Any advise for new ferret?

[StephOC 6]

I posted in the lost and found section that I was given a ferret this morning. Found near Farnell, Brechin, Scotland.

 

He's looking pretty rough. Has lots of cuts and mud on him. Very thin.

He is so exhausted, he fell asleep in my hands as soon as I got him. He's in the warm now, in the shed and I've been waking him up every few hours to feed him. (I was worried he might go to sleep and never wake up again as he has no fat on him!)

 

The ferret isn't interested in eating, just sleeping, but if I wake him up and hold it right under his nose he drinks and eats a lot! (An egg, lambs liver and chicken, raw and cut up small).

 

He doesn't like dry ferret food (guessing he's working stock) or ferretone.

 

I took him to the vet just now, he thinks that most to the cuts and bruising are superficial, gave him a shot of penicillin and said to give him a good bath in a couple of days to get the mud out of him.

 

So, I'm after advise please. Should I let the thing sleep it off or wake it up every 3-5 hours? Any food stuffs to really pile the weight back on him? I said he'd be fed on chicken, liver and rabbit, and the vet suggested cat food might be better? (I'm not convinced of this, does anyone feed cat food to get weight on ferrets?)

 

If you've lost a ferret near Farnell and think he might be yours, do get in touch. Although, there was another lovely looking polecat hob killed this morning on the same road, about 2 or 3 miles towards Montrose.

[Coneytrappr 30]

If I want to really put weight on a fert I grind up chicken, rabbit, eggyolk until it is a paste, then add a bit of heavy cream [not the pre-whipped stuff] and water it down a bit until it is easy for the stinker to eat. I've brought a few ferts back from the brink of death when they would eat nowt else but that.

If it is in really rough shape, then keep on as you have been doing and wake it up for a feed every so often.

 

Cat food...personally I think you would be better off with the meats and fats they would normally get, but if you really wanted you could get a good quality cat biscuit with a high meat content [like Eukanuba Adult] and add that to the ground mix as well. I've done that for a fussy old jill that wouldn't have just the meat and it worked.

[StephOC 6]

Thankyou Coneytrappr. I will begin grinding shortly. I think its going to die anyway. Its gone cold to the touch. So its in the front room next to the heater on a hot water bottle and covered in shredded paper.

I'm really upset. Its a nice thing, and I thought it was going to be ok.

[Kay 3,709]

Steph keep at it they can turn round from the brink to being full of life in a few hours , i do hope the ferret makes it, good luck

[The one 8,503]

I'd just let it sleep its maybe knackered and glad to be in the warm and dry and will eat if theres food there when he wakes up

[StephOC 6]

Thanks for the encouragement. The ferret is alive. He's just eaten some tiny chicken and liver bits (about 3 tablespoons) and drank more water. And he'd been up in the night eating and drinking too. Nice and warm to the touch (he's still inside) and when I walked in the room this morning, he woke up. Whereas last night you could tap on the side of the hutch or poke him and he wouldn't move or flinch at all! Fingers crossed...

[rosspti 2]

If that ferret makes it through he'll be a beauty for you mate!

[nightshiner 2]

good luck and i hope the wee ferret is fine,sounds like its in good hands all the best

[smokin 0]

fingers crossed for the fella - sounds like you are doing the right thing for him

 

atb

 

 

chris

[COMPO 54]

Let him sleep..........he will eat if he's hungry...i know you did eventually

 

But when asleep thats when your body stores fat and repairs injuries and muscles etc...........

 

 

sumo wrestlers only eat one meal a day at the end of training and then go to sleep ....this helps them pile on weight muscle and fat...........sleep is as important as food and water for the body.......i work shifts and after working nights and not getting lots of sleep i often end up with minor niggles and illnesses!

 

Hope he gets well for you

[stealthy1 3,964]

If the ferret is drinking you have every chance of him pulling through

[StephOC 6]

Hello all,

 

He's not too bad now - I can't believe the improvement from yesterday evening. Kay, you're so right about it only taking a few hours.

More eating and drinking. Even showed some interest in his new living quarters, before going back to sleep.

Thanks COMPO, I'll let him keep his own hours from now on.

[lurcher lass 9]

glad to hear he's okay!!! well done for having the patience with him, i done the same earlier this year with a ferret kit, people thought i was mad but the kit lived and has been re homed to a chicken farmer to do some rabbiting later on in the season

[nercwys 10]

Give him some water with sugar disolved in it great stuff for energy.

[Countryboyo 0]

Sounds like the ferret will have a good home if he pulls true. best of luck with him.

CB