Hi fellow ferret friendlies ~ I have a question regarding duck soup recipes. How long can a ferret survive on a mush mixture and remain healthy? I have a 5-6 y/o MF female that is less than 1 lb. She has always been a petite ferret - we recently had a health check and the results came back 100%. In all the years I have owned her (3) she has had no health problems (insulinoma, adrenal, etc...). Recently (the reason she had to have the health check), Snickers came down with a severe upper respiratory infection and stopped eating - this from a tiny girl who has a voracious appetite. I had a heck of a time concocting a recipe she found acceptable. Eventually she rallied and she seemed to be back on track, but recently I noticed she was getting thin again and a bit dehydrated. After many days of observation, I figured out that she was having difficulty maneuvering the dry, hard kibble. So I decided to go back to the mush recipe. The recipe is as follows: 1 can Hills A/D 1 jar Gerber Chicken Baby Food (2nd stage) 1/2 cup softened kibble (8-1 Ultimate) 1 inch ribbon Ferretvite I thin this mixture with either pedialyte or sugar water (since she has no history of diseases) I also recently discovered that she loves newborn puppy/kitten formula. In all my experiments I thought about the foods she liked - milk being one of them. But because milk is not good as a supplement or on a regular basis, I thought I would try a newborn formula I saw at the pet store. It has turned out to be awesome! It's made from soy protein. I dilute the mixture (it's kinda thick) with soy milk and water and she laps it up enthusiastically. Not only does she love it but so do a couple of my boys. I was really excited - now when they're sick I finally have a *good* liquid supplement for them. At least they won't starve. It's probably not the *perfect* diet for them - but when they're sick or need to keep food down, I highly recommend it. After all it is for newborn/abandoned animals. So now my question - how long can a ferret stay on this mush mixture and remain healthy? Indefinately? I think Snickers still eats the dry kibble when there isn't any of the other foods around, problem is she doesn't eat enough to keep her weight on. So that is why I have had to supplement with the mush and formula. But I'm concerned about the longevity of her health on such food. Any experiences shared would be very helpful. Thanks again friends! FuzzHugz to you and your lil' ones! Tanya [Posted in FML issue 3301]