This is Susie Lee, retired licensed nurse and caregiver at the Ferret &
Dove Santuary, Inc. of Pensacola, FL.
 
I begin with a quote from the proposer of these statements, "Bob C,
Student"
>Yet, many duck soup proponents see what is a statistically normal
>survival rate and attribute the success to their magic potion!  I have
>seen this many times on the FML during the last few years.  The cold,
>hard fact is that there is NO evidence ANY duck soup does anything
>other than fill the ferret's belly.  If asked, users will ALL cite
>melodramatic, heart-rending anecdotes about surviving ferrets, but we
>never learn how many ferrets consume the concoction, if consuming the
>stuff actually lowers the death rate or increases recovery, or if
>there are potential side effects due to the administration of untested
>supplements." (end quote)
 
Any responsible "duck soup" creator and administerer will , as we have
done, check out their ingredients, whatever they intend to slap together,
and in whatever proportions, with their veterinarian and/or animal care
professional first.  This should be done with each consideration of
change in ingredients.  If an effect on an animal is not known by the
animal care professional, then that unknown-effect ingredient is not used
nor administered.
 
As to giving of a gravy mix to any ferret, I refrain and we only give
a single portion to ferrets over 5 years of age that show a liking or
desire for it (most of the very young, under 3 years, do not care for
even the simplest concoctions, and their supplement is a bit of
FerretVite, only) , and more often than once a day only to the very
elderly, over 7 years, or to those with missing teeth, such as Nibbles
SnaggleTooth who had to have some veterinary work done to remove a
blackened and infected canine and requires the supplemental feedings, or
for those who are otherwise either ill (such as requiring feedings to
cover low blood sugar levels which is literally saving the ferret's life
every three to four hours) or even simply forgetful, as some of the very
old, will be, as was Molly Blue-Angel during her 7th through 13th years
of life.
 
As to lengthening the lives of ferrets, from the onset of administering
duck soup initially as a daily supplement in about the 5th to 6th year,
we DO have records and documentation, here, which shows quite a few
having lived up to between 11 years and 13 years and two months of age in
comfort, and with a little destress to THEM as we can possibly manage.
 
The main thing I can see is...try to consult a ferret-knowledgable vet,
call around the country to some , if you have to! (such as Dr. Weiss,
Dr. Kemmerer, ...otherswho are web-available) or give your soup to your
frrets as They need it, on the advice of your vet(s) who are familiar
with their condition.
 
I'm not talking about just a year of "anyway", this is a regular pattern
of four to six more years of alert, contented life for the ferrets  When
**they** begin to need their duck soup.
 
Yo see some of them, here we are,...
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/ferret_rescuer/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 4407]