Ferret recovering from surgery

Question
My ferret, Pumpkin, had surgery a week ago to remove an obstruction that turned out to be a large hairball.

For the past week I have been grinding up her kibble, and to that adding chicken baby food, hard boiled egg, and "duck soup" which is commercially available. All of it goes into the food processor and I add water to make it soupy. I have been feeding her every 4 hours, with an 8 hour lapse during the day while I am away  at work. How long will it be before she starts eating her regular kibble again? What if she doesn't want to go back to her regular kibble after the mush I made for her recovery?

Answer
Hello Tara and Pumpkin,

I am so glad that you got her to a vet in time to have that surgery. That is such a dangerous situation and I'm so glad it worked out for you.

Since it has been about a week, I'm assuming that her stitches are probably, for the most part, healed and she is getting back to her normal self? I would say it is probably safe to start getting her back onto her regular eating schedule. Keep track of how much food is in her bowl all the time. That way, you'll know if she is eating it. If she isn't eating it, then you can try making up the mush and then adding some regular kibble to it and mixing that in. That way, you can kind of sneak it past her. After a few days, add a little more kibble. After another few days, add a bit more and so on. That should encourage her to get back in the swing of things.

Again, I am so happy that you got your little girl the help she needed. So many people don't see the signs in time and their ferrets are lost. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews