Ferret hates force feeding

Question
My ferret Merlin has been to see the vet several times in the last four weeks after he stopped eating on his own. The vet has decided that he has a gluten allergy and has recommended that we force feed gluten-free chicken baby food (adding in some digestive aids that he gave us) until his system recovers enough to go on gluten-free dry food (Merlin gained weight after the first couple weeks of force feeding and antibiotics)

The problem is Merlin hates the taste of the gluten-free baby food and spits it out, and force feeding has become extremely difficult-- often a 20-minute ordeal. We scruff him but he still spits everything out no matter how little we give him.

I have a couple questions--first, is there a special technique for scruffing a ferret? And I guess my second (sad) question is, if he still isn't eating after 4 weeks, does he still have the will to live? It feels cruel to force feed every few hours for so many weeks if he's not going to recover. Any help at all is appreciated, thank you!

Answer
I am not sure that this will exactly answer the question, but first I suggest a second opinion.  Most allergies in ferrets that I see are chicken or poultry based and usually lead to loose stool etc, not anorexia.  I am NOT a vet, but a second opinion may be worth it for you.  I am also not sure of his age and that would have to factor into the situation also.  In my experience, loss of appetite can mean any number of things from ulcers to cancer and a ton in between.