>I was reading one of your responses to a previous post, in which you
>noted that ferrets can be steroid-resistant.  Can you elaborate on
>that, briefly...
 
Dear X:
 
The steroid resistance seen in ferret is based largely on their resistance
to common side effects seen in other species with prolonged cortisone
administration - most commonly development of gastric ulcers (although
ferrets will readily develop them in certain stressful conditions) and
atrophy of the adrenal cortex (so- called idiopathic Cushings).
Additionally, the healing of wounds and incisions does not appear to be
as impaired in ferrets on steroids as it is in other species.
 
This is not to say that if you give steroids at a high enough level, or
for a long enough time you can't accomplish the above, it just takes much
higher levels than in say, a dog.
 
Regarding hindlimb paralysis or in this case, weakness, this is a common
problem in ferrets and can arise from a large number of causes.  In fact,
spinal cord damage only accounts for a low number of cases.  The fact
that there is no response after 4 weeks strongly suggests that another
cause probably should be looked for at this time.  Plus, if he has not
been walking for 4 weeks, there is likely significant muscle loss in his
legs to make matters worse.
 
Dexamethasone is a good steroid for acute neural damage, as it stabilizes
membranes, and decreases acute inflammation.  However, it is not as good
as prednisone for long term maintenance.
 
Regarding the theory of stroke - this is really not a problem in ferrets -
stroke is most often seen in species with chronic cardiovascular disease
such as atherosclerosis, such as humans and certain inbred species of
animals, but not ferrets.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3702]