Ferret with swollen pads on neck

Question
Hello, I have been communicating with Jacquie (another Expert on AllExperts.com) about my ferret Kosmo and his issue with not eating kibble, however she is on vacation. Now I notice that he has swollen areas on both sides of his neck nearer to his front shoulders, the areas are round and about the size of a half dollar, they stick out about 1/2 inch, do not seem to be painful to him, it looks like he has the "mumps". He has been on a "soup" diet of ensure shakes,pedialyte,gerber chicken baby food and AD for over a month now, because he will not eat kibble. I am gradually trying to wean him off the "soup" per Jacquie's instructions. So I wondered if those swollen areas are fat pads or something more serious, he saw the vet on 09/24/2007 and she deemed him healthy after some blood work and exam. He did not have the swollen areas then. He was treated for helibacter(not sure of spelling}with Amoxicillin,Flagyl and pepto bismol. He completed that series for 10 days. I have him on Pepcid AC now per Jacquie's instructions. He acts ok and poop and pee are normal. He was a rescue,he is about 2 years old and lived his life without much activity or human attention. He has the free roam of the house here and I spend quality time with him every day. The food issue has been frustrating. He will not eat unless I hold him and get him started with a spoon, so I wonder how much is psychological.When I first got him he ate fine but I ran out of the food they gave me with him and could not find it anywhere, ended up ordering a case from the company and when I got it, he would not touch it and still will not touch it, he also refuses his treats that he used to love. My daughter has a ferret who is nothing like Kosmo so I based my decision to adopt him on hers.I have had him since end of July. Any suggestions on feeding behavior in addition to the swollen areas would be appreciated. Thanks so much-Pam

Answer
I don't think the swollen areas are food related, but they do need to be checked out.  Ferrets are prone to various cancers, so it would be worth while to check out.  There is also a lot of debate regrading the treatment of helicobacter and ferrets - anything from if it even works to is it helpful (I believe most animals have helicobacter present in their digestive system).  Make sure your vet is a ferret knowledegable vet or something could be missed.  
Regarding food.  I recommend Natural Gold and Totally Ferret - Venison formula.  I have some picky eaters, but they all eat either of these foods.  You could blend the kibble in with the "soup" and increase the kibble size as he eats.  All of the trouble you are having tells me something may be wrong - you should have your vet check some other possibilities.  The Ferret Health List (online) may also be a good reference for you.  There are some ferret vets on the list that can help.