Does anyone have any experience removing a tail from a ferret for any
reason?

Blinky is mostly paralyzed in the hind end and is not going to regain
movement due to her broken back, though she can sort of move her legs
and tail in the back. However, due to her movements (she flips around
and flops around and wardances just like a non-paralyzed ferret, except
of course, her back end doesn't move so it flops only when her front
end has moved enough) I have noticed her tail is dislocated if not
broken about an inch or two into the tail, because she is stressing it
with the movements all the time. It's bent about an inch and a half
away from her body, and she doesn't scream in pain or anything, but a
lot of ferrets won't scream in pain for aches and things like that, and
I know she may not have total feeling there, though it seems like she
does. Basically she pivots on that spot when she flips around, putting
stress on the tail.

It is really pretty hard to look at, and I am thinking keeping her tail
on her is just going to make things worse, so I am thinking of having
it amputated, but wanted to know if there is a good reason not to. She
can't groom her tail or back end as it is and she can't even use her
back legs to scratch herself (which I try to accommodate her but you
know how they like doing things themselves if you have a paralyzed
one).

L

[Posted in FML 7028]