Goodness but it's been a busy time here at the AFS.  We seem to be going
through a real cycle of surrenders lately which always seems to happen
after we do any kind of public appearance.  Luckily it also sparks
interest in adoptions which have also been brisk so we're not feeling too
overwhelmed though we're always saddened to see so many unwanted furkids
coming through.  A couple of weeks ago we received a 5 year old female
sable named Princess.  Boy does she live up to her name...we all
immediately fell in love with this little darling whose disposition is so
sweet yet at the same time regal.  She even came with her own royal blue
bed!  The sad news is that Princess was surrendered because she is sick.
She has no mobility in her back-end and the owners were not willing or
maybe not able to get her the veterinary treatment she needs.  They
apparently only had her for a few months having gotten her from a friend
who found her inside the walls of an empty apartment building that he was
cleaning out for re-occupancy.
 
After a complete vet check and some x-rays etc we're told that Princess
has what appears to be a fused disk in her spine which is inflamed and
likely pressing on nerves.  The vet says maybe with time, treatment and
therapy she may regain some if not all the use of her legs.  Right now
she is noticeably weaker on the right side than the left though neither
side will support her weight.  She's been put on a steroid and the foster
family was shown how to empty her bladder which has to be done on a
regular basis and they were also shown some therapeutic exercises to help
strengthen the muscles in her legs.  We are so grateful for the wonderful
foster families that take care of our kids.  Each one of them is worth
their weight in gold.
 
We'd be ever so grateful to hear from others who have been through a
similar situation and to find out what works/worked for you in terms of
therapy etc.  We'd also like to do some research on the availability and
cost of having a set of wheels designed for our little Princess so if you
know who or where these can be found please write to me.
 
Barbara Gustafson
Alberta Ferret Society
President
[Posted in FML issue 3945]