My Ferret Noodle & Partial Leg Paralysis

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
I'm concerned about my sweet little female ferret Noodle. I awoke Tuesday morning when i let her out of the cage, I noticed the slide ramp that goes from one level to the next was disconnected (had came loose) I removed her from the cage to let her our for exercise as usual. I see she's not able to stand, walk, or run. She drags her back legs. I immediately brought her to my local vet & had her examined & x-rayed. Nothing was fractured or broken. I can only assume she fell off the ramp as it came loose as she was using it & hurt her lower back. Opon examination, she does have some use of her legs. She responds to touching them & moves them some, just doesn't try to stand on them, muchless walk or run.

The vet put her on a liquid steroid to be administered twice daily. He gave her her 1st dose by shot in the office. I've taken her out of the cage to separate her from her male cagemate. I've also rearranged the cage differently insure the slide no longer comes loose. I've put her on my bathroom floor with food and water & Lots of sheets to burrow in. She's been eating and drinking. Seems to be her normal self otherwise. Her demeanor is the same. (still gives me kisses when i come to check on her) Since starting the steroid, she's making improvement. She seems to be moving her tail more & legs more. (though still has not tried to stand or anything else) I live in a small town where ferrets as pets are not that common. So, what I'm asking is, based on your knowledge & what I've told you about her, do you think that she'll eventually be able to walk again? I'm not asking for her to be back to normal, just to be able to live a fairly normal exsistence.
She's dribbling urine very slowly & seems to empty some when she has a bowel movement (that look normal) I'm hoping that will stop as she continues to heal. I'm trying to be optimistic about this. I'm just sick that something happens to her like this when you think she's safe & sound in her cage!

Anxiously awaiting your response!
Thanks, Amanda

ANSWER: Hi Amanda,

I'm so sorry to hear this has happened to your little girl.  You did the right thing to bring her to your vet right away.  

It sounds like your assumption is correct.  Ferrets have a long spinal column (like dachshunds) and are prone to back injury.  She might have fallen from the slide.  It is difficult to say how much function she will regain, but it is important that she tries to use the muscles so they do not atrophy.  Also keep her as clean as you can.  I realize this is difficult with a ferret who is leaking urine, but they can get urine scalding.  Also ask your vet to show you how to do physical therapy since this is essential and can help her progress.    

For now, it is best to monitor her improvement and keep in close contact with your vet.  Obviously her quality of life is a concern, but if she is happy and acting normally now, you should keep an eye on her and watch her progress.  It is good that she has some function of her legs and bowels.  It means that the nerves are not completely severed and there is a chance she could partially recover.  You may want to consult with a veterinary neurologist, which can usually be found at a school of veterinary medicine.  

I wish I could tell you more, but her recovery is something that might come in time.  I hope she continues to improve every day.  If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  

- Cindy P.  

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so much for your response. I live in Orange, Tx ( was reading your credentials & saw you're in Louisiana so maybe you'd heard of it. It's right on the TX/LA border & only has approx. 20,000 people. Ferrets are not very common of a pet here & the vet i use here doesn't seem to have alot of experience. Do you have any suggestions of somewhere else i could take her? Maybe someone in Houston? I'd gladly drive her to somewhere to see someone who could help. I wish there was a surgery that could be performed. I feel so guilty about all the outside cage time she's had &she gets an injury like this in her cage. She's been taking liquid pregnosone (sorry for the mispelling) with caramel flavoring to make it taste better to her. Yesterday was one week since the injury. The last couple of days she's been wanting to roam around the room & get some exercise, despite dragging her back legs. it looks so pitiful but doesn't seem to faze her. i'm so hoping she'll atleast be able to stand & walk again on day.
I totally need to know about the physical therapy exercises i can do to help her legs recover. Do you have any suggestions? I've asked several questions like this to my vet & haven't got much in return. It makes me feel so helpless. So glad i came across you on the net who knows alot about ferrets. Is there a number to a vet who specializes in them i could call & have a consult over the phone? I so want to do everything i can to help her!
Thanks Again, Amanda

Answer
Sorry for my late response, I have been on vacation.  Has she shown any sign of improvement?  

I recently moved to Louisiana from Connecticut and just completed my first year of vet school, so am still rather new to the area.  Unfortunately I am unaware of any good vets in texas that specialize in ferrets.  If you do not mind a drive, I highly recommend LSU's School of Veterinary Medicine Clinic (Baton Rouge, LA) since it has state of the art facilities and several doctors that specialize in "exotic" pets such as ferrets. Besides LSU, Texas A&M is another option (College Station, TX), though I am unsure which is closer for you.  I would stick to a school of veterinary medicine since they have doctors that are the best in the field and deal with these sort of injuries frequently.  I would call either of these places and at least speak with someone about her and the options.  

LSU School of Veterinay Medicine Clinic:
http://www.vetmed.lsu.edu/vth&c/

Texas A&M School Of Veterinary Medicine Clinic:
http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/vscs/

The best thing you can do is physical therapy for the legs.  Do a "walking" motion to stretch out and use the muscles so they do not atropy.  I found a great video (it took quite a bit of searching.. but it is exactly what you need) Full range of motion exercises are very important.  Make sure you do this as often as possible and encourage her to use her legs, entice her with treats to move and praise her when she attempts to use her limbs. The more she tries to walk, the faster you will see progress.     

http://www.youtube.com/v/P-NnO8coLzQ

You are doing such a wonderful job.  The key is not to give up, especially with back injuries they take time to regain function.  Call one of the schools and see what they have to say.  I know it will be a drive for you, but it is the best way to get directly in contact with extremely skilled veterinarians who are knowledgeable both with ferrets and this sort of situation.  

-Cindy P.