Weird Behavior

Question
Thank you very much, and he is about 10 months old. Now out of curiosity do you know how much the vet stuff will cost? and you said you've seen this kind of thing before, what is usually the outcome? if it is neuological. And I keep giving him some duk soup, to keep his strength up, and his right leg seem a little limp not noticable really, but it seems to be getting better and his left leg is still out, he has almost no use of it, do you think that there's any chance of it just getting better on his own, cause I gotta say I'm pretty nervous to take him to the vet and hering something I really don't wanna hear.

Again thank you.
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hi David
I have 2 ferrets, a brother and sister. The male ferret has always been calm and pretty well behaved, however yesterday when I took him out of his hammock and layed him on me while I watched TV (as I always do) he was waking up and got down off of the couch and did his...business under the couch, something he knows is wrong, however instead of just taking off under the TV stand he just stayed there and started freaking out, yelling, and screaming and bitting like hell. All I wanted to do was calm him down so I put on some gloves and got a hold of him and put him in his cage, however when I placed him in his hammock he continued to freak out and just jumped out head first and landed on his head on the first level down from under the hammock. His head was jarred off to the side like he had broken it, but he stopped yelling and making any noise, it was like it completely calmed him down, I messaged his neck and just held him calming him down. I was really freaked out. After a little bit of comforting and letting him gather his bearings, I let him down on the floor to do what he does, and his back legs weren't working as they should have, he was like limping but almost like he had no use of both his legs at all. I gave him some duk soup and left him alone for pretty much the rest of the night to recover. Today he seems almost like normal, except he's not anywhere near as active (which doesn't really surprise me, he had a traumatic experience)but now his left leg seems to have almost no strength in it all all, but his right leg seems like it's normal. I was wondering why he would freak out, because he has never even had the slightest inclination of wanting to freak out, I mean I spoil them as much as I can and try to keep them as happy as possible and shower them with attention. Also do you know what might be wrong with his leg, if it'll pass or should it get checked out by a vet. if you think it should be checked my a vet can you let me know where their is a ferret vet in Ottawa, preferably the west end area near merivale?

Thank you for taking the time to help me with this, anything you think might help would be greatly appreciated.


-----Answer-----
Hi Scott, this kind of thing is very frightening indeed to both ferret and human and I'm sorry it happened.

You don't say how old the ferret is. Some things are likelier than others depending on the age. On the plus side (if there is one), we see the things you describe on a more or less regular basis in the ferret world so veterinarians accustomed to dealing with ferrets have a lot of experience with this type of situation. Hind leg weakness is a common symptom in ferrets of advanced adrenal disease and other things as well, primarily neurological. What you describe is quite sudden and looks like a neurological issue of some kind (stroke, brain tumor, etc.....adrenal disease issues take a long, long time to develop and wouldn't explain the sudden violent behavior). The problem is not with his leg, that is merely a symptom of what is actually wrong with him.

In any event, he MUST see a veterinarian AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and have a full blood panel, a thorough exam, and whatever tests the vet determines are necessary to rule out (or verify) neurological issues. Sudden changes in ferret behavior, especially violent ones, are critically important and must be addressed right away. What you've described is symptomatic of a serious condition so please don't delay.

I did some research in Google and here are some contacts for you.....I have no idea what their levels of ferret expertise are, you'll have to call them and find out:

Carling Animal Hospital
2268 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON
(613) 725-3439
http://www.carlinganimalhospital.com/

Alta Vista Animal Hospital
2616 Bank St. Ottawa, ON
613-731-6851
info@avah.on.ca
http://www.bayviewanimalhospitalottawa.com/

Bayview Animal Hospital
Hampton Park Plaza,
1407 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON
613-728-5852
bayviewah@magma.ca

For 24-Hour Emergency Assistance
Please call ahead to: 613-731-9911
at 2616 Bank St. Ottawa, ON


Also, you should contact:

Ferret Rescue Society of Ottawa  http://www.ferretrescue.ca/contact.php
(613) 296-4357
---they'll be able to recommend a vet but they may take a few days to get back to you

Finally, after you bring your ferret to the vet, if the vet is stumped as to what an exact diagnosis should be, I strongly recommend you post a description of what happened along with the detailed results of all the tests that were done to the Ferret Health List at http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list/

The FHL is monitored by vets, vet techs, and ferret rescuers with decades (in some cases) of experience with advanced medical issues.

Good luck!!
David  

Answer
I have no clue what it might cost. You'll pay for a basic exam, the blood test......I don't know what these places charge in Canada - it could be $50, it could be $500. I'm assuming this ferret has never been to see a vet before.....?

When you have a ferret (or any animal), you need to be prepared for the possibility that emergencies will happen and that the attention of a veterinary professional is required. Your ferret is ill, confused, and probably very uncomfortable. He is very unlikely to get better on his own. I realize this is difficult but please don't prolong the problem - let a veterinarian decide what is wrong and what needs to be done. Please do this soon. There is a wide range of things that could be wrong and an equally wide range of possible treatments and associated costs. This is why I put a big long disclaimer at the top of my profile in capital letters. I can't make a diagnosis and this site is not a substitute for veterinary care, which is ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED in this instance. If I were experiencing the same situation I would already have been on the phone with one of the animal hospitals I found, identified which one has a ferret-knowledgable vet, and rushed over there with the ferret in a carrier.  I have been through this many times. This does not mean that your ferret definitely has a life threatening condition; it does mean that the possibility exists because of the symptoms but you won't know that until he is examined properly.

Your ferret is completely dependent on you to take care of him. I realize this is scary and there is a possible sad outcome, but you have no choice. Doing nothing qualifies as neglect, in my opinion. Most vets will work with you if cost is an issue, but your ferret, having experienced the things you describe, absolutely needs to be examined as soon as possible.

DG