From:
"US7"
Date: 2005-11-30 00:57:57 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Scritch Not Using Back Legs
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Two days ago, Scritch stopped using his back legs. When we took him to the vet, we did a blood glucose and it was 130, so the vet did not think it was the onset of insulinoma. We also did an x-ray, and it showed some narrowing between the discs, but it wasn't conclusive. Scritch's legs are not paralyzed. He can move them, and he knows where they are (non-ataxic). He can stand up and he can also scratch his neck with his back legs. He can grab the tip of your finger with his back toes. He has not lost his deep pain reflex.
He was in the hospital overnight, with an injection of steroids and an IV of steroids during the course of approximately 24 hours (roughly 2 units per the vet, although I'm not sure what the units were). We are giving him pred and keeping him confined (no climbing, ect.). We will reassess in two weeks.
We are assuming this is some kind of injury, but we have no idea how it happened. We had left the house, and Yvonne had gathered up the ferrets to put them in the cage. Yvonne always picks them up and puts them in their hammocks, so we don't know if Scritch was or wasn't walking at this point. We discovered that he couldn't walk when we came home and took him out of the cage. He just laid down. He was alert and eating and drinking like normal, just not using his back legs.
We don't know if he was injured before he was in the cage, or inside of the cage, or if he was injured at all? Has anybody heard of anything like this? Besides an injury like falling from one of the levels of the cage, what might have caused this? This one really has us puzzled. Scritch seems to be doing well and we are hoping very much that he recovers, but time will tell.
Ironically, when we left we were going to take Cubby up to the mountain to bury him. He had finally succumbed to what we think was lymphosarcoma, and when we came back we discovered Scritch. We've had as much as we can take with ferret health problems, believe you me.
Roary
Albuquerque, NM
blog - http://ferretphilosophy.blogspot.com/
====================================================================<<<
Whatever you Wanadoo, click below:
http://ads.smartgroups.com/adclick/CID=000000b7c79a99a500000000
====================================================================>>>
--
If you want to share pictures, use the calendar, or start a vote
visit http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
To leave the group, email: ferrethealth-unsubscribe@smartgroups.com
Report abuse http://www.smartgroups.com/text/abusereport.cfm?gid%3D1423922&mid%3D16077