Kasey wrote:
>I have a five yr old male ferret (Shoshoni) that I rescued who was probley
>swung by his tail on many occasions.  His tail is hard as a rock in a hook
>shape, with noticeable factures and large lumps from trying to heal.
>Problem is the lumps are now growing and a decision has been made to take
>the tail off so his health is not in jeopardy.  I'm concerned about how
>Shoshoni will deal with this change.  Does anyone or has anyone dealt with
>this first hand.  Will he have any trouble with balancing?
 
Poor baby :o(
 
I don't have experience with a ferret treated in such a manner - thank
heavens!!  But I do have a ferret with no tail.  Gemn is a champagne point
sprite.  She's now in her fifth year of age, and she lost her tail three
years ago.  Her tail was amputated as a result of multiple infections
affecting only the end half of the tail, causing it to swell to over twice
(and sometimes three times) the normal size/width.  It was obviously
somewhat sore and definitely bothering her.  Antibiotics helped, but as
soon as she went off them the trouble immediately 'blew up' again.  After
six months of (different types of) treatment, the vet decided that the only
choice left was to amputate.
 
I don't know how Shoshoni will feel, but I know that Gemn became a whole
new ferret after that operation.  I had had her since she was six weeks of
age.  A tiny, off-white kit who never really showed the same enthusiasm for
play as my other ferrets.  I determined it was 'just her personality' since
she'd been that way her whole life.  After the operation, she ran, dooked,
climbed, leapt, war-danced, played and generally made a ferrety nuisance of
herself.  I was seeing a side of her after having had her for years, that
I'd never seen before.  She grew out of this eventually, but for some time
after the operation, she would waddle around in the house, dooking to
herself while walking.  Obviously very pleased with herself and life in
general.
 
As to worries about balance... well, Gemn climbs with the best of them,
she's a little clumsier than the others, but not overly so.  She can do the
same things that the others can do, although she isn't quite as fast as
they are in the climbing department, and doesn't dive off couches so much
as belly flop!
 
If your vet feels that amputating his tail would be best for Shoshoni, I
personally can say that it has made at least one ferrets life a whole lot
happier.  Perhaps the same would happen there.
 
Hope this answers your question!
 
Sam
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[Posted in FML issue 2563]