From:
Debbie Utter
Date: 2002-01-02 20:39:00 UTC
Subject: Back Injury? Need advise, please!
Sorry for the cross-post, but I need help.
I sent two posts to the FHL on 12/28 about Klondike, so I'll
just abbreviate those posts here. Last Thursday, Klondike was
walking weird - he was walking on the hocks of his hind legs.
He didn't seem to be in any pain. I figured he probably
caught one or both feet in the shelf in his cage climbing down
to the bottom level...he's always been like a slinky, almost
spineless, and would often just let his back end flop down.
He's 15 months old. Thursday night he was the same, so I kept
him with me overnight. He was up several times through the
night, getting off the bed to go potty. I would help him up
and down the bed if I got there in time. Still no sign of any
pain, but he was having more difficulty getting on the bed.
About 5 or so the next morning, I heard him make occasional
noises indicating he was experiencing some discomfort....like
they do when they've caught a toenail, or another ferret has
played too roughly. About 6:30, he got down again to go
potty, and I heard him walking about. Next thing I know, he
was screaming out in pain, and screamed again just a moment
later. It was at this time that I noticed that he had peed
and pooped very little through the night, telling me that
either his discomfort had kept him from eating and drinking
much the day before, which was the reason for little output,
OR that his injury (which by then I suspected was a back
injury, rather than his feet), wasn't allowing his muscles to
work so he can urinate/defecate.
Last Friday, the vet did a complete physical exam on Klondike,
including visual exam of general body condition, muscle tone
and gait, oral exam, ophthalmoscopic and otoscopic exams,
auscultation of the chest, palpation of the abdomen and
peripheral LN's, and general condition of skin and coat.
Reflexes were normal, and no significant abnormalities were
found except posterior paresis on both hind legs, and that
Klondike tended to walk on his hocks. Xrays of VD and R
laterals of the lumbar spine, and an additional xray of "exp
split sm" didn't reveal any apparent neurological damage. We
can only assume that he somehow injured himself falling in the
cage or something (it's a three-level cage, but each level is
only a partial floor, with a hammock at the top...he could've
gotten hurt from falling off the top hammock, especially if he
hit a shelf on the way down). The vet gave Klondike an
injection of Depomedrol (40mg), methypred acetate (0.1 ML),
and prescribed a week's supply of Clavamox drops (0.25 ml
orally every 12 hours). While he had Klondike, he also gave
him his distemper shot. He said the Depomedrol is a
long-acting steroid, and it would take 24-48 hours before
Klondike showed improvement in being able to move around. I
was to call Monday if he was not any better, and to keep him
quiet for a couple of weeks, even after he feels fine, to give
the injury time to heal.
Monday, he was not better, but didn't seem worse, either. He
had been eating and drinking well throughout the weekend, and
was sleeping all the time, getting up just to go potty. With
it being New Year's Eve and all, I decided to wait another
couple of days. Late Monday afternoon, and all day Tuesday, I
realized that Klondike was doing nothing but sleep, getting up
only to go potty. I haven't seen him eat much at all since
late Monday, he doesn't always drink water that I offer to
him, and his bowel movements are much smaller, and seem darker
and thicker. He seemed to be uncomfortable when he was going
potty, and I realized he had dried poop on his bottom.
Yesterday morning, while soaking him in warm water to clean
him up, he passed a bowel movement, but it came out very
slowly, like he wasn't using any muscle to expel it.
I finally got in to see the vet this afternoon, and the vet
re-examined him. He has lost half a pound since Friday (but
he was weighed on two different scales). He did a complete
physical exam (same as above), and no significant
abnormalities were found except continued posterior paresis
but today shows real sensitivity upon palpation in region of
distal thoracic spine. He looked at Friday's xrays to see if
he might have missed any cloudy or gray area in that region
showing neurological damage - nothing. At that point, he
didn't know what to do except refer me to Cornell for
myelogram or CT scan, etc. He also said we could try
switching his antibiotic to doxycycline in case the Clavamox
was upsetting Klondike's stomach, so I'm to give him 1 dropper
full orally once every 24 hours for two weeks (100mg/0.5oz
dextrose solution).
The vet doesn't have the facilities at his practice to do more
than what he's done, and I think he's stumped as to what this
could be or what to do next. Cornell will cost me $400
minimum just for the diagnostics, and each test will raise the
price. It could easily end up costing me $600 or $800 or more
just to diagnose the problem. I really want to help Klondike,
but I would like to be able to do so at a facility that won't
charge so much. If there are good vets in NY that could
handle his case that don't charge an arm and a leg, I'd like
to know about them (I live in central NY, Chenango County,
near Otsego County border).
I could really use your help. Please let me know any and all
possibilities that this could be. I need to know if Klondike
should be responding better to the treatment thus far, or if
an injury (if that's what this is) just needs more time and
this hasn't reached a critical stage yet. He's been in a sick
cage since last Friday....no hammock or litter box, just
blankets and newspaper, so there's no climbing, etc.. All
Klondike wants to do is rest. He cannot use his back legs as
well as he did last Friday, and the left leg seems worse than
the right one. He has no appetite. He has a water bowl, but
I don't think he's using it now...I'll put a water bottle at
the lowest level possible with a tray to make it easier for
him to drink. When I offer him water, he sometimes drinks a
little, but not always.
Sorry for the length of this post, but I wanted to include
everything that might be pertinent to his case. I really
appreciate your assistance. I'll share all suggestions with
our vet.
Thank you.