To Michelle Skinner:
 
>...  I made an attempt at force feeding her through a syringe.  Took me
>a little bit to get the proper method, which was in the back of the
>mouth on the tongue so she couldn't either spit it >out or choke on it.
 
     Actually, th best place to administer food or medication is in the
cheek, rather than in the back of the mouth.  If you can put the syringe in
the corner of the mouth, and administer the food sloely, there is littel
chance of the animal inhaling the food.  I can't tell you how many cases of
aspiration pneumonia I have seen as a result of overeager adminstration of
food and medicants directly into the throat.
 
     Rather than administre baby food by syringe, I recommend doing it by
finger.  In my experience, sick ferrets prefer to be hand fed.  Usually, I
just put the food on my finger and let them lick it off.  Then I make a
natural progression to a spoon, the jar itself, and finally a plate.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP
[Posted in FML issue 1291]