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Post by 3kaw on Nov 29, 2010 15:55:07 GMT -5
Our Trixie is struggling again. The difference this time is she is refusing to eat. She is not too bad with drinking right now, but is not eating. I've tried finger feeding and she will only take a very small amount. She wont take any out of bowl or off a spoon. I'm offering her baby food and soup both of which she normally eats willingly. Any tips?? (for those who don't know.... we already know she is sick..... she has insulinoma and lymphoma)
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Post by Heather on Nov 29, 2010 16:38:35 GMT -5
Do you know how to syringe feed? If you have a syringe, make a ferret burrito, and feed through the side of mouth (never from the front) and see if she will swallow some of the liquid that way. This has to be done gently and I usually advise people to have their vet show them how for the first time (does any one know of a site that shows how to do this properly?) There comes a point in time when you're messing with lymphoma and other ferret diseases for that matter that syringe feeding becomes a necessity. Having syringes for feeding both fluids and soupy is a necessity. I actually went as far as getting a sub-q kit from my vet with one of my other lymphomas babies. ciao
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Post by shilohismygirl on Nov 29, 2010 16:44:53 GMT -5
Yes, syringe feeding is about the only way you can go from there, it sounds like. I've never had to syringe feed yet, but I did get a really nice pet first aid kit that had a syringe in it for feeding. It really comes in handy, I would say!
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Post by 3kaw on Nov 29, 2010 17:29:13 GMT -5
Thanks I will look into that!
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Post by 3kaw on Nov 29, 2010 21:06:13 GMT -5
any idea how much she should be taking in this way? I mean anything is better then nothing at this point I just dont want to give her too much.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Nov 29, 2010 22:05:16 GMT -5
i scruff them with my left hand, then with my right i feed them thick soup through a big syringe. they sell them for feeding baby birds, cats, etc. you might have to make the hole bigger so the stuff gets through. make sure you make it thick so it doesn't pour out of the syringe on its own. just stick the syringe in through the side of her mouth and shoot it towards the roof of her mouth --a little bit at a time. if you shoot it towards the roof of her mouth you will not make her choke. before you stick the syringe in her mouth, fill it up and practice a few times that way you know how much stuff you are getting out with one squeeze. you have to give her time to swallow and wipe their chin in between because i find that even sick ferrets like to stay neat.
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Post by miamiferret2 on Nov 29, 2010 22:16:46 GMT -5
oh yeah, i don't know what syringe you will be using but i would say 100 to 110 cc's of food a day and split into 4 meals if you can. 6 teaspoons is = to 30 cc's. so you can do 3 meals /6 teaspoons of food at each meal and then the fourth meal will be 4 teaspoons of food. or you can do 5 meals at 20 cc's each/ 4 teaspoons each time. but 5 meals a day is alot of work. most people have jobs and can't do this. also make sure that she is getting at least 100 cc's of water a day. but if you are mixing water in her food to make soup then you won't need to give alot of water on your own.
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Post by sherrylynne on Nov 29, 2010 23:51:11 GMT -5
From my vet, I got to feed approx 1-2 tbsp every two to three hours for soupies by syringe. Good luck with your little girl!
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Post by 3kaw on Nov 30, 2010 10:01:32 GMT -5
Thanks! I was able to get about 5tsp into her last night, during about 3 different feeding times. she'd only take a 1 1/2 tsp at a sitting. this morning though she ate most of her soup on her own. This little girlie has a mind of her own! Has to do it her way lol Not much else changed today but at least she ate something. Thanks again for the tips!
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