After reading the do's/don'ts on force feeding, I'm adding my 2 cents
worth.  We have a little girl, Coco who is 8 yrs.  old and is having some
diarrhea problems.  She also has not been eating on her own here of late.
She and the gang were at the vets Tues.  for various reasons.  After a
week of diarrhea and trying to remedy the situation, our Vet put her on
Cyproheptadine.  She thought first that she might have ECE(shudder the
thought) but the culture came back neg.  There has been much success in
using this particular meds.  with ferrets.  But after reading the
a instructions from the pharmacist on this medicine, which by the way is
people drug, it said "Take this medicine with snack or small meal to
prevent stomach upset.  So yes, I have been feeding her duck soup with
Ensure with a syringe to make sure that she doesn't heave or get sicker.
Sometimes, they get Hill's AD thinned down with Ensure or Nutrical.  She
hadn't been eating and what she had been consuming she was trying to throw
up.  Also, we didn't need her to become dehydrated.  After 4 days of been
"force fed" she doing somewhat better.  We have syringe fed our guys many
times and if that will keep them alive, then I will continue to do so.
Some of our will eat the duck soup from our fingers and spoons, etc.  But
sometimes you get ones that just don't like to cooperate.  Most of our guys
when they come or get to us are unadoptable, for various reasons.  Age and
health problems are the biggest reason.  So, in most cases, we have to get
some type of nourishment in them when they crash.  We have the BEST Vet,
as far as we are concerned, in the country.  We follow Dr. K's
advice/instructions to the letter.  And we know that their little stomach's
don't hold alot, which has to taken into consideration when you are feeding
them.  We have to do what we think is best for our guys.  But this is just
my opinion.  Thanks ....
 
Linda and the 9 wonders of our world
[Posted in FML issue 3030]