From:
Karen Purcell, DVM
Date: 2001-11-29 11:43:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Hair and weight loss
Bonny,
>SNIP>
>
> I have been giving Taffy one to two jars of gerbers chicken mixed with a ta=
> blespoon of ensure every day for the past three days now. He likes it a lot=
> and seems to look forward to it now, but I haven't noticed him eating or d=
> rinking much on his own. When I fed him water through a syringe last night,=
> he was eager and happy to drink it.
>
> He's a big time Mama's boy and my husband said he got very depressed when I=
> left and moped around looking for me to come back. When I did come back, h=
> e wouldn't let me out of site for one moment. I have been trying to spend a=
> s much time with him one on one as I can. He's still shedding hair, but he =
> seems to be changing colors a bit so I'm hoping this may be his winter coat=
> coming in or something? I am preparing to make a vet appointment soon if h=
> e doesn't start eating on his own, but I would really like to get some opin=
> ions from others first. I appreciate your help.
I find that many ferrets refuse to eat/become depressed when an
owner is away. TLC usually helps. However, if you feed him two full
jars of food a day, he is not hungry for kibble to start eating on
his own. I would back down on the handfeeding, and see if he starts
picking at his usualy food.
Ferrets change colors at shedding all the time - I had a medium
silver become cinnemon one season. As long as the hair grows in,
should be no problem.
Hope this helps,
-Dr. Karen
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