Some of you might remember the story of Codo and Ayla who were
abandoned at my home in April. Both had obviously been abused. While
Ayla's injuries were emotional, Codo's were physical. Three of his legs
were partially paralyzed. He couldn't walk, just scoot across the floor
on his tummy, pulled by the one good leg while the other legs flailed
aimlessly. The vet said there was no sign of pain; Codo had some
neurological damage from either a big fall or being stepped on (the
likelier explanation). We started a home program of physical therapy
with little hope of improvement.

Ayla had taken care of Codo for so long, helping him up ramps and
keeping him from falling of cage shelves, that she didn't encourage
him to play; she was just too careful of him. When he met our other
two rescues, Rhys and Frost, he got a close-up look at what a ferret's
life is supposed to be like. The other boys left him alone for the most
part, instinctively knowing that he couldn't play chase or wrestle.
But, they didn't have to; just watching them was impetus enough for
him to try.

I thought we'd done really well when, in June, he was able to stand. By
July he could stagger a few steps without falling over, could make tiny
stiff-legged hops, and had greater control over his toilet routine. I
took him for a walk outside on Tuesday. He shocked me by being able to
climb over the 4x4s that edge out flower beds. Then, he climbed up the
two four-inch concrete steps up to our front door. I couldn't help but
pick him up and cuddle him while I shed a few tears of joy.

The matter of getting in and out of the cage has been an issue for Codo
these months. In Super Pet cages, the door swings down to rest at an
angle. The door makes a nice ramp up into the cage, if you're not using
the stand to the cage. The stand ads four inches of height to the cage,
leaving the door/ramp four inches off the floor. The other ferrets
could jump that height or pull themselves up with their front legs, but
Codo couldn't. And, you'd believe I was flabbergasted by finding him
able to get in the cage himself today, Wednesday.

Codo still has good days and bad days with his legs, and the muscle
spasms that make his legs stick out like straight rods still occur.
Still, I classify this one as a miracle. I thought we'd be carrying him
forevermore and always having to bathe him after he used the bathroom.
This big fluffy guy is being a "real" ferret now, wrestling with the
boys and crawling through the tubes.

Thanks for all your prayers and well-wishes! They've made a difference!

With respect,
Lori in Ohio
Ferrets: Rhys, Frost, Ayla, & Codo
Cats: Reaganne & Little Miss

[Posted in FML 6437]