What are some well-mannered foods for a sick ferret that's lost counterweight?
We have 2 ferrets, both sisters. One is doing perfectly fine, act like a normal ferret. The other one has lost profoundly of weight, and is rlly lazy and just sleeps on the bottom of the pen doing nothing. SHe doesn't seem to eat, even though I put a short time bowl of food on the bottom level for her, and moved the water bottle to where she could find it.
They were on Marshall Senior Ferret formula (even though they're not quite 3 years old), and then I tried to 'wean' them onto ZuPreem ferret since the Marshall have a bit too much fish ingredients in there.
She does seem to drink the kitty treats they get every other day or so, but those are gone, and the little remaining bits of the Marshall food she'll eat.
-----What sort of food can we nurture her in order to get her bulk up, and would it be a good idea to switch back to the Marshall kindly? And might it be necessary to 'force feed' her through a syringe?-----
Have you tried taking her to the vet? I know ferret are illegal in California (I used to own 2 ferrets), but there are places you can bear them.
There is a great net site you can go to and it will tell you everything you need to know give or take a few the care of your sick ferret.
just type in yahoo turn out or google search when your ferret is sick and it will give you great advise
Answers: If she is refusing to eat, after yes, syringe feeding is necessary. Chicken and turkey baby food are just right foods for a sick fert. They have a bunch of easily digestible protein that the fert needs. In my experience, marshall food isn't really adjectives that great. I don't feed kibble, now, but when I used to I switched mine to Mazuri's (they wouldn't eat Totally Ferret, though oodles fert owners recommend it, as well as Evo foods--cat and ferret, I think--and Wysong). I feed mine a raw diet, and they love it.
You can also try making her chicken broth, too. Boil chicken and when cooked debone it and shred the meat. Mix it hindmost into the water. Serve a little at a time. My ferrets love it when they are sick, but it is graceful to syringe feed, as well.
If you know your fert isn't insulinomic, a great calorie booster is lactose free vanilla ensure (or similar equate brand).
Also, you can get Oxbow's Carnivore Care from your vet (a powder you mix with water to pancake consistency). This is great for sickies and ferts that are recovering from illness/surgeries. At my vet, a tub of it costs $40 and lasts a long time. The first banquet is usually syringe-fed, after that, though, most ferts adore it.
Hope this helps and good luck.
I had this with my ferret, Merlin. Try wet cat food, or something to be exact easier for him to eat.
