Question:I brought her to the vet today and they injected fluids, but she won't drink at home. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how I might encourage her to drink? Any help will be greatly appreciated. She has me really worried.
Answers:
For a minimal fee you can have your vet keep your ferret and give supportive care until he/she is feeling better. It is worth knowing that you won't kill her. Not on purpose of course! Its usually 6 bucks a day and then whatever it costs to give her fluids and meds.
If you still don't think you want to do it then try giving water through a medicine dropper. You will have to pretty much try to shove the dropper to the back of their mouth to get the water in.
Good luck!
Try giving her some pedialyte. My brother and sister in law have several ferrets and their vet recommends peidalyte the same stuff you give children when they need more fluids. Try giving her an eye dropper full. Slowly and then allow her to try to drink on her own. If this doesn't help talk to the vet again and tell him she is not drinking and ask them to check her out for any parasites or phyisical ailments.
What does your vet say? Pedialyte is a good suggestion, but only if your vet says it's okay. Dip your finger in water and gently rub it on her mouth. If she's eating well, add a bit of water to her food to encourage more fluid intake.
I hope she gets better!
I don't know much about ferrets, but I know 1 way to get most pets to drink. Sugar water! Put some sugar in your ferrets water and bottle feed her. You can even use pedialite or gatoraid.
baby formula. It is great and milky so most animals will take it better. I would nto use anything sugary. But the formula has vitamins as well if it is not drinking it more then likely is not eating much either. I would use a suringe (without needle) or eye dropper and give it about 3 cc/ml every hour and then every two hrs but increase it to 5cc/ml
Try adding honey in the water. Also try mixing the honey in spring bottle water instead of tub water.
Sick ferrets enjoy special attention. When my ferret was dehydrated, letting him drink from a cup while I was holding him (or from a syringe) was the only way to get him to drink willingly.
Don't give them sugar water. Sugar is not very good for ferrets.
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