I thought I'd relate a story about a miraculous recovery after a tragic
accident.  A dog who normally adores my ferrets got peeved and lashed out at
Magill -- grabbed her by the head and gave her a quick shake.  She became
comatose from severe brain injury.  We rushed her to an emergency clinic
where they began steroid and oxygen therapy.  She became slightly lucid, but
suffered from severe torticollis (sp?), which is a balance/head rolling
problem.  She rolled to the right whenever she tried to move.  She had no
control of her head.  It was a nightmare.
 
She came home on day three, still not responding to sounds, but alert and
eating with assistance.  She was flailing about and exhibiting symptoms of
stress.  Her personality seemed completely intact within a week (very
determined, assertive, "problem" ferret) and she could hear.  Within ten
days (at her demand) she was living with her buddy Guinness, although their
cage had to be heavily padded to protect her head.  By then she was gaining
her feet for several paces.  At two weeks she was mostly feeding herself.
The stress behavior disappeared.
 
The accident was three months ago.  Now she dooks and ferrets about the
place, albeit with a drunken swagger.  She's never been happier.  She only
falls when she tries to stand on her hind legs or when startled.  She
doesn't have enough fine motor control to catch the water bottle, so we've
given her a bowl.  She also doesn't perceive sensations normally, so she
might accidentally grab a thumb along with a treat, not realizing her error
until she's part way through the thumb.  She bites too hard when playing
with Guinness, but he has adjusted -- he just pins her head.  All things
considered, she has made a great recovery.
 
She's a very lucky little ferret.  In addition to luck, I attribute her
recovery to her tenacious personality and the skilled veterinary care of
Dr. Charlie Weiss.
 
Cheers,
Lynn Burroughs
Rockville, Maryland
[Posted in FML issue 1635]