eating problems

Question
I have a year old male ferret three days ago he randomly stopped eating. i got him the wrong food. the next day I got his normal dry food. yet he still hasn't eaten, that I know of. he acts the same drinks lots of water and his poop looks normal. what do I do? I'm scared that he is not eating, or maybe slowed down on his eating because of the summer starting any advice I'm a worried father please email me back

Answer
Dear Douglas,

Let's get busy on that eating problem.  Ferrets will very often refuse a new food and we have to coax them back into their normal eating habits.  It's great that he's drinking and his poop looks normal.  I have a couple of suggestions that should get your little fuzzie back on track.

Ferrets eat approximately 15 to 20 dry kibbles at a sitting several times throughout the day.  Start by coating 20 - 30 dry kibbles with chicken baby food on a separate plate.  If he licks the chicken off and leaves the dry kibbles, that's okay for now (it's great he likes the chicken).  Hopefully he'll go back in a few minutes to finish off the kibbles.  If not, put about a tablespoon of the chicken on a separate plate next to his regular bowl of dry kibbles. He'll eat the chicken first, of course, and then, hopefully, nibble on the dry food throughout the day.  Watch to see if he nibbles (it's easier to tell if you don't completely fill his bowl).  If this process seems to work, start each day with - a spoon of chicken next to his bowl of dry food.  It's also very important he gets ferret vitamins.  I use FerretVite. Put the dose on his chicken plate each morning.  Be careful to follow the dosage directions; too much can cause diarrhea and you certainly don't want that.

And, don't worry.  The chicken breakfast diet won't hurt him as long as he snacks on the dry food during the day.  Just don't cave and feed him only the chicken.

Please keep me posted.  I'm always concerned as to how my friends make out.

Warm Regards,
Janet