how to get my female to put on weight?

by narelle gow
(campbelltown)

Hi there my name is narelle & i have a female ferret named wilma-daphne & i bred her & she had 2 kits which died not long after, she was doin ok for a while but then she started to lose weight, I have fed her well known brand cat foods well known brand kibbles but she is a very fussy eater & she didnt like the kibble mashed up with warm water & if i gave it to her dry she would start coughing i changed to a cheaper brand of cat food & she eats like a horse but she is till not putting on any weight what type of wormer do i use for a ferret it might be that also chers narelle from downunder

ANSWER:
Hi Narelle, sorry to hear about the babies. That is very sad. Its very hard to breed ferrets so unless you have a very good knowledge on the topic it is best advised not to do it.

Firstly, you should not be feeding your ferret cat food. If you can not get your hands on ferret kibble then you can give your ferret kitten kibble...it is way more suited to the ferret. Adult cat food is not.

I can also recommend that you try some raw meat, such as mince, chicken necks (with the bone), egg yolks (raw and fresh)...a nice raw diet should give your ferret all the nutrients it needs therefore contributing to weight gain.

If I were you, I would however also consult a ferret specialist...your girl just went through a pregnancy and birth therefore most probably has differrent nutritional requirements to your average ferret. She also sounds like she may need some medical assistance...best to consult a ferret vet.