Hello --
 
Just forwarding over a reply that I answered to help regarding feeding sick
fuzzies --
 
---
(: Have a happy smiley day :)
 
Anne Marie
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 -------- Forwarded Message ---------
 DATE: Fri, 23 Apr 1999 07:00:36
 From: "Anne Marie Mullet" <[log in to unmask]>
 
Hi --
 
I'm so sorry to hear that your little ferrets are so sick.  We have 5 and
everyone got green slime at the same time!!!!!  That was scarey and
exhausting.  We had to give them all medication and feed them all by hand
several times a day.  What we do - which is what I'm currently doing with
our little Gizmo again -- is buy Ensure Plus vanilla flavored - the cans
that have 350 or 360 calories (the highest amount of calories) and shake
up the can and pour half of that can into a bowl.  Then from the vet, get
several cans of the a/d diet food.  Mix one whole can to 1/2 can of the
Ensure.  It will look a little soupy.  Then syringe feed a few times a day
about 25-30 cc's.  Run the whole body part of the syringe where all the
food is under hot water to warm up some.  Don't leave under too long
because it can get really hot and then you either have to throw it out or
wait for it to cool.  This is not always easy, and you might have to
resort to scruffing and coaxing.  I also dab the tip of the syringe with
Ferretvite and Ferretone.  Letting them lick the tip of this with a little
treat on it helps to show them you're not going to stuff something down
their throat.  My little Gizmo is a little weary because he's on medication
right now and he hates his medicine.  Then as their licking up from the
syringe while scruffing, I constantly keep talking to him in a real low
soft tone of voice telling him what a little sweetheart he is, good boy,
just a little more, good boy, etc.  This works too.  It helps him to relax.
If your little one really hates the mixture, I sometimes add some Ferretone
right to the mixture to give it a little extra flavor, but I try not to mix
it in because it gums up the syringe and then it's hard to use.  So I try
to stay away from doing that if I can and just put it on the tip.  But
you'll have to do whichever one works for your little baby.  The syringe
feeding can go on for quite some time.  The longest we syringe fed one of
our ferrets from the green slime incident was 3 months!!!!!  So please be
prepared for a possible long haul.  If you need anything else or any help,
just send me an email -- [log in to unmask] I check my emails
several times a day.
 
Hope this helps you!!  Kiss your fuzzies for me.
 
---
(: Have a happy smiley day :)
 
Anne Marie
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 -------- End Forwarded Message ---------
[Posted in FML issue 2657]