From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2004-08-03 20:39:41 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Adrenal Disease
To: Jen Phillips <ferretlover@hideyhole.org>, ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <3EF7C3E4-E58D-11D8-862F-000A95CD182C@mac.com>
It is usually best to NOT syringe feed except when there is absolutely
no choice. It can at times cause more trouble than it is worth
because it can cause aspiration pneumonia from inhaled foods or fluids.
Do it only when there aren't options.
If the soft food is easy enough to eat (baby food or a/d for example)
and even mixed with warmed water so that it is even easier to swallow
and more aromatic from the heating then it usually goes in fine. Some
like from a bowl -- and often if the bowl is shallow that can help esp.
for ones who startle easily. Some who like to hear themselves eat and
have smells concentrated do well with you holding a tilted plastic
unbreakable glass. Some like from spoons. Some like from fingers, in
fact pretty much all like from fingers. Soft singing or gentle talking
and lot of patience (plus a towel on your lap as the ferret rests there
comfortably) help.
For those for whom that doesn't work this is what we buy and after 23
years with ferrets we swear by these. Our ferrets love to eat from
them of their own volition and now we have the techs at the vet
hospital we used pleased with them, too:
http://www.apothecaryproducts.com/catalogue/product.asp?
CatID=1&SubCatID=14&ProdID=67032
so check local pharmacies.
(The accordion top gives fine control for those breathing breaks
(better than a plunger), the wide mouth reduces the risks of clogs and
therefore the risk of a sudden release which may be inhaled and cause
infection, and they clean up well. Despite that we don't use them
unless the safest methods of feeding don't work, or unless we have to
carefully measure fluids in like we had to for Hilbert and to a lesser
extent for Mornie. No, we don't sell for that company or have any
affiliation, and don't even own stock it or even know if it is a
publicly held company. It's just a really marvelous product.)
Patience is the important word for feeding a recovering ferret.