From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-07-23 20:35:36 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: We're off to the vet's Monday Morning
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Kim,
If the ferret gags when you are syringe feeding then you are not doing it slowly enough in
low enough amounts, and enough to the front of the mouth.
Gagging is one of the indications that food could have been inhaled; that can cause
aspiration pneumonia. Be more careful, please.
It's a slow thing to feed sick ferrets. Singing can help relax them and easy the process
(even when people have horrid voices like mine).
It is because of the aspiration risk that syringe feeding is saved for extreme situations
typically, and why so much finger, dropper-in-front-of face, and spoon feeding info is in
the archives. We use the "Dr. Clown Spoon Dropper" with accordion pleat top and wide
opening and have found that to be the best tool we've encountered in our decades with
ferrets. A broad opening reduces the need to press hard enough that the food will shoot
down the throat (an inhalation risk)
Also reducing that risk is a special hand hold for syringes learned from an article by Dr.
Deb Kemmerer Cottrell. Lay the syringe along your palm and hold it with your folded in
fingers. Use your thumb to press the plunger. It feels awkward at first but you will find
much better control results.
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