If your paralyzed ferret can get around on his own, and is not in pain,
then he'll probably be a fine pet.  He's entirely likely to come up with
his own set of exercises, so to speak.  You could let him swim, but just
plenty of free time out of a cage is likely to help him the most.
 
We've got a young ferret with poor control of his back legs. (ataxia)  (The
lumbar vertebrae seem seem to be the problem area.  After extensive testing
and consultation, we've decided it's likely a genetic weakness.)  This
ferret is otherwise quite healthy and although he can't really use his back
legs, he has become so strong in front that he can actually run down (and
bite) his playmates.  He likes to climb, and we find him on the top of the
six-foot cage fairly often.  At first, I tried to keep him from climbing,
because I was afraid he'd fall.  But he has become so strong and agile that
I don't worry as much now.  (And I've padded the areas around his favorite
climbs so that a fall wouldn't be too bad.)
 
One thing to keep in mind--don't let a paralyzed ferret get fat.  It is
their relatively small size and weight that lets them compensate as well as
they do for paralysis.  This makes the use of prednisone a little tricky,
as it often leads to weight gain.
 
Best of luck!
 
Jacqueline
[Posted in FML issue 3220]