THIN FERRET!!! NEEDS HELP!!!

[red_fish_blue_fish]

I just adopted a ferret. She was Abandon at my work (PetCo), and I also had one years ago - so I thought it would be nice having her around (It is). However, mine has the same problem. Have you gotten any answers to your Q. I need help fattening mine up. I thought maybe she was just thin due to neglect, but I can't get her to gain weight. I am currently trying a mix of Eukanuba Kitten food (because it is high in protien and fiber), unflavored Pedialite (Yes, the stuff for kids, cause I thought if he was neglected maybe her body needs to replace fluids. It has worked in other pet stores I have worked at), and Ferrevite High Calorie Diet Suppliment. She seems to like Cat Foods, because she didn't want to eat the Marshall Ferret Food we offered her at my work. My other ferret used to eat Iams Cat Food. He was a fatty...lol. I hope she is okay. Email me at SmMammalsRock@Yahoo.com if you have any answers.
Here she is:::What do you all think of the name Isis? Any suggestions on what I should name her?:::

 

[Kiarra]

She's quite lovely. Isis would be a great name, I think.

If she needs some nutrients and doesn't seem all that inclined to eat, then things like chicken broth, gatorade, and (as you're using) Pedialite are EXCELLENT sources of electrolytes and other essential nutrients. This was recommended by my vet for both my dog and my cat, and for my brother.

 

[red_fish_blue_fish]

Well, she eats most of what I put in front of her....but doesn't seem to be gaining anything. How long do you guys think I should wait before I panic?

 

[Kiarra]

Well, you don't want her eating too much initially, anyway, if she's been starved nearly to death. You want to reintroduce food to her gradually, or else she'll get sick and may vomit. Give her what she wants, but don't let her pig out on anything...just keep her hydrated, and feed her little bits every few hours.

If her fecal matter looks abnormal, like it has worms in it, then that would be cause to take her to the vet, as she would have parasites. Give her a week, I'd say, before you really expect her to start putting on any weight.

 

[dolly_daydream]

hi
i love ferrrets had quite a few in my time..anyway have you tried worming her??also is the ferret male or female is she is a female she will need to be spayed is you dont plan on having any kits,as there is disease which female ferrets get if she is allowed to go into season but is not bred,
Aplastic Anemia: This is an occurence that happens quite often in females that are not spayed or bred repeatedly. Make sure that your female ferret is spayed and de-scented before she is 6 months old. If she is allowed to go into heat without being bred, there is about a 90 % chance she will die...An unspayed female ferret (known as a jill) will remain in heat for 6 months unless she is bred. The high hormone levels that result are very stressful on her body and can lead to severe disease and/or take years off her lifespan. Fixing ferrets reduced odor problems by about 90%. Male ferrets, if not neutered, can become aggressive. Female ferrets, if not spayed, develop serious health problems at their first heat and die.


The best food to feed ferrets is prepared ferret food available in pet stores, as this contains all the nutrients the ferret needs in the correct amounts. Ferrets need at least 35% of their diet to be protein, and so such foods as cat food will not suffice because they do not have enough protein in them.

Ferrets also love to have treats. They like protein, so meat scraps are wonderful treats. Fresh vegetables and fruits are treats they may enjoy, but they should be offered very sparingly as they are not conducive to a good diet
if you need any more advice pm me,,dont forget to get her wormed that could be another reason she is staying thin
claire

 

[Angel Lady]

I get my ferrets food at walmart it is the samething I feed my cats and really they are to fat. But the food is in a blue and black bag it is called maxium nutrition it is great my cats weigh as high as 30 pounds and are as healthy as a horse. I also give my ferrets. ferret food so they will have a choice of what they want and all three of them are fat and healthy now. If I can manage to keep them out of the mouthwash and so on. I had a big scare a few days ago with one of my babies, he got loaded and had to take a trip to the vet. He walked around as if he was taking two steps forward and five or six back......I hope it gets ok for you. One of my male ferrets look just like yours and his name is cookie...He already had a name when I got him the people who owned him thought he was a she...

 

[red_fish_blue_fish]

They don't sell ferrets that are not spayed or nutured/ decented - in the state that I live in. It is impossible to find an "untouched" ferret, because breeding them is illegal here. She has already begun to put on weight, but she is still skinny. So I gave her a bath, a nail trimming, cleaned out her ears, and made an apt to see the local vet. She needs her distemper/rabies shots anyway. Oh, DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO LITTER BOX TRAIN A FERRET! I am going to try my hand at it. I know it can be done. THANKS GUYS!

 

[dolly_daydream]

They don't sell ferrets that are not spayed or nutured/ decented - in the state that I live in. It is impossible to find an "untouched" ferret, because breeding them is illegal here. She has already begun to put on weight, but she is still skinny. So I gave her a bath, a nail trimming, cleaned out her ears, and made an apt to see the local vet. She needs her distemper/rabies shots anyway. Oh, DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO LITTER BOX TRAIN A FERRET! I am going to try my hand at it. I know it can be done. THANKS GUYS!

hi
this is quite easy actually all you do is the next times she poos pick it up and place it in the try and show her it,and everytime she does it were she shouldnt do it again and she,ll automatically start to do it there
claire

 

[Angel Lady]

Please give us a update on your ferret. I would love to know if it has started to gain weight yet....

 

[OrkyBetta]

as long as your ferret isn't LOSING weight there is no need to panic. She doesn't look emaciated in that picture, maybe she is equivalent to a "hard keeper" in the horse world. She just can't keep weight on. Wish I had her problem.

 

[oneponygirl]

Have you taken her to the vet yet? Ferrets are very susceptible to cancer and diabetes as well as simple problems like worms. She didn't look too bad to me either, not saying she couldn't stand a little weight but I've seen ferrets near deaths door due to disease and THEY were skinny!

When my ferrets got a bit on the thin side and started to smell very strong of ferret, I dewormed them for tapeworms. That always made them turn around a huge deal. Great improvement in coat quality, weight, and almost no odor.

 

[red-devil0602]

sorry if somebody has already said this but give her some fresh raw liver she will love it and it's really good for her and some bread broken up and put in a bowl of milk so it goes all soft