring in the near future....
 
-Rochelle
[Posted in FML issue 1243]