From:
Steve Austin
Date: 2003-01-10 04:46:50 UTC
Subject: Opinion on Brain Damage
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20030110.000655.3492.1.kazpat1@juno.com>
A ferret has so much muscle in the hind legs
that if there is hind end weakness they will have a very
hard time getting along. IF you support them, they then
can get along well with the help. If it was brain damage
then even with support they would have a hard time since
both back and front legs would be involved, as well as
over all neurologic problems, like coordination problems
and problems going in a straight line,etc. Low glucose
causes both, since it has a neurologic effect when the brain
doesn't get enough glucose to work right.
It is hard to know from an e-mail, but the vet can
do some tests and see if there is neurologic problems,
muscle weakness, combination, etc.
As far as pednisone, it comes commercially available in a liquid as
15mg/5ml ( 3mg/ml) or 5mg/5ml. If you are truely giving 5ml/mg (
1mg/5ml)
and only 0.2cc of this twice a day, so a total is only .04mg
of pred per dose? This is not enough, usually
1mg/2.2lbs of ferret- so a small female may get
0.5-1mg of prednisone per day. I think you just wrote down
the numbers wrong, probably you are giving 0.2cc of the
3mg/ml stuff, or 0.6mg per dose, which is about right,
just double check it.
For a fairly non-stressful glucose check, the vet can clip
a nail short and get a drop for the glucometer ( like the
ones diabetics use) and it will read a little lower than
the actual number, but is good for just monitoring the levels.
Patty
her legs to raech the
> ground comfortably and she could walk. Actually she was scooting
> around really fast (providing I am holding her up).
> My question is could she still be weak and this is just helping? OR
> could this be a sign of brain damage because she can not get around
> by herself?
> Unfortunately I am thinking if she has the stregnth to keep going
> for a few minutes then she is not weak (even though she is being
> held up) and that this IS some kind of brain damage.
> Thanks for any input.
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