Hello all, My precious Beau is going to have a front leg amputated next week. He is a very agile and athletic ferret and has a combo of problems - a subluxation / dislocated bones, probably due to an ill-judged jump from one piece of furniture to another; and a very slow-growing bone tumor in his elbow, which is causing the bones in that area to essentially dissolve. Beau had a bad reaction to anesthesia when his Xray was taken last week, but the vet revived him and then successfully used a different protocol to put him under again. I'm trying not to worry or obsess too much about what might happen when he goes under for the surgery, and focus on helping him recover as fast and easily as possible. Lots of furkids do just fine on three legs, but the healing process is very scary. Does anyone have advice or suggestions to keep him safe and comfortable after the surgery? He'll be in a restricted space, and will have pain meds, but I worry about handling him and irritating the wound, especially while hand-feeding. Beau has a tendency to wiggle because he's so independent and exuberant. Also if your ferret had an amputation, how long did it take for them to start feeling better and begin bouncing around again? Beau is unusually sweet and gentle, a Big Cheerful Boy. He always mentors and watches over the little ones coming to their new 4-ever home. He's taught more than one survivor of abuse and neglect (including a badly traumatized DMK girl) how to play, make friends and act like a "real" ferret. He mediates disputes. He's the alpha guy in our family, leading by example and TLC. Please pray for him... Susann Thiel [Posted in FML 7450]