Sorry for the cross-post, but I need help.
 
I sent two posts to the FHL on 12/28 about Klondike, so I'll just
abbreviate those posts here.
 
Last Thursday, Klondike was walking weird - he was walking on the hocks of
his hind legs.  He didn't seem to be in any pain.  I figured he probably
caught one or both feet in the shelf in his cage climbing down to the
bottom level...he's always been like a slinky, almost spineless, and would
often just let his back end flop down.  He's 15 months old.  Thursday
night he was the same, so I kept him with me overnight.  He was up several
times through the night, getting off the bed to go potty.  I would help
him up and down the bed if I got there in time.  Still no sign of any
pain, but he was having more difficulty getting on the bed.  About 5 or
so the next morning, I heard him make occasional noises indicating he
was experiencing some discomfort....like they do when they've caught a
toenail, or another ferret has played too roughly.  About 6:30, he got
down again to go potty, and I heard him walking about.  Next thing I know,
he was screaming out in pain, and screamed again just a moment later.  It
was at this time that I noticed that he had peed and pooped very little
through the night, telling me that either his discomfort had kept him from
eating and drinking much the day before, which was the reason for little
output, OR that his injury (which by then I suspected was a back injury,
rather than his feet), wasn't allowing his muscles to work so he can
urinate/defecate.
 
Last Friday, the vet did a complete physical exam on Klondike, including
visual exam of general body condition, muscle tone and gait, oral exam,
ophthalmoscopic and otoscopic exams, auscultation of the chest, palpation
of the abdomen and peripheral LN's, and general condition of skin and
coat.  Reflexes were normal, and no significant abnormalities were found
except posterior paresis on both hind legs, and that Klondike tended to
walk on his hocks.  Xrays of VD and R laterals of the lumbar spine, and an
additional xray of "exp split sm" didn't reveal any apparent neurological
damage.  We can only assume that he somehow injured himself falling in
the cage or something (it's a three-level cage, but each level is only a
partial floor, with a hammock at the top...he could've gotten hurt from
falling off the top hammock, especially if he hit a shelf on the way
down).  The vet gave Klondike an injection of Depomedrol (40mg), methypred
acetate (0.1 ML), and prescribed a week's supply of Clavamox drops (0.25
ml orally every 12 hours).  While he had Klondike, he also gave him his
distemper shot.  He said the Depomedrol is a long-acting steroid, and it
would take 24-48 hours before Klondike showed improvement in being able to
move around.  I was to call Monday if he was not any better, and to keep
him quiet for a couple of weeks, even after he feels fine, to give the
injury time to heal.
 
Monday, he was not better, but didn't seem worse, either.  He had been
eating and drinking well throughout the weekend, and was sleeping all the
time, getting up just to go potty.  With it being New Year's Eve and all,
I decided to wait another couple of days.  Late Monday afternoon, and all
day Tuesday, I realized that Klondike was doing nothing but sleep, getting
up only to go potty.  I haven't seen him eat much at all since late
Monday, he doesn't always drink water that I offer to him, and his bowel
movements are much smaller, and seem darker and thicker.  He seemed to be
uncomfortable when he was going potty, and I realized he had dried poop on
his bottom.  Yesterday morning, while soaking him in warm water to clean
him up, he passed a bowel movement, but it came out very slowly, like he
wasn't using any muscle to expel it.
 
I finally got in to see the vet this afternoon, and the vet re-examined
him.  He has lost half a pound since Friday (but he was weighed on two
different scales).  He did a complete physical exam (same as above), and
no significant abnormalities were found except continued posterior paresis
but today shows real sensitivity upon palpation in region of distal
thoracic spine.  He looked at Friday's xrays to see if he might have
missed any cloudy or gray area in that region showing neurological damage
- nothing.  At that point, he didn't know what to do except refer me to
Cornell for myelogram or CT scan, etc.  He also said we could try
switching his antibiotic to doxycycline in case the Clavamox was upsetting
Klondike's stomach, so I'm to give him 1 dropper full orally once every
24 hours for two weeks (100mg/0.5oz dextrose solution).
 
The vet doesn't have the facilities at his practice to do more than what
he's done, and I think he's stumped as to what this could be or what to
do next.  Cornell will cost me $400 minimum just for the diagnostics, and
each test will raise the price.  It could easily end up costing me $600
or $800 or more just to diagnose the problem.  I really want to help
Klondike, but I would like to be able to do so at a facility that won't
charge so much.  If there are good vets in NY that could handle his case
that don't charge an arm and a leg, I'd like to know about them (I live
in central NY, Chenango County, near Otsego County border).
 
I could really use your help.  Please let me know any and all
possibilities that this could be.  I need to know if Klondike should be
responding better to the treatment thus far, or if an injury (if that's
what this is) just needs more time and this hasn't reached a critical
stage yet.  He's been in a sick cage since last Friday....no hammock or
litter box, just blankets and newspaper, so there's no climbing, etc..
All Klondike wants to do is rest.  He cannot use his back legs as well as
he did last Friday, and the left leg seems worse than the right one.  He
has no appetite.  He has a water bowl, but I don't think he's using it
now...I'll put a water bottle at the lowest level possible with a tray to
make it easier for him to drink.  When I offer him water, he sometimes
drinks a little, but not always.
 
Sorry for the length of this post, but I wanted to include everything that
might be pertinent to his case.  I really appreciate your assistance.  I'll
share all suggestions with our vet.
 
Thank you.
[Posted in FML issue 3651]