From:
Ulrike
Date: 2007-10-09 13:10:27 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Paralysed skunk - update
To: FHL <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
I posted about my paralysed skunk Tyler- with kind permission from the
FHL moderators- at the end of July. I was talking to Sukie and told her
about the progress Tyler's made and she suggested I post an update to
the FHL, especially since his problem could happen to ferrets, too.
Tyler was not officially diagnosed by either the exotics specialist I
saw or my vet but I searched on the Internet for weeks for neurological
illnesses that lead to paralysis (in dogs since there is no health info
on skunks) and found an illness called "acute idiopathic
polyradiculoneuritis" (Coonhound paralysis/ Guillain-Barrè-Syndrome in
humans) and all the symptoms matched Tyler's symptoms so well except the
acute form comes on suddenly and dogs will become paralysed within days
or even over night. But then I found out that there is "protozoal
polyradiculoneuritis" caused by toxoplasmosis (which he tested positive
for) and the paralysis comes on slowly. My vet thought it was likely,
too. I mean all the symptoms were spot on- ataxia, ascending paralysis,
Tyler even had breathing problems for a while and was very rigid when he
first became paralysed. Luckily also the recovery seems to be spot on.
:-) Tyler was paralysed for about 1 1/2 months, then he was able to
move his legs again, now he can crawl even though he sometimes falls
over because his front legs are not working as well as the back legs and
his right front leg is still a bit lame. But he's happy to crawl around
after he's eaten, and during the day I take him out into the garden and
then he crawls back to the house because he wants to be indoors. But I
think it's good exercise and helps him to build up muscle. And I move
the right front leg for him so he learns to use it again. He's not keen
on water, I'm sure hydrotherapy would be good but with the thick
long(ish) coat...
Anyway, Sukie reminded me that ferrets also do get toxoplasmosis so
maybe it can help somebody someday and remind us that there can be so
many reasons for paresis/ paralysis.
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG10192
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG7822
Ulrike
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