my ferret isnt eating

Question
hi i have a ferret named miss piggy and she is about 2 years old...she is pretty small, only 1.5 pounds and she has not been eating. she wnt even go near her bowl...i did get her to eat out of my hand a couple of times but that is pretty much it. i have tried everything i could think of and even asked the vet for help. nothing is working so if you have any suggestions i would be more than willing to hear them. thatnks. leighanne

Answer
Hello Leighanne,
If it is a sudden change in her diet, then your vet is probably the person to help you. If she is still happy bouncy, playful,and her stools look normal, but you never SEE her eat, she is probably eating at night. Alot of ferrets do this. If she is having stools, she IS eating.
Some ferrets stash their kibble and eat it at night.
I am going to copy and paste the answer I gave to someone else who said his male ferret was not eating, it may help you:  
MALE FERRET NOT EATING:
a good thing to try is Gerber's Second Meals chicken baby
food.  It's full of nutrients and water (though it's not a good
full-time food)  and most ferrets love it.  Put a little on your
finger and let your ferret lick it; if he won't try it, carefully
smear a little on his belly, and show it to him.  He should lick it off and eat the rest
from your fingers eagerly. Then, in a few days, wean him back onto his dry food by mixing the baby food into his dry food with a tablespoon of water, to make sort of a mash. Refrigerate the unused portion, and make sure it is room temperature when you feed him. If you wean him onto the dry food, and he STOPS eating, try a different DRY food, like commercial kitten food from the grocers.
There is also something called "Duck Soup" for severe cases, if he is still not eating after trying the above, have him checked by your vet. But you can sustain him on this until you can see the vet:

DUCK SOUP

1 can Sustacal (8 oz., or about 230 ml; it comes in a larger size too)
1 can water    (8 oz., or about 230 ml)
2 scoops puppy or kitten weaning formula -- OPTIONAL
4 oz. (110 g? or ml?) dry kitten or ferret food, soaked in enough water to
              cover and soften it completely

[Sustacal is meant for humans; look for it by baby formulas or in the
pharmacy section of your supermarket.   you can also
use Ensure, Discover 2.0, or Just Born (puppy/kitten milk from pet store).

Mix thoroughly.  We always warm it in the microwave  for them to the temperature of baby
formula ( NOT HOT!).  Then again, wean him back onto the dry food.
Also,This formula also freezes well -- the Sustacal must
be used within 48 hours if left only in the fridge.

Good Luck! and let me know if you have any other questions.
amy