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Post by goingpostal on Jun 22, 2011 13:23:52 GMT -5
He's been chattering like that maybe about a week that we've noticed. You mention falls, we did get a new cage and I wondered if maybe he fell off the shelf or hammock but didn't see him do so. Now this morning he was playing and running around and very alert, no weakness, poop normal, he was waiting for food and ran over and chowed chicken thigh with everyone else, I sat and watched him eat and he didn't have any problem. His stomach feels fine and he doesn't have a problem if you mess with it.
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Post by Heather on Jun 22, 2011 14:51:55 GMT -5
Have you a video of him moving around (recent about the same time period as the present one)? I couldn't hear the video clearly but I'm concerned with his movement at least in the video. I watched it twice and I'm going to try and have a listen to it tonight when house noises aren't interferring with the sound but I would be concerned with his back end movement. It seem stilted, tentative and unsteady ciao
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Post by goingpostal on Jun 22, 2011 16:42:36 GMT -5
I can take one of him moving, I'll get him on carpet though, hard to tell if they are just sliding or having issues on the plastic.
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Post by goingpostal on Jun 23, 2011 17:44:49 GMT -5
Well since it's a non-emergency I can't get in until next Thursday. Right now he's eating well on his own, he's actually fatter than he was when I posted this because he's eating his normal meal plus the raw mash I've been giving him. Pooping and active on his own still but noticeably weak in the back end most of the time now. If he goes downhill we will bring him in sooner obviously but for now we are going to keep feeding him extra meals and keep a close eye. In case it isn't insulinoma, I'd like be seeing my actual ferret vet, the others aren't experienced in them. Is there anyone else that normally causes hind end weakness?
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Post by Sherry on Jun 23, 2011 18:27:35 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2011 7:05:28 GMT -5
Definitely keep us posted - hoping for the best here!
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Post by miamiferret2 on Jun 24, 2011 8:34:37 GMT -5
I always freak and tell my vet that I want my ferrets seen immediately. Then again, I have a few ferret knowledgeable vets that I can use. If he does have a spine injury, he may be aggravating it by running around, etc. Keep him on one level of the cage. The way he is walking, it looks more like an injury or something neurological. Insulinoma & cardiomyopathy hind leg weakness looks kind of different than that. With insulinoma they tend to fall over and stumble.
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Post by goingpostal on Jun 24, 2011 9:09:54 GMT -5
There's only one really experienced ferret vet there, there's two others who see ferrets but not really worth the trip if they can't figure it out and we have to go back. It seems really like he just can't control them so much, low strength, sometimes he moves well and other times he is dragging them and sliding around. Still up and active and eating though, little pill wants to be hand fed his raw mash, the teeth thing has lessened but not stopped entirely. Our computer just got another virus and my b/f is convinced it's photobucket so I can't upload a new vid.
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Post by goingpostal on Jun 25, 2011 7:38:21 GMT -5
So I'm really wishing I had tried to get him in yesterday, although we couldn't have seen our ferret vet anyways. He seemed pretty good that morning but now last night he can't control his bowels anymore, although he does seem to know he is going and scoots along as he does. Still eating, dooking, war dancing, poop is loose and dark but he's eating mush with organs so I can't tell if that's why or not. I think miami's right and it's not insulinoma, he certainly doesn't seem lethargic at all. He doesn't seem to have any pain there, no swelling, gums normal colored, alert, the back legs aren't colder than the rest of him, he does seem noticeably weaker on one side than the other but while he drags his legs sometimes other times he paddles and uses them so he can use them and feel them.
I read through that list of common issues causing this and nothing seems 100% on, maybe brain disease and the teeth clacking is a tremor? I was concerned about the whole blood clot thing but his legs aren't cold and he can feel them. Sounds like if it were spinal it wouldn't have gotten worse but I don't know. I guess I'm wondering how they would figure this out for sure and what the outlook is, I'm assuming brain and spinal issues probably aren't really treatable? I can take him to the e-vet tonight or tomorrow, but I don't know what they have for equipment and they don't see many ferrets or I can take him to my vet emergency on Monday. I want to know as much as possible if we go to the e-vet because I'll probably know more than them.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 25, 2011 9:58:48 GMT -5
If it's a spinal injury, it could simply be that the movement is causing more bruising and irritation, as well as inflammation. Pred would help with that. I'm assuming xray/ultrasound would pick it up, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.
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Post by Heather on Jun 25, 2011 15:16:34 GMT -5
Your right Sherry...xray should pick most of the stuff up. Ultra sound will get the finer details. Blood work might pick up other issues. Welcome to the world of diagnosing or misdiagnosing ferrets. Many different problems have similar MO's resulting in even the vets having to sit down and play the best fit and try and diagnose from there. As Sherry mentioned, pred is often used as a anti-inflamatory and works very well when dealing with ferret spinal issues. It really helped Calypso who was insulinomic with spinal damage for awhile offering stability both for her BG and the spine. Unfortunately, for her, it wasn't an injury that was affecting her spine but a tumour ciao
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Post by goingpostal on Jun 25, 2011 15:57:28 GMT -5
Honestly that's what I'm worried it is, lymphoma or something horrible. I think we will wait and try to get him in Monday so at least the ferret vet can look at him, he seems in great shape other than the rear end weakness and we can keep him clean when he has accidents. It's just really heartbreaking watching him slide around.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 25, 2011 17:44:02 GMT -5
I think I'd seriously consider putting him on a one level cage, and only have him out supervised so he doesn't overdo it, just in case it is an injury. You def. don't want him playing(or attempting to play) with the others right now, but he obviously still needs time out of the cage for his own mental health. Is one of your ferrets calm enough not to try to wrestle with him? Might make a good cuddle buddy for cage time for now.
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Post by goingpostal on Jun 25, 2011 22:29:53 GMT -5
Well there really hasn't been any wrestling lately, he tends to be the instigator there or Craven but they've been leaving him be, he tends to go lay down more now because I think he's frustrated not getting around well.
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Post by Sherry on Jun 26, 2011 0:15:48 GMT -5
That's actually good, in case it is an injury, poor buddy
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