To Brian and the gang:
 
     >Dr. Williams,
      >    I wrote to you a few months ago about one of my ferrets, Bandit,
     >who was loosing his hair.  A few days after you wrote back, and
     >before I was able to get Bandit to the vets, his hair started to grow
     >back.  Great, I figured, no adrenal problems.  He's been fine,
     >steadily growing hair, until a few days ago.  He suddenly can't walk
     >on his hind legs.  They have feeling, they move, but he won't walk on
     >them.  He's eating and drinking like normal, and doesn't seem to be
     >loosing weight.  His stools look normal.  He doesn't appear to be in
     >any pain.  Could this be adrenal problems?
 
        Chances are that it is not.  But ferrets with adrnelas may lose
     muscle mass, which could cause them to be down in the back.  There are
     several other causes of paresis, or weakness in the hind legs.  One is
     trauma and nerve damage.
        In older ferrets, you may have a progressive degeneration of the
     nerves in the hindlegs, which is an irreversible problem.  Or you may
     have an inflammation of the nerves as they exit the spinal cord.
 
        I would say that you need to go to the vet now, if you are going to
     do anything about this problem.  A course of corticosteroids may help
     if the problem is othe than the progressive degeneration.  I have seen
     ferrets with inflamed spinal nerves that eventually come back after
     several months of inability to walk, but it all starts with prompt
     treatment.
 
        If Bandit is passing stools and urine normally, that's a good sign,
     but I think you need to get him checked out immediately if he is to
     regain the use of them....
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 782-2600/2602                    Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
[Posted in FML issue 1035]