My Skinny Kennedy

Question
I have a 2 year old ferret named kennedy that i got back in november 2007 and he was a little skinny when i adopted him, but now he's REALLY skinny over 6 months later! I've brought him into the vet and they said he's perfectly healthy, but it just worries me that he doesn't eat when i'm away and when i'm around he does! He got a little heavier when i got my 2nd ferret and now he's best friends with my 3rd ferret and both of them are humongous compared to him! how do i put a little weight back on his skinny body

Answer
Hi Nicole:

Males are about 1/3 larger than females when full grown - you probably already know that. Have you considered getting another ferret that could be more likely to befriend Kennedy, maybe a little female?  I'd DEFINITELY recommend getting her from a SHELTER and letting him pick her out (take the others too just to be sure they all do get along before you bring one home. Ferrets in a clean, well-operated shelter should be healthy, unlike most of the pet stores you wll encounter with a myriad of parasite and bacterial infections your kids are likely to bring home with them.

FYI - the largest ferret I've ever had and the smallest ferret I've ever had - I owned them both at the same time and they were best buddies. So, don't put too much emphasis on size. And - don't forget, even IF you do bring another ferret home, there's NO guarantee that the new ferret won't just jump on the top fo the the who are already sleeping together. The truth is that some ferrets like to sleep alone; most like to sleep in a pile. No doubt he will eventually sleep with them once in a while. If I WERE YOU, I wouldn't let Kennedy's weight dictate whether I needed another ferret or not....the ones you already will work it out and become great friends. In my opinion (and others I've talked to) three ferrets is about the perfect number to have. When one seems to be the 'outcast, that's just the mommy in us trying to make sure they don't get beat up on the playground so to speak.

Having a ferret who is 'normal' or on the thinner side *can* be dangerous, even tho it's better for their health. If they get even a cold, then just don't have the reserves and even a minor sickness could easily be deadly.  On the other hand, thin ferrets do tend to live longer as long as they aren't malnourished - so there ARE arguments to keeping him on the slimmer side.  I can't help wondering if he will fill out pretty soon here.  Kennedy is full size at seven months of age, so now that his bone growth is finished, he should start filling out a bit. I have seen / heard of people who put weight on their ferrets by adding fat to their diet and I just think that is such a horrible UNHEALTHY way for a ferret to gain weight! No doubt much of the fat ends up right in the arteries that carry life-sustaining blood to the heart, lungs and brain!  

To put *healthy* weight on Kennedy, you might want to try what I use with my kids...Hill's A/D Feline Canned food - you can get it at your vet's office - NO other foods will work for this. This food is much like baby food meat, but it has extra vitamins and organ meats in it that ferrets (and other small carnivores) and is extra easy to digest. It's made specifically for sick and recovering pets and their special nutritional needs.

IF your vet approves (no doubt he will because it is very healthy), here's how to make "soup" and all your kids actually should get some; even the healthy ones should have a tablespoonful every night so they can get used to the taste too. It very well may save their life later <not IF> <but WHEN> they get sick and need supplemental feedings.

A/D 'soup':  take about a heaping tablespoonful per ferret, a tablespoonful or so of water (you will have to experiment according to how much food you use, but the end result must be a nice gravy about the thickness as what you serve to your family. (**COVER LEFTOVER A/D & KEEP REFRIGERATED FOR USE TOMORROW) Temperature warmer than lukewarm but when you put your finger in to stir it, there are no hot spots (do be sure to do one last stir with your finger before serving to be sure there are no hot spots, microwave ovens do that occasionally.

Introduce the ferrets (only feed one ferret at a time on your lap) to A/D by dipping finger in it, then into ferret's mouth (or let him lick your finger if he will) behind canine teeth - the long ones.  Do this several times, even if you have to SCRUFF HIM to do it. DO NOT force food down him.  What you really want to do is get him to relax on your lap; give him some kissies and sweet talking, gently but firmly take hold of his neck low and deep behind his ears with one hand dip finger with other hand and just touch a little in there.  Do not be surprised if he spits it, gags, and makes soap operas look like Saturday morning cartoons. They are soo sad when first being introduced to A/D.  I *promise* you though - after he has had it a couple of times, he WILL chase you around the house to tell you it's time for his soup - yes, really.

Only Kennedy gets all he can eat; everybody else gets enough to get them used to the 'soup'.  Do this every night at bedtime for a month, then weigh Kennedy again (you won't need to tho) and you will see a huge difference on the scale. Let your vet help guide you with how long to keep Kennedy on this - he will need to Rx the food - NO OTHER FOOD you can substitute because A/D is baby food meat quality but has the benefit of having organ meats in it and special vitamins/minerals/etc in addition to easy-to-digest and made FOR sick and/or recovering carnivores...it's made to put weight on; made to digest easily..  BEWARE, IF you feed too much of this, the ferret just MAY stop eating kibble all together (this happened to me) and you *may* end up spending the next 3.5 years handfeeding the ferret four times a day :-)  So, DO try to stop after one month - see what the vet says.

Out of curiousity, what do you feed the kids?  You might want to try a better quality, higher protein food?  Check the food chart here:

   http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_treats.html

The higher the number, the better the food, so the best foods are at the top of the page and as you go down, the foods get worse and worse.  Do be aware that you *can* feed a ferret too much protein and it can be hard on their kidneys. Ferrets need about 37% PROTEIN FROM ANIMAL SOURCES (i.e. chicken, chicken by-products, chicken meal, chicken broth, chicken liver, chicken....on and on).

Do let your vet be your guide as far as size/weight with Kennedy. You really don't want to make him overweight with all the problems that obesity brings with it. Some ferrets are just lean when young. Have you had a fecal parasite and culture done?  I would think your vet has done that; if not, please ask him to. If there is a parasite in Kennedy's bowel taking all his nutrition, that may be the source of Kennedy's loss of nutrition.

Please have a look at the foods on the list -and TRY to choose the best foods possible that are available in your area.  Hope these suggestions make a huge difference in Kennedy's weight and overall health - sometimes I think mommies have a better handle on ferret's state of health than a vet who only sees them for 10 minutes. Follow your heart - never hesitate to get a second opinion. They eat such a small amount and they are so active; every little bite they put in their little tummies has to be the highest/most easily digestible protein possible. You're a wonderful ferret mom to be so vigilant in realizing how important good nutrition is to these little ones.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers