spinal injury

Question
Hello Doctor,

My three and a half month old ferret, Sosuke, has recently fallen off a second floor balcony on 7.14.11 and injured his spine.  I took him to the vet right away and the x-ray shows that his legs aren't fractured but his first lumbar and the two vertebra before it are closer together than normal.  He's been incontinent and his hind legs haven't been moving since the accident.  He does respond to deep pain (pinching of the web between his toes) and both of his legs jerk up when I manually relieve his bladder.  Right now, he is on a steroid anti-inflammation drug and will be switching over to a nonsteroidal form after the steroids are out of his system.  The 3 vets that I have taken him to say that it is either a herniated disc, an inflammed disc, or a combination but that cannot be determined without an MRI or a myelogram.  My finances do not allow me to get those scans for him and I would also like to avoid surgery if possible.  I have read a case study from a group in Jerusalem called "successful medical management of intervertebral prolaped disc in ferrets" and they went a conservative route too so I am hopeful.  I was wondering what your suggestions would be on how to treat him, should I continue with the anti-inflammation drugs or what should be the next step?  He doesn't appear to be in any pain (he isn't trembling) and is still a punk like he's always been so euthanasia is out of the question for us.  If it's looking like he won't recover, are there any suggestions on how to make him more comfortable i.e. diapers, wheelchairs, etc... Thank you in advance!   

Regards,
Hoa Nguyen

Answer
Hello Hoa,

Sorry for the delayed response.  Between moving cross country and a computer sent out for repairs I have had little internet access.  I hope your ferret is showing improvement.  Generally with spinal injuries, anti-inflammatory drugs are needed to help with pain and decrease compression of the spine and spinal nerves from inflammation.  Once the inflammation goes down, the nerves can function more normally and there is a possibility to regain partial or in some cases full movement.  However, some injuries have too much damage to be repaired without surgery.  These cases can show no improvement or minimal if treated conservatively.  

As you said, as long as he is acting like his normal self and not in pain, then he still has a decent quality of life provided that you are willing to give him the extra attention and care he requires.  He will need to be kept clean from urine and feces.  It may be a good idea to inquire about placing a urinary catheter/other method since manually relieving the bladder over a long period can be harmful.  Ask your vet about what options are best.  

As far as how to keep him clean, it is important to be creative.  You can use wee-wee pads as part of the bedding or construct dipers that fit him.  It is important to keep him clean and not have him sit in his own feces/urine.  Urine is acidic and scalds the skin, causing rashes and sores.  He must be cleaned frequently and kept as dry as possible.  

There is not much of a difference whteher it be a cat, ferret or dog, so much of the information is the same no matter what species and there are lots of informative sites online.  

Info:
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1522&S=1

Wheelchairs are a possibility.  Again, creativity is a must since there are no such devices commercially available for ferrets.  It is a possibility to find a small doll wagon or toy car to modify, but it would probably be easiest to make it from scratch so it fits him easily.  Look around at wheelchairs made for dogs like dachshunds to get ideas, since they have similar body shapes as ferrets.  

Examples:
http://www.k9-carts.com/
http://handicappedpets.com/www/index.php/dog-wheelchairs.html

Hydrotherapy/physical therapy is also something t consider.  Warm baths can be wonderfully therapeutic for paralyzed pets. Since your ferret is small, you can easily do hydrotherapy at home in the bathtub or large sink. Give a warm bath several times a week for about 30 minutes at a time. These soaking sessions help to stimulate circulation and diminish joint strain by making the back legs buoyant. Also move the rear legs as much as possible and with a full range of motion.  You can also do this out of the water as physical therapy.  Slowly move the legs in a circular "walking" motion, for a few minutes.  Also stretch the legs out and hold them for several seconds to flex and relax various muscles.  Try to get a full range of motion if possible.  This will help prevent muscle loss and keep the blood moving to the rear legs. You should do this as often as possible, and it is best to do short sessions frequently.  

I hope this is of some help to you.  Again, as long as he is a healthy happy ferret, then it is a perfectly legitimate option to care for him and help him with his disability.  With luck, anti-inflammatory drugs helped and you would see improvement by now.

-Cindy P.