Boy, did I get a lot of emails about my comments about force feeding liquid
foods.  It is very gratifying to realize that the vast majority of the
commentators did NOT attack me personally, but questioned (or clarified)
things I said.  I have little respect for people who resort smearing
character instead of questioning implications, which is why I dislike
politicians (especially adulterous Republicans).  Debate is the crucible
in which truth is refined, and debate can only occur when the free exchange
of ideas are allowed.  The FML, where comments are seen by all, is an
excellent place to reveal truth.
 
Linda is extremely intelligent and a great debater, and it almost breaks
my heart to disagree with her (but I will <grin>).  She scolded me about
giving a single bad example of what could happen when force feeding liquid
foods, and she was right.  Hundreds, even thousands of ferrets are force
fed without suffering aspiration pneumonia.  Of course, a large number that
get it die.  Still, I was clearly resorting to the old writer's trick of
using a single example to stress the point.  What can I say?  It's a common
technique.  I cannot speak for Linda, but it appeared TO ME that she was
concerned that I was against ANY force-feeding of ferrets, and if that was
the impression my post gave, then I wrote it badly.
 
I was simply responding to a very specific question: "I have a problem
squirting duck soup down her throat.  How do you do it?" The question was
not, "how do you force feed ferrets." I simply addressed my OPINIONS on
force feeding liquid foods (and some of the more exotic duck soup
combinations; I could do a whole series of posts on the various duck soup
recipes.  Some are VERY scary).  I could have offered references from
veterinarian journals, animal nursing books, and even national animal
shelter magazines that support my stated position (well, not in a 126 line
post), but instead I simply reported my personal opinion.  But Linda was
right; rereading my post, I realize it could be misinterpreted as saying
I was against ANY force feeding.  Thanks, Linda, for pointing that out,
because it was not my intention.
 
I am NOT against force feeding ferrets when the following criteria are met:
1) It was recommended by a veterinarian, and for only the amounts and times
they suggest.  2) You have been instructed in a safe technique (practicing
on healthy ferrets is good).  3) You stop immediately at any signs of
distress and consult a vet if the signs continue for more than a few
minutes.  4) Never FORCE the food down the ferret against it's will.  You
never know if they just need a breather, they don't like it, or they are
uncomfortably full; let them set the pace.  5) NEVER force a solid, paste
or liquid into a ferret that is sleeping, unconscious, drugged, or
otherwise lacks awareness.  6) The food is not so liquid that it can pour
off a spoon (a very slow drip is ok).
 
I question the technique of watering down foods (NOTE: I am not discussing
water or electrolyte solutions, but FOODS).  I am not convinced it makes
them easier to swallow (if a ferret can swallow a liquid food, it can
swallow a pasty food, and if it CAN'T swallow a pasty food, you have no
business feeding it a liquid food).  I think in some instances it can be
dangerous to add a lot of liquid; if the heart or kidneys have
problems--even minor, temporary ones--the fluid can end up in the tissues
or lungs.  If the ferret isn't eating (for whatever reason), and you have
to feed it, why dilute the food?  Water the ferret, wait a half hour or so,
then feed the ferret.  Finally, pasty foods like A/D and Gerber's baby food
ALREADY contain a tremendous amount of water (Hill's A/D IS a "liquid
dietary supplement;" just not watery) and additional dilution is probably
not required.
 
Think of it this way.  The goal of force feeding a ferret is something
between nutritional stasis and putting on some weight.  So, you want a high
calorie, nutritious food, right?  Suppose you are a food diluted 50% to a
thin, squirtable liquid.  By diluting the food with fluids, you risk one of
two things.  First, you either dilute the number of nutrients the ferret
consumes per unit volume by 50%, OR, you have to feed the ferret twice as
much to get the same amount of nutrients.  In a healthy ferret, who cares?
Buy more litter to sop up the suds.  But we are talking about sick ferrets.
All that extra water COULD (not necessarily will) tax the heart, lungs and
kidneys, and wash out electrolytes.  My post had 3 major points; 1) see a
vet before you do anything, 2) force feeding LIQUID FOOD is dangerous, and
3) In most instances under a few weeks, Gerber's baby food is just as good
as anything else.  If you missed that, I either wrote the post badly, or
people simply did not read it carefully enough.  Maybe both.
 
Bob C and 16 Mo' Bloated Bobrats
[Posted in FML issue 3028]