From:
"Cathy Strobach"
Date: 2009-03-16 18:11:48 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Soup---Assume NOTHING!!!
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
When members of the ferret community speak of feeding a ferret "soup" we do not mean chicken noodle, or cream of chicken canned soup.
When we speak of feeding "gravy" we are not talking about French`s canned gravy for humans!
When we talk about serving chicken baby food, we do not mean chicken with rice, or chicken with noodles or vegetables, etc.
Our sanctuary has had emails & phonecalls from people who truly served these things to their sick ones, believing it was the right thing to do--or, in the case of the gravy, to save money.
We all have our own way of caring for the sick ones. There are many recipes for soup. Opinions will differ greatly. I hope others will share their thoughts too---here are mine---This is what works for US.
When I am sick, I do not want a nine course meal. I want something light.I feel that the fuzzies do better, starting with something light too.
To me, the "gravy" recipes out there are far too rich for a sick fuzzy who can barely look at, or stand the smell of food. We begin ours on "simple soup", which is plain chicken or turkey baby food (just second stage meat--NOT with noodles, rice, or vegetables.) diluted with warm, distilled water.
Opinions differ, regarding the use of Ensure, but if a fertie has not been eating,and is debilitated, its blood glucose is usually down a bit anyway, and a teaspoon of vanilla Ensure (or Walmart Equate equivalent) added to the simple soup will not hurt the ferret. It will make the soup more palatable, and add some extra nutrients. This, we refer to as "Synder soup" (Synder was a very ill foster ferret who had a PCV of 12% The vet advised euthanasia, but somehow, it didn`t feel right, so we took her home, and used this soup, along with a couple of other things--and she survived!!! The vet called it a miracle. Synder was with us for another 1 1/2 years.) Unless a ferret is diabetic, Synder soup can be used safely for a couple/few days.
Then you can remove the Ensure, & just serve the simple soup, once they`re on their feet a bit. We have learned that they seem to prefer the soup to be about the consistency of pea soup. Not too thick. (Remember, they need the fluid anyway! Sick ferrets easily become dehydrated.)
If your sick ferret has never had soup before, it will not recognize soup as "food" You will need to gently scruff your ferret, dip your finger into the warm soup, and smear some on its canine tooth. Gently release the ferret so it can recoil & shake its head. It will look at you as if you tried to kill it!!! Gently scruff again, and repeat. The ferret will lick its chops, and will taste the soup. (If you have added a small amount of Ensure, it will accept it more readily.) By the third try (using gentle patience) the ferret will begin to recognize this as food, and may begin to willingly lick it off your finger. (Some dont!) But have patience, & keep trying.
It`s best to get a ferret used to soup as a treat, long before it is ever sick. If the ferret isn`t sick, start with simple soup.
When the day comes, that your fuzzy is sick--and it probably will, there will be MUCH less stress on BOTH of you, if it is already used to soup.
I hope this helps someone out there.
Love, Zoo
[Question: why did you select distilled water which lacks a
number of useful minerals normally found in filtered water?
--Moderator]
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