Let me start by explaining that I have only been on the FML for a week, so I apologize in advance if I am posting something that is 'old news'. Greg wrote that his ferret is not eating, and 'chews' after being force fed. Could this chewing be grinding of the teeth. According to my vet, this is frequently a symptom of ulcers. My first experience with ulcers in ferrets was about 6 years ago. I had an 11 week old kit that suddenly stopped eating and refused treats. At the time, we took our ferrets to a local vet who admitted theat she had a limited knowledge of ferrets. She xrayed MC and found no blockage, but said she expected an upper GI problem, and suggested exploritory surgery. I agreed, and she found bleeding ulcers. For the next year and a half, MC lived on prednisone, and required 2 more surgeries to repair additional ulceration. Finally I got the name of a ferret specialist. He was 30 miles away, which is far when you live in a heavily populated area, but I decided to give it a try. He told us that although the research results were not completely in, he believed ulcers were caused by a bacteria, and felt the proper treatment was antibiotics. He wanted to do surgery to confirm that ulcers were really the problem, and do some blood work, but he thought he could cure MC's problem. So, we went ahead. After the surgery, MC was on Amoxy and another antibiotic for a month. After that, no more ulcer problems. Now, all our ferrets go to the specialist, for everything. Driving an hour each way is a small price for piece of mind that your kids are getting the best possible care. We also have noticed grinding with our oldest ferret. She survived ECE last fall, and since that time, has occasional relapses. During these times she grinds, and doesn't want to eat. We give her Pepto Bismol for 2 or 3 days, and she snaps back. Other ferret owners have told me that this is not uncommon in older ferrets that have had ECE. As a disclaimer, I am not a medical expert, and do not mean this advice to be taken as such. I am only a ferret lover who is passing on one of my experiences, hoping someone can benefit from it. Dooks to everyone. Danee DeVore [Moderator's note: Only subscribed for a week? We'd never know - good post! Welcome aboard. BIG] [Posted in FML issue 1628]