“Gourmet” Gruel For the Discriminating Ferret
By L. Vanessa Gruden in Paw Printz, January - February, 2000

Following is FACT’s recipe for supplemental food for ill and elderly ferrets.  There are hundreds of differing recipes for “duck soup” across the county, some requiring all sorts of exotic ingredients of dubious nutritional value.  This is a basic, easy recipe designed to do two things:  provide your ferret with the basic nutritional needs (protein, fiber, etc.) found in their regular food; and to sweeten the food just enough to excite a finicky appetite. 

We recommend that you first try the dry food WITHOUT the sweetener. If your ferret accepts it without the sugar, great! If not, slowly try adding a bit at a time until they accept it.

Basic Ingredients

• Regular dry food, your ferret’s choice.  (Be aware that fish-based ferret foods will smell nasty heated!)
   

• Ensure, Sustacal, or generic equivalent soy-based liquid human nutritional supplement.  Vanilla flavor seems to work best.

Preparation

Grind a small amount of dry food.  A coffee grinder works great if you can dedicate one; if you don’t anticipate having to feed for a long time, place the food in a secure plastic bag and wallop the heck out of it with a hammer until it is ground coffee consistency. 

Place one heaping teaspoon of dry grind per ferret in cup.  We recommend using sturdy paper cups or coffee mug.  Add about twice as much water.  Nuke in microwave – heating time will vary on amount being made, from 1 to 1.5 minutes.  Mixture should obtain the consistency of thick cream soup; more water can always be added if necessary.  Add approximately one teaspoon Ensure or equivalent.  Remember, these liquid supplements must be used within 48 hours or so, so if you’re only feeding one ferret or supplementing on a limited basis, we suggest you freeze the rest of the can in an ice cube tray.  Pop and bag the frozen cubes to avoid “freezer burn.”  Cubes can then be defrosted as needed.  If you plan to make a single batch at a time, we HIGHLY recommend you make enough for one day only to avoid spoilage.  Do NOT add the Ensure or Sustacal to the mixture.  Store the moistened food in the refrigerator and heat as needed.  Add Ensure after heating – these liquid soy supplements are not designed to be cooked. 

Feeding

Cool slightly.  Mixture should be warm, but not excessively hot.  If it’s too hot when you poke a finger in, it’s too hot for them.  Place in shallow bowl or saucer.  We use 2 oz. plastic sauce cups like those found in many restaurants.  This is perfectly sized for one healthy ferret’s meal.

You may need to coax ferret into trying it by letting them lick it off your finger or a spoon.  If necessary, use a syringe and gently force-feed (NOT to be done with unconscious animals!)  Normally they are squeamish about the texture at first, but once they get a taste for gruel, they love it. 

To supplement an otherwise healthy animal, feed once or twice a day.  To supplement an ill animal, feed four times per day.  The very ill may need smaller amounts on a more frequent schedule.  Every two to three hours is optimum, but less frequently may suffice.

Add-Ins - If Needed

If you are using a high-quality dry food, added vitamins should be unnecessary.

NutriCal, NutriStat, or similar high calorie paste food supplement – for extra calories.

Pedialyte or similar electrolyte replacement (avoid Gatorade) – for diarrhea. 

Warning!

Your ferret may get “hooked” and refuse to eat anything else.  Older animals with sore gums and/or bad teeth may have to live permanently on gruel.  This can eventually wreck havoc with their gums, so be sure to clean their teeth often. 

Note: Our thanks to Ann & Howard Davis of Acme Ferret for their inspiration and initial development of “Lucky Duck Soup.”