I ve posted a couple of times about the gravy recipe, and the fantastic
results we ve seen here using it for ferrets with insulinoma.  However,
the person who stated it was not for the faint of food-processor was right.
<g> I burned up one of the speeds on my old blender the first time I made
the recipe.  I think I ve figured out the right way to do it, though, and
since I ve seen folks asking about it I wanted to share some of my own
observations about the gravy.  I m hoping that Bob sees this and comments
on my comments - I m curious to know what kind of blender he uses (I have
an 8-speed Hamilton- Beach with a glass pitcher), if the bones could be
cooked *first* before pureeing without being too brittle to blend well, or
if there are any other tips he could add.
 
So, in no particular order:
 
1) IT S A HASSLE TO MAKE!!
 
2) Chicken bones can be difficult on the blender, even though they re not
as hard as beef or pork bones.  I found that if I pour a cup of water in
the blender *first* then add bits of chicken one at a time, with additional
dribbles of water as needed, the blender handles the bones better.  I ll
add bits until the pitcher is about 3/4 full, then pour it into the pot
and start a new pitcher.  (some of the water boils off during cooking.)
 
3) My blender does not like pureeing fat or skin.  It tends to gum up the
blades.  So, I started cutting it into small chunks and cooking it with
the gravy first, then running the whole batch through the blender again.
*Cooked* fat and skin purees much more easily.
 
4) Even raw, chicken bone is brittle.  My vet was very concerned about
splinters causing a perforated intestine (she s done too many emergency
surgeries on dogs and cats who ate bones).  I m running the cookable
ingredients through the blender twice - once before cooking, and once
afterwards.  Then, I pour it all through a wire mesh strainer before adding
the rest of the ingredients.  If it doesn t go through the strainer, it
doesn t go into the final batch.  Surprisingly, I wind up tossing *almost
nothing* in the way of bone shards this way; but my vet is a lot happier
and I know the ferrets can chow down as much as they want with no danger.
 
5) It takes quite a while to run an entire chicken through the blender.  I
never plan any other activities for that afternoon....
 
6) IT S A HASSLE TO MAKE!!
 
7) The recipe can be adjusted as needed to fit the particular ferret s
needs.  Because I m feeding it to ferrets with insulinoma, I cut the amount
of honey and Nutrical in half, and don t lose anything in the amount of
protein or basic nutrition they re getting.
 
8) One ice-cube s worth of the gravy is all I need to feed each ferret
daily (in addition to their kibble) in order to see good results.  Once
batch of gravy will make anywhere from 8 to 10 ice-cube trays worth, with
a bit left over, depending on the size of the chicken.  So, one batch will
provide a LOT of meals.
 
9) One batch of gravy costs less to make, overall, than the same amount of
baby-food-based duck soup.  Since I m feeding it daily to more than one
ferret, that s a definite consideration.
 
10) It seems to have something in it that s missing from other recipes I ve
tried - improvements in the ferrets attitude/activity level/overall health
have been noticeable, consistant, and maintainable.  It s not a cure, by
any means, but it s definitely increased the quality of whatever time
these critters have left.  I didn t see quite as consistant results with
baby-food-based recipes, when fed over a similar long period of time.
(although short term, just to nurse a ferret over an illness or surgery,
the baby-food-based recipes worked great.)
 
11) It stores easily in the freezer.  (I have a large freezer in the garage
so I have room to store quite a bit.)
 
12) It s good for putting weight on a ferret.
 
13) I found a quality meat shop, with a butcher who ll chop the chicken
into small nuggets for me at no extra charge.  And their chicken is fresher
than the grocery s, and has never been frozen.  (You should have seen their
faces the first time I made the request LOL.  But when I explained why I
needed small pieces, one of them grinned and got out the cleaver.  Now, all
I have to do is ask for a chicken for the ferrets and they know exactly
what I need. <VBG>)  I get the fat trimmings from them, too.
 
14)  IT S A HASSLE TO MAKE!!
 
I wish there was something that was easier to make but that worked as well
as this recipe.  But, the critters here really love it, and they re doing
well on it, so IMO the pros outweigh the cons and the hassle is worth it
for me.
 
PLEASE NOTE: I m *not* telling everyone that they need to make this gravy
for their ferrets.  You are *not* a lazy person if you don t.  Because of
the time and effort involved, and the amount produced in one batch - it
takes a large stock pot or dutch oven to cook - it may not be practical for
some folks to make.  And, there are some very good kibbles (I still swear
by Totally Ferret) on the market, and some excellent duck soup recipes that
can be whipped up quickly in an emergency without overloading your freezer
or making a mess of your kitchen.  It s also very easy to just keep a
couple jars of Turkey or Lamb baby food in the cupboard at all times, or
to soak some kibble in hot water, to coax a reluctant ferret to eat.  And
your vet may recommend a particular diet for a specific medical reason.
Work with your vet and do whatever works best for YOU, for YOUR ferrets.
 
Thanks to Bob C. for doing the research to develop the recipe, and for
sharing it.  (I wish I d had it last fall... I m still missing Litje.  He
would have loved this gravy.) Hey, Bob - if you have a nutritional
analysis/breakdown on the basic recipe, I d be interested in seeing it.
 
Hope this helps some folks,
 
Carla Smith  <><
WhyNot? Ferrets
http://www.whynotferrets.com
ICQ:  29478475
member, Rio Grande Domestic Ferret Club, El Paso, TX
"Every pet deserves to be loved, and to have someone cry over them when
they're gone."
[Posted in FML issue 2618]