From:
"Patrice"
Date: 2008-09-17 19:09:41 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Diarrhea puzzle - **please** help!!!
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
GOOD TUMMYS FORMULA
Common problems with ill ferrets:
Sour or upset tummy, causing grinding and vomiting
Weight Loss
Diarrhea
Dehydration
The recipe has worked wonders.
I started just feeding some of my sick ferrets who had upset tummies
baby food. Unfortunately, baby food gave them very limited nutrition
and they often still lost weight while recovering from whatever
illness that was causing them the stomach upset.=20
Baby food did not solve the problem of diarrhea that often comes with
tummy upset. So one of our foster moms told me she uses pumpkin for
diarrhea with her baby food. I asked the vet if the pumpkin was okay
and I was told the pumpkin doesn't only work for diarrhea but also
helps with constipation.
So then I am feeding baby food with pumpkin and find that as soon as
the pumpkin got on their tummy their grinding would stop and they
would continue to eat. It seems to have a soothing effect on the
stomach.
Okay so far I had a combo that slows are stops the weight loss,
dehydration and grinding.=20
Now I need them to gain weigh back. So I started adding the
FerretVite and found after two or three finger feedings I would just
need to put it in front of their noses and they would gobble it up.
Now we have an appetite back. And they started trying dry food again
between feedings.
Then came Flash. This naked little boy was severely underweight and
had terrible diarrhea and grinding from an upset tummy. That didn't
stop him from eating; he was always at the food bowl. But that
diarrhea would not stop.
He got his first Lupron shot and I could see he wanted so badly to
play with the other ferrets but he didn't have enough energy or
weight on him to keep up with them. The fact that he has a
permanently dislocated leg in the rear didn't help manner either.
I felt so bad for him. One night out of frustration, I went to work
in the kitchen and put everything healthy I had for ferrets in a bowl
and started blending. I had only tried the duck soup with baby food
before and the ferrets hated it but it was in the kitchen so it was
goin' in. After a few weeks of several batches and refining the
amount of each ingredient=85Viola' they loved it! Every ferret in the
house loves it and wants some. I served flash a =BD cup every morning
and every evening at first. Then another serving added to the
afternoon. Then one cup in the morning and one in the evening. All
the while he was chowing down on the regular hard food with no
grinding and YES no diarrhea. Now he has one serving everyday along
with any other ferret that may have a loose stool. They all
eventually get over the bad tummies except for Flash; he requires one
bowl every evening to keep the diarrhea away. After 6 weeks, he has
a full head of hair and has gone from .86 lbs to 2.10 lbs. He plays
with the other ferrets everyday. His bum leg is no hindrance and he
gets along with everyone.
Now when you have those moments when you HAVE to syringe feed you
need to leave the duck soup out because the particles get stuck in
the syringe.
Here is what I came up with:
Pumpkin- 1 can 15 oz, Pure Pumpkin, not pie filling.
Gerber Chicken or Turnkey- (you can get other brands, just stay away
from BeechNut) 3 jars
A/D or 8 in 1 canned ferret food- 1 to 2 cans
FerretVite- 1/4 tube
Duck Soup- Uncle Jims or Marshalls- Four tablespoons
Water- depending on how the ferret likes it...sometimes when they are
really sick they need it watery
Any leftovers can be frozen or refrigerated.
------------------------------------
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