Message Number: YG4114 | New FHL Archives Search
From: rascallyjingles@yahoo.ca
Date: 2001-05-29 23:55:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Ferret with a broken leg

--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Rbossart@a... wrote:
> Our hyperactive ferret, Nala, somehow managed to break her front
leg. It was
> a complete break. You could see the "bump" caused by the end of the
broken
> bone sticking out at an angle under the skin. The leg appeared to
have two
> knees when she walked. Our normal vet was on vacation, so we tried
a local
> vet. She put on a cast on Nala's leg that didn't last 10 minutes.
In fact
> Nala removed it before we left the office. The second cast lasted
one day.
> The third cast about the same.
>
> By that time our regular vet returned. He put on a fairly heavy
cast/splint,
> well taped into place, and he promised us that it wouldn't last out
the week.
> It actually held about 10 days, which was truly amazing (you have
to know
> Nala to appreciate that). After that we agreed with our vet to see
how well
> she did without a cast, and to try to keep her calm and off the
stairs,
> chairs, futon, cages, TV cabinet, etc. Ha! We both had a big laugh
at that.
> (He knows Nala well.) He didn't believe that surgery was a good
option, Na
> la being nearly 8 years old.
>
> Nala limped around for about a week, then less and less every day.
Today she
> dashes though the house like nothing has happened. The dashing
includes
> leaping objects in a single bound, climbing 6 ft high cages and
scaling the
> unimaginable.
>
> Dick B.

Hi Dick
That was a great story about Nala.Leaving out the broken part of
course.
We are faced with the same problem right now.Rascal's leg is broken
in 2 places in the upper arm.Plateing is what is being advised.
The vet says a cast will not work.Tansy has also been lucky with a
cast.It looks like its worth looking into further.Rascal is 6 months
old and even if he kept it on as long as Nala did her third, it may
give him a better chance at a normal leg.As it stands now the vet is
saying that it will mend and he should have 50% use in it but he will
be lame.I think he deserves a better shot than that.
Again thanks ,I'm going to look into plasterizing this Rascal.
Fran,Rascal and Jingles