How to Rehabilitate a Malnourished Ferret

Ferrets can make wonderful pets. Like any other pet, they must be cared for properly and fed a nutritious diet. The ferret diet is complex, since they should not be fed vegetables or anything with sugar. In the event that a ferret becomes malnourished or dehydrated, there are steps that can be taken to nurse the ferret back to health.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 jar of chicken or turkey first stage baby food
  • 1/3 of a can of Ensure or a package of sugar-free instant breakfast supplement
  • Pedialite
  • Peanut butter
  • Syringe
  • Water
  • Ice tray
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare some duck soup for the ferret. Mix 1 jar of chicken or turkey first stage baby food and 1/3 of a can of Ensure or a package of sugar free instant breakfast supplement, then stir in Pedialite until it is the right consistency, which should be like mush.

    • 2

      Place a bit of the mixture on the tip of your finger and put it by the ferret's mouth. The ferret may lick it off your finger, which is good. After this happens a few times, you may be able to move on to feeding from a bowl. If not, you may have to resort to feeding with a syringe.

    • 3

      Feed your ferret with a syringe, if necessary. Thin out the food mixture with a bit of water. Place it in the syringe and measure out about 24 cc's. This may require a second person to hold the ferret, making it as comfortable as possible. Open the ferret's mouth and shoot the syringe into the mouth. Holding the mouth open will force the ferret to swallow. Feed smaller meals more often using this method.

    • 4

      Try feeding your ferret a little bit of peanut butter since it is high in protein and ferrets usually love it. Also, shoot a little Pedialite into the ferret's mouth with the syringe every hour to encourage hydration.