From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-03-28 15:42:48 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Franklin still ill- when to consider exploratory? And other suggestions wanted!
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
> If you have not fed with a syringe before, you need to be very careful not to push too
>much through at a time. You do not want it inhaled into their lungs!
and THAT serious risk of aspiration pneumonia is exactly why FHL member vets have
repeatedly asked that if syringe feeding is to be tried then the ones trying it be taught
hands-on how to do it safely by their treating vet or by a vet tech that vet assigns to teach.
The last thing any ferrets need is potentially fatal pneumonia, esp. if they are already sick.
Honestly, there are safer approaches: putting a towel on your lap and slowly and patiently
finger-feeding, or taking an easy to control large opening dropper like the "Dr. Clown
Spoon Dropper" and drizzling the food in front of the ferret (with a wide enough drip dish
beneath so that the ferret can space the eating and breathing instead of the human
guessing at those.
Music often helps, Steve and I have found, esp. gentle singing and strummed instruments
(but ours have disliked flutes or bagpipes), so does gentle talking. Sometimes jealousy
can be used by letting another ferret sample the food.
Syringe feeding by an EXPERT (like a vet tech, or like an animal rehabber who has years of
experience) is safe, but everyone else (us included and we have 26 years with ferrets,
including ones who needed it to get over humps) should reserve that approach for truly
serious times, and should have learned it hands on from an actual ferret health expert.
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