I guess this is one of those things that people will agree to disagree
with.  We've used Pepto Bismol here for over 7 years with positive results,
based on a vet's recommendation.  Bismuth Subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol
among others) along with Amoxicillin and Metronidazole are listed as the
treatment for Helicobacter mustelae gastritis with ulcers in "Ferrets,
Rabbits and Rodents, Clinical Medicine and Surgery" Hillyer, Quesenberry;
W.B Saunders Company; 1997; ISBN 0-7216-4023-0.
 
As long as I'm in a disagreeing mood, I'll give my experience with "force
feeding" while I'm at it.  My experience here at our shelter is that the
faster you react to diarrhea in ferrets, the shorter the duration of the
illness and the less likely it is that the ferret will suffer serious
illness.  We believe, based on our experience, that "stress diarrhea" can
be cleared up within a few days if treated aggressively with Amoxicillin,
carafate and Pepto Bismol.  If allowed to continue for over a day, the
illness may last for weeks and lead to serious dehydration in the process.
 
Along with the medications, we will syringe feed a very liquid Duck Soup,
dribbling it into the side of the mouth between lips and teeth at a rate
that the ferret will lap and swallow it on their own.  We continuously
encourage the ferret to eat it off of our fingers and take it from the
bowl, but we do see that the ferret gets about 100 cc of Duck Soup and
about 100 cc of pedialyte a day spread out every 2-3 hours over the day.
(I'm talking a "normal" sized ferret here, not a kit or one of our big
hobs.) We can tell how full they are by gently feeling the stomach, so we
don't overfeed.
 
I certainly agree that you never force feed a ferret if there is any chance
of a blockage, and to determine this, a vet visit is always a must, but so
is prompt and aggressive treatment of diarrhea.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 3030]