Codo's visit to the vet turned out good as well as not-so-good. The
vet determined that Codo has full use of only one leg (front left) and
limited use of his other three legs (especially the hind legs). The
cause seems to be neurologic; either he had a head/neck injury sometime
during his life, he has a birth defect, or he has a tumor on his spine.
No matter the cause and barring any obvious developing inflamation that
can be treated by steroids, there is nothing we can do to treat him.
The major good news is that no sign of pain can be found. He's seems
to have dealt with his physical issues for a long time. Whether his
condition will get better, worsen, or stay the same is unknown. I am
just glad he was well enough to come home. Codo is healthy in all the
other ways that matter (minus the ear mites). He is a small male
weighing in at 2.13 lbs (but that's a healthy weight for his short
length and small bone structure). He hung out between my jacket and my
shirt for most of the trip out to the vet and PetCo (where I got those
great crocks in the bird section that lock onto the cage that everyone
emailed me about for Rhys) with just his head peaking out. I have never
known a more watchful and alert ferret. I suppose that since he can't
participate in as much activity as he would like -- not able to run
from play area to play area, not jumping, not hopping, not climbing --
that he uses his eyes to observe closely everything more than most
ferrets. Tomorrow will be devoted to re-designing the cage to better
accomidate Codo. He will still be limited by his handicap to the lower
levels of the cage, but I can make the ramps less steep and do a few
other things for his comfort. Ear mite treatment will begin tomorrow
too, when there's a second pair of hands to help.

Thanks to everyone who sent their best wishes for Codo. Oh, and as
soon as all the furkids get their rabies shots on May 9th, Rhys and
Codo will officially become therapy animals at a local nursing home!

[Posted in FML 6317]