From:
"Liz Tveite"
Date: 2004-04-30 03:43:35 UTC
Subject: Back end paralysis
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <002401c42e65$53e35b00$494e26d0@DGLX6441>
Last Sunday my 3 year old, Dixie, quit using her back legs. We aren't sure=
if she fell or injured herself in some way. We thought she was just clean=
ing her butt on the floor, but then she was walking weird and later couldn'=
t use her back legs at all. She would walk with her front legs and her bac=
k legs would just stick out behind her and drag.
I took her to the vet Monday morning. He felt it was injury related. No o=
ther symptoms of illness. It wasn't at all like my insulinoma ferrets and =
their hind leg weakness. We have her taking .75ml of Pediapred 2x/day (6.7=
/5ml). She is being confined to a small area where she can do no climbing.=
We are hoping the medication will help any swelling and possibly bring ba=
ck use of her hind legs. She still has feeling in her toes. She is eating=
good and not losing weight.
Any suggestions on how to handle this type of injury? Is there ferret ther=
apy for pinched discs? Is there anything I can do to help with recovery? =
Thank you for any thoughts on this. =
I really hope she doesn't have to go the rest of her life without the use o=
f her back legs. I rinse her back end off daily to help keep her cleaned =
up. I know she must miss being with her group of 12 ferrets. I let them v=
isit her and one will stay overnight with her in the playpen. =
Liz