From:
Jacqueline Snyder
Date: 2001-09-25 05:45:00 UTC
Subject: Weight
I'd like some new and different tips on increasing the rate of weight gain
in underweight ferrets. We've gotten several new rescues who are in pretty
decent condition, considering their background, but I'd really like to see
two of them gain faster. Both are old, and one is quite old.
Vet visit is scheduled for Monday. Will include bloodwork and fecal test.
The new ferrets are getting 'duck soup' plus chicken babyfood freely fed,
as well as Totally Ferret and Purina Kitten (I know--PK is not the
greatest, but they eat it happily and now is not the time to force a
switch) plus Ferretvite and Nutrical several times a day. The problem is
that two of them seem willing to eat but at the same time not interested in
eating more than a few bites at a time. I've usually been able to coax a
sick ferret to eat by letting it lick babyfood or Nutrical off my finger.
These two will do that, but only a few licks and then they lose interest.
The oldest one has some hind end weakness (I suspect insulinoma), but
neither ferret is weak or shows other problematic symptoms. Both have a
reasonable level of energy for their age.
So what ELSE do we do to fatten these kids up?