>From: Anonymous Poster <[log in to unmask]> >One of our foster critters got hurt, he got stepped on and it has broken >his spine. His spinal cord is still intact. We have to keep him in a >small cage to keep his movement down to a minimal until we decide on the >surgery. They would put two rods in his back. Little is only 21/2 years >old. How would I keep him from wanting to run and play with his buddy >that he just loves and his buddy loves him two? My vet tells me that this >type of back surgery is a painful one. What do I do? Let him suffer the >pain for a longer life or do I do the right thing and end his suffering >and the pain? Margaret, I recently went threw a similar incedent with my newest ferret. She suffered a compound fracture to her right forward paw. Of course it wasn't nearly as bad a spinal problem that your ferret has experianced. Teh over riding reason I went for surgery was that she wanted to live. She was still jumping and bouncing around with her arm in such condition that I knew she wanted me to do what ever it took so she could have as normal a life as I could give her (My Vet even concurred at her energy and her willingness to deal with the problem). She had to spend two months in a very small cage to keep from redamaging her leg (this wasn't fun either). My costs to date are about 1.5k and I'm glad Idid it, but I was lucky that I could get a loan from relitives (that I've since repayed). Now that she's healed upp she doesn't bounce like she used to, but she's still enjoying life. Toodles, Jeff [Posted in FML issue 3233]